Cosmetics quality labels: how to find your way ?

Ecocert, Label France, Organic Cosmetics, Cruelty Free & Vegan - it can sometimes be quite difficult to know what these cosmetic labels actually mean. However, when you place your order for cosmetic products, they will serve as a guarantee of quality for you. Proud to hold these cosmetic quality labels, TdeM has prepared an overview of the main cosmetic quality labels to help you find your way around.

Ecocert

A synonym for quality and also involving very strict specifications, Ecocert is a certification and inspection body approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Its label certifies cosmetic products according to two criteria:

• The use of ingredients derived from renewable resources and processed in a way that respects the environment. This excludes GMOs, parabens, silicone, PEGs, synthetic colorants, etc.
• The inclusion in the product's composition of a minimum threshold of natural ingredients from organic farming.

Cruelty-Free: Cruelty-Free & Vegan

Introduced by the association PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the Cruelty Free label reflects a commitment against violence toward animals. Thus, a brand that markets products under the Cruelty Free label sells products made without animal cruelty. This applies to all manufacturing processes, testing, and of course ingredients.

However, a distinction should be made between a Cruelty-free product and a Cruelty-free & Vegan product, which contains no animal-derived substances such as honey or wax. This is why PETA created two labels that often go hand in hand: the Cruelty Free label and the Cruelty Free & Vegan label, like the one held by TdeM.

Cosmébio charter cosmetics

Created in 2002 by the French association Cosmébio, the Cosmébio charter cosmetics logo is synonymous with product development based on three commitments:

• Respect for natural and organic cosmetics manufacturing techniques
• Respect for people, nature, and animals
• The use of responsible and transparent communication throughout the product's entire life cycle.

Thus, according to the Cosmébio charter, the composition of cosmetic products must comply with the following defined criteria and include:

• A minimum of 95% organic ingredients across all plant-based ingredients
• A minimum of 95% ingredients of natural origin in the entire product
• A minimum of 10% organic ingredient in the total product

Cosmos

With standards similar to those of Ecocert, the criteria of the Cosmos label are a little more demanding. In fact, they are stricter when it comes to eco-responsibility and packaging recycling. As a result, this label bans GMOs, nanomaterials, as well as certain manufacturing methods. In addition, it offers two certifications:

• Cosmos organic: 20% of the total product must be organic and 95% must come from organic farming or organic wild harvesting. It also requires that certain vegetable oils and alcohols must always be organic.
• Cosmos natural: more flexible, this certification does not impose a minimum percentage for organic ingredients. However, 95% of the ingredients must be natural.