Like a seed, Green People has been nurtured by nature. It was nature that provided the harvest of organic active ingredients that we first used to boldly bring our pioneering organic beauty brand to market.
Nature nurtured us, and we give back to it by proudly displaying the Soil Association COSMOS Organic logo on our products. In this post, we look at what the COSMOS Organic logo stands for and explain why it is so important to us that our beauty products are certified organic.
What is the COSMOS Organic logo?
COSMOS Organic is an internationally recognised trustmark of the organic beauty trade. This little logo unlocks the story of our supply chain so that you can always be sure that our products’ provenance is just as pure as we say it is.
Administered by UK organic body the Soil Association, our COSMOS Organic certification affirms that Green People uses a high percentage of organic ingredients and complies with the COSMOS standard in all respects.
This goes much further than simply using organic ingredients.
Whenever you see the COSMOS Organic logo on a Green People product, you can be sure that it:
- Contains organically grown ingredients
- Uses ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients
- Does not use ingredients which have tested on animals
- Does not contain microplastics or PFAs
- Does not contain genetically modified ingredients
- Uses packaging that is recyclable, reusable, refillable or repurposed
Explore our COSMOS organic collection
This will be growing as more of our products become COSMOS Organic.
Our COSMOS quest
COSMOS certification is a gold standard when it comes to sustainability and securing this certification is a labour of love.
Our team must first prove that every natural active and packaging material we use has a traceable, sustainable and ethical source.
Then we must demonstrate that we are taking steps to minimise the environmental impact of our manufacturing process and must show that our products do contain materials that are prohibited by the organic certification bodies. Even our labels are reviewed to confirm that we are being transparent with customers and make no misleading claims.
Securing COSMOS approval for our organic skin care products is a lengthy and costly process and we’re audited annually to make sure we always meet the COSMOS organic standards.
For some of our products, such as those that use natural mineral actives which cannot be organically grown or harvested, COSMOS approval remains out of reach. However, whenever we can secure COSMOS certification, we do, so that you can always shop confidently knowing that our organic beauty products are as natural and as eco-conscious as you are.
Our other organic certifications
Prior to working with COSMOS, Green People was certified by the Organic Food Federation and The Soil Association’s own organic standard.
Some of our natural and organic beauty products continue to be certified by these organisations and, so that you know what to expect from these products, you can find details of our other organic certification below.
ORGANIC FOOD FEDERATION
The Organic Food Federation has strict standards and has two levels of certification. Products containing over 95% organic ingredients can use the word organic in their title. If a product contains 70-95% agricultural ingredients from organic sources, products must state the percentage of organic ingredients they contain and display this percentage on the label.
THE SOIL ASSOCIATION
The Soil Association set the first organic beauty standards after the founder of Green People, Charlotte Vøhtz, approached them in 1994 and petitioned for the organic beauty industry to be standardised. Read more about this.
The Soil Association’s certification stipulates that a brand can only be certified organic if it provides evidence that a high proportion of its ingredients were organically farmed. For organic certification to be awarded the product cannot be tested on animals and should contain no harsh ingredients.
Is organic skin care the same as natural skin care?
No, organic skin care is different to natural skin care and here we explain why.
ORGANIC
Organic skin care is also made using plant-based ingredients but what makes it different to natural is that is supports the entire environmental concept of the preservation and growth of our natural world.
This includes avoiding exposure to certain chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and growth suppressants during farming whilst actively supporting and improving soil health for future generations.
Because they are not exposed to artificial fertilisers, organic beauty ingredients typically have a rich mineral content and a high volume of skin-nourishing vitamins and antioxidants.
NATURAL
At Green People, we use the word “natural” to describe our products because they genuinely contain a very high percentage of natural ingredients. We also avoid harsh and potentially irritating chemicals such as SLS and artificial fragrances.
If you are looking for natural, rather than organic skin care, it is best to look for signs that your purchases have been verified natural, such as the COSMOS natural signature.
This indicates that a product complies with the COSMOS standard but does not use the minimum organic percentages as specified in the COSMOS Organic standard.
Our natural and organic bestsellers
Shop all natural and organic beauty now.
We hope that you have found this guide to certified organic beauty helpful. For help starting your organic beauty routine, take our skin care routine finder quiz or contact our friendly UK customer care team on 01403 740350. Alternatively, why not follow us on social and drop us a DM at @GreenPeopleUK?
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