ISO 16128: Has it hit the mark?

In 2015 alone, the market for natural and organic cosmetics (NOC) in Germany grew by 10% and thus attained an above-average growth. The turnover for conventional cosmetics only grew by 1,5%. However, the terms “natural cosmetics” and “organic cosmetics” are not legally defined in the EU. Only a few countries, such as Austria, have managed to define some national guidelines. Thus, it is not surprising that there are more and more conventional cosmetic companies that have started to exploit the lucrative field of green cosmetics with appropriate product ranges and their own labelling.

In fact, there has been a proliferation of private NOC (natural and organic cosmetics) labels that have been established on the market in response to consumer expectations and to protect true natural cosmetics from greenwashing as well as the availability of natural raw materials. The total number of private labels on the market now amounts to more than 30, so the consumer is confronted with a confusing jungle of numerous labels.