The Cosmébio association has been growing for over 20 years. From 18 member companies in 2002 to over 540 today, the organic cosmetics sector has an important/primary position on the market !
Despite this growth of natural and organic-certified cosmetics, consumers are now facing a new form of greenwashing, called “Clean Beauty”. So, what is it, and what hides behind it?
Cosmébio tells all!
What is Clean Beauty?
Clean Beauty is a new form of marketing used by cosmetic brands to convince the consumer that products identified as “Clean” do not contain any harmful or unnecessary ingredients.
One of the strategies used by brands accused of greenwashing is the creation of their own blacklists. They thus claim that their ranges are “paraben-free” or “sulphate-free” on the sole basis of a list that they themselves created. Yet the same range may very well contain phenoxyethanol or sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI), which are banned by the COSMEBIO label.
Clean Beauty is neither controlled nor certified
Why should we be wary of this new claim, which is omnipresent in the cosmetic market? Simply because it is not governed by any regulations and does not involve universal specifications.
As the use of the term “Clean Beauty” is not regulated, all brands can use it: those that propose cosmetics made from petrochemicals, those that offer cosmetics based on ingredients of natural, but not certified origin (therefore without traceability of the raw materials), and those that are genuinely certified.
How can the consumer know which is which?
To avoid falling into the greenwashing trap, consumers need to trust certifications. The certification recognised by Cosmébio is COSMOS, whose specifications can be found online (proof of transparency). There are two levels of certification for finished products, namely: COSMOS ORGANIC or COSMOS NATURAL.
These labels provide evidence to the consumer that the product is genuinely organic or natural. The Cosmebio logo is another trusted symbol because its use is conditional upon certification by an independent body.
So, when a brand uses the words “Clean Beauty”, you should dig deeper to understand why this brand uses a non-controlled claim. What does this brand define as clean beauty? Is it purely a marketing promise?
The importance of certification is a vision shared by Natexpo and Cosmébio and is an element that has framed the partnership since the beginning. Natexpo requires certification for a brand to be able to exhibit at the show. At the same time, Cosmébio makes certification mandatory for a brand to be able to hold the organic label.
To find out more about Clean Beauty, do not hesitate to read Cosmébio’s Position Paper soon available.
Meeting at the Cosmetic Innovations Forum
In partnership with Cosmébio, the trade association for eco-friendly and organic cosmetics, every year Natexpo proposes a space entirely dedicated to beauty and well-being: the Cosmetics Innovations Forum. Cosmebio-labelled brands will be present on the association’s stand to give short talks. A testing bar will also be available for you to try out the latest products.
