Natural vs. Organic Cosmetics: Key Differences

Short answerNatural cosmetics describes an approach in which ingredients come from natural sources; organic means those natural ingredients come from organic farming or wild harvesting and usually requires certification. The two terms should not be used interchangeably; every claim should be considered together with its evidence.

The concepts

The ISO 16128-1 standard defines natural ingredients as those obtained only from plants, animals, micro-organisms or minerals, and organic ingredients as natural ingredients obtained through organic farming or wild harvesting. The standard does not cover product communication (claims and labelling), so it does not by itself verify a product claim.

Claim versus evidence

The word “natural” is used often in marketing and does not always carry the same meaning. An “organic” claim is mostly tied to a standard and a certification body. Before using this claim for a product, you need to decide which evidence will support it.

Product and certificate scope

A document is limited to the product or process scope written on it. A document issued for one company should not be assumed to apply to all products. For more see our article on quality certificates.

Questions to ask a supplier

Which standard or certification is targeted?
Does the document’s scope include this product?
How are ingredient source and traceability ensured?
Who checks label and claim texts?

Evaluating with ARK

For natural-ingredient focused projects see our natural and organic cosmetics manufacturing page. In organic-targeted projects, certification scope is evaluated separately per product.