ECOCERT Certification and COSMOS Organic Standards For Ethical Skincare

The world is changing day by day, and so is our awareness about the impact we have on our planet and the environment. Respect for the environment is a focus in today's world, and it comes down to small steps towards it – such as choosing organic products.

With information at our fingertips, customers are learning to decipher labels and making more knowledgeable purchase decisions when it comes to overall human health and what they're putting on their skin. Organic cosmetics and natural skincare products are on the rise, as it is the healthiest, safest choice – cruelty-free and ethically conscious.

That’s where ECOCERT certification and the COSMOS label set the authority. Certification, such as ECOCERT COSMOS Organic or Natural, is the forerunner of showcasing transparent business practices and products of outstanding quality.

In this article, we dive into the purpose of the COSMOS standard and ECOCERT Organic certification, as well as which products from the Selfnamed catalog are labelled as ECOCERT Certified cosmetics: Natural and Organic.

What is ECOCERT?

ECOCERT is one of the world’s best-known organic and natural certification organisations. Founded in France more than 30 years ago, the company has focused on promoting sustainable practices and responsible production through ECOCERT certification. From its early days in the field of organic farming, ECOCERT has extended its efforts to various other sectors, including cosmetics, skincare, food, textiles, and environmental services.

The organisation strives to support production processes that respect the environment while improving production efficiency, better product quality, and safety. Today, ECOCERT works as an independent and impartial certification body assessing whether businesses meet strict environmental and social requirements, as well as regulatory compliance. The organisation is part of an international network operating across many countries globally.

One of the areas of ECOCERT's practice is COSMOS certification. The certification highlights environmentally friendly and socially conscious practices. It applies to natural skincare brands and guarantees:

• environmentally friendly production and processing;

• responsible management and use of natural resources;

• respect for biodiversity;

• absence of petrochemical ingredients – parabens, phenoxyethanol, perfumes and synthetic colourants;

• absence of GMO;

• and more sustainable and recycled materials in packaging.

The vast majority of Selfnamed skincare products are ECOCERT certified.

Formulas have been reviewed by the ECOCERT team, from ingredient composition and raw material sourcing to processing and packaging. The products are then divided into two categories: COSMOS Natural and COSMOS Organic.

Why Eco-Friendly Certification Matters for Skincare Brands

Customers pay a lot more attention now to what’s inside their skincare products and how those products are made. People want more transparency around skincare ingredients, sourcing, sustainability, and the overall environmental impact behind the things they buy.

That’s why eco-friendly certification has become much more important for skincare brands and beauty businesses. Products carrying the ECOCERT label or COSMOS label have to go through a rigorous process before they can be marketed as certified.

For brands, certifications help build trust faster. You can honestly show your commitment to sustainable practices, responsible sourcing, better ingredient transparency, and lower environmental impact. That’s one of the reasons more beauty businesses are paying attention to trends around clean skincare brands, and becoming more open about the products they sell. Honesty and commitment drive customer trust and loyalty.

For customers, it helps them make informed choices and quickly figure out which skincare solutions feel more trustworthy. When comparing dozens of “environmentally friendly” products, it helps to have an organization that’s “on your team,“ vetting and keeping manufacturers in check.

Ecocert Cosmos organic logo used on Natural certified products

COSMOS Natural

To get the COSMOS Natural label, all the product's ingredients have to be from natural origin, except for an approved ingredient list (including preservatives) authorised in small quantities. On average, ECOCERT-certified products contain 99% ingredients of natural origin.

Most of the Selfnamed face, hair, and body care range falls under this type of COSMOS certification, with a strong focus on naturally derived formulas, carefully selected ingredients, and transparent INCI ingredient lists. Here are some product examples:

For face care, Natural-certified products include:

• Radiant Glow Facial Wash

• Hydrating Toner

• Purifying Toner

• Hydrating Serum

• Calming Eye Cream

• Smoothing Eye Cream

• Brightening Eye Cream

• Caffeine Gel Booster

• Antioxidant Ginkgo Gel Booster.

Natural-certified moisturisers include:

• Moisturising Day Cream

• Light Moisturising Day Cream

• Anti-age Day Cream

• Nourishing Rich Cream

• Oil-Free Hydrating Gel

For hair care, products include:

• Moisturising Shampoo

• Keratin Hair Mask

For body care products include:

• Hydrating Body Wash

• Hydrating Hand Cream

Hand & Body Wash variations Silk Skin Body Serum.

Ecocert Cosmos organic logo used on Organic certified products

COSMOS Organic

To get COSMOS Organic certified, only a minimum of 95% of the ingredients it contains must be organic, and at least 20% of the organic ingredients are present in the total volume (10% for rinse-off products). Note that water or minerals are not regarded as “organic”.

Currently, many products from the Selfnamed catalogue carry COSMOS Organic certification. These include:

• Gentle Cleansing Milk

• Sensitive Skin Oil-to-Milk Cleanser

• Micellar Cleansing Water

• Sensitive Skin Moisturiser

• Sensitive Skin Overnight Cream

• Natural Retinol Alternative Oil Serum

• Acne Spot Care

• Nourishing Facial Oil

• All-in-One Facial Oil

• Calming Oil Booster

• Softening Beard Oil

• Sensitive Skin Body Cream

• Baby Body Lotion

• Baby Body Wash

• Baby Foaming Wash

• Omega 6-9 Glowing Skin Body Oil

• Rosemary Hair & Scalp Strengthening Oil

• Gentle Baby Shampoo

If you want to build a skincare line focused more specifically on certified organic ingredients, these products make a strong starting point for a smaller organic face care range.

The COSMOS organic certification process acts as a kind of written assurance that products meet strict sustainability and ingredient criteria before they can be marketed as certified organic.

So with that all in mind, Selfnamed provides some of the most expansive organic skincare lines for brands targeting long-term sustainability, ingredient quality, and responsible sourcing.

How to Start Your Own Skincare Line Using Selfnamed

Selfnamed helps you make your own skincare line by making the process as simple and seamless as possible.

Want to launch organic products and practice environmentally conscious skincare without dealing with complicated production processes?

Here’s how: 

• Select product sample sets. You can choose from more than 150 high-quality, organic or natural certified skincare products made in Northern Europe. The sample sets are a useful way to test textures, fragrances, packaging, and overall product quality before your products are marketed under your own brand.

• Add your style. Selfnamed offers easy-to-use design tools and branding services that help you customise labels and packaging. You can work with pre-made print-ready templates or create your design from scratch. You can also choose our design service.

• Start selling your products. There are no minimum orders, meaning you can easily adjust the volume to your needs.

Before making a custom order, we recommend looking at our sample set selection. These sets contain curated product lines for different skin types, letting you choose the best products for your brand. It’s one of the easiest ways to understand what products fit your audience best and what kind of formulas, textures, or fragrances make the biggest difference for your customers.

A lot of brands also shape their product range around trending skincare ingredients and current customer demand. Since the whole process is designed to stay flexible, Selfnamed makes it easier for you to test ideas, adjust products, and grow gradually through the private label process.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does eco certified mean?

  An eco certified product has gone through a certification system that checks ingredients, sourcing, packaging, and production standards. It usually means the product meets specific environmental and social requirements and avoids unnecessary synthetic chemicals.

• What is the difference between COSMOS Natural and COSMOS Organic?

  COSMOS Natural is for products made mostly from natural origin ingredients. COSMOS Organic follows stricter criteria and requires a higher amount of certified organic ingredients before a product can receive the certificate.

• Is ECOCERT the same as COSMOS?

  Not exactly. COSMOS is the standard used in the cosmetics industry, while ECOCERT is the independent organisation that checks if brands meet those standards. That is why many brands choose ECOCERT for certification.

• What does COSMOS certification mean for a skincare brand?

  COSMOS certification shows that a brand follows recognised standards around ingredients, sourcing, packaging, and sustainability. Seeing the ECOCERT logo on a product also helps give customers extra confidence and a stronger sense of guarantee when comparing skincare brands.

• How does a business get ECOCERT certification?

  A business has to submit a request and go through a full certification process. Ingredients, packaging, formulas, and production methods are reviewed to make sure the products meet the required COSMOS standards before certification is approved.