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This article has been updated to reflect the release of COSMOS v4.2 (September 2025) and its transition timeline; updated product and raw material counts from the COSMOS-standard AISBL; and the addition of testing implications across chemistry, microbiology, and stability disciplines.
COSMOS (Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard) is the internationally recognized certification framework for organic and natural cosmetics, managed by a Brussels-based non-profit association, COSMOS-standard AISBL. As of 2025, over 31,100 finished products in 80 countries carry COSMOS-ORGANIC or COSMOS-NATURAL signatures, and over 11,800 raw materials carry the COSMOS-CERTIFIED designation. The standard defines what qualifies as organic or natural, specifies which ingredients and processes are permitted, and requires independent third-party auditing before any COSMOS signature can appear on packaging.
Key Takeaways
- COSMOS is a Brussels-based non-profit certification body that governs organic and natural cosmetics through four distinct signatures: COSMOS-ORGANIC, COSMOS-NATURAL, COSMOS-CERTIFIED, and COSMOS-APPROVED.
- COSMOS-ORGANIC requires at least 20% of the total formula (by weight, including water) to be from certified organic agriculture, and at least 95% of plant-based, physically processed ingredients to be organic; rinse-off and high-mineral products qualify for a 10% minimum.
- Prohibited substances across both product certifications include parabens, silicones, PEGs, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colorants, and petrochemical-derived ingredients (with very limited exceptions for specified preservatives).
- COSMOS v4.2 became applicable from September 1, 2025; all products certified under v3 must comply with v4 by December 1, 2025.
- Manufacturers pursuing certification need analytical chemistry, microbiology, and stability testing from accredited contract laboratories to substantiate ingredient claims, preservative performance, and product shelf life.
COSMOS-ORGANIC, COSMOS-NATURAL, COSMOS-CERTIFIED, and COSMOS-APPROVED: What Each Signature Covers
The COSMOS standard’s organic and natural cosmetics certification operates through four distinct signatures, each applying to a different point in the supply chain.
COSMOS-ORGANIC is the highest certification tier for finished cosmetic products. It requires that at least 20% of the total product formula (by weight, including water) derives from certified organic agriculture, and that at least 95% of all physically processed agro-ingredients (PPAIs, meaning plant-based ingredients that have not been chemically transformed) are organic. Rinse-off products, non-emulsified aqueous products, and products with at least 80% minerals or mineral-origin ingredients qualify for a reduced minimum of 10% organic content. Because water constitutes a significant portion of most aqueous formulations and cannot be certified organic, even the standard 20% threshold is materially more demanding than it appears on the label.
COSMOS-NATURAL applies to finished products that meet all COSMOS ingredient, processing, and manufacturing requirements except the organic content thresholds. There is no minimum percentage of certified organic ingredients for COSMOS-NATURAL. The focus is on natural origin and the complete exclusion of the prohibited substance list.
COSMOS-CERTIFIED designates raw materials and ingredients that contain organic content meeting the standard’s criteria.
COSMOS-APPROVED designates non-organic raw materials that have been reviewed and accepted for use in COSMOS-certified finished products, such as certain permitted preservatives or processing aids. Over 11,400 raw materials carry the COSMOS-APPROVED designation as of 2025.
| Signature | Applies To | Organic Content Required | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| COSMOS-ORGANIC | Finished products | Min. 20% of total formula; min. 95% of PPAIs | Highest tier; plant ingredients predominantly organic |
| COSMOS-NATURAL | Finished products | None mandated | All ingredients natural origin; prohibited list respected |
| COSMOS-CERTIFIED | Raw materials/ingredients | Meets standard’s organic criteria | Used in COSMOS-ORGANIC formulations |
| COSMOS-APPROVED | Raw materials/ingredients | None (non-organic) | Reviewed and accepted for use in certified products |
Banned Ingredients under the COSMOS Standard
Both COSMOS-ORGANIC and COSMOS-NATURAL apply the same prohibited substances list. Formulators cannot use synthetic petrochemical ingredients (including mineral oil, paraffin, and synthetic polymers), parabens, silicones, polyethylene glycols (PEGs), synthetic fragrances, synthetic colorants, or GMO-derived ingredients. Substances that are known to be bioaccumulative and non-biodegradable, specifically those failing OECD 301 or classified TEGEWA III, are also prohibited.
COSMOS does permit a tightly controlled list of non-natural-origin substances in very limited quantities, primarily for preservation and pH adjustment. No more than 2% of the total product by weight may consist of petrochemical moieties from these permitted exceptions. This creates a significant formulation challenge for manufacturers accustomed to conventional preservative systems: naturally derived preservation must be validated to perform adequately, which is where laboratory testing becomes essential.
Animal testing is prohibited for both finished products and their ingredients under the standard.
The full permitted and prohibited ingredient lists, along with processing criteria, are maintained in the COSMOS-standard documents library, which includes the current criteria document (v4.2), technical guide, and labeling guide.
COSMOS Standard Version 4: What Changed and When It Applies
COSMOS standard version 4.0 came into force on January 1, 2023, with mandatory application for new products from June 1, 2023. Version 4.1 followed on March 1, 2024, with editorial changes, and v4.2 became applicable on September 1, 2025. Products certified under v3.1 had until December 1, 2025, to comply with v4. Any cosmetic product manufactured after December 1, 2025, must comply with the current standard.
For manufacturers currently in the certification pipeline, all new cosmetic products submitted for certification must already comply with v4.2. Raw materials certified or approved under v3 also had to comply with v4 by December 1, 2024, unless submitted for certification before June 1, 2023.
The v4 series introduced stricter requirements around fragrance compound certification, tightened processing criteria for chemically processed agro-ingredients (CPAIs), and refined the calculation methodology for organic percentage contributions. Manufacturers relying on cosmetics formulation testing performed under earlier versions should re-validate their ingredient documentation against v4.2 criteria before submitting for certification.
How COSMOS Certification Works: Governance, Audits, and Authorized Bodies
COSMOS certification is managed by COSMOS-standard AISBL, a non-profit international association formally constituted in 2010 when it received a Royal Decree from Belgian authorities. The five founding members, BDIH (Germany), Cosmebio (France), Ecocert (France), ICEA (Italy), and the Soil Association (UK), continue to govern the standard through a board and specialist technical and certifier committees.
Certification is conducted exclusively by COSMOS-authorized certification bodies, not by COSMOS-standard AISBL directly. Twelve authorized bodies currently operate across Europe, Australia, and Asia, with most offering international certification services through local auditors or regional offices. Manufacturers choose a certification body, submit a formal application including ingredient documentation and manufacturing process details, undergo a site audit, and receive a license tied to specific product formulations. Annual audits, including unannounced complementary audits, maintain ongoing compliance.
The certification process covers six substantive areas defined in the standard: ingredient origin and processing (Chapter 6), product composition rules (Chapter 7), storage, manufacturing, and packaging (Chapter 8), environmental management (Chapter 9), labelling and communication (Chapter 10), and inspection and certification requirements (Chapter 11). The full list of authorized certification bodies is maintained on the COSMOS certification bodies page.
Products entering the certification pipeline must already comply with applicable local cosmetics regulations. In the EU, this means compliance with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, the primary EU Cosmetics Regulation, before COSMOS certification is sought. COSMOS certification does not substitute for regulatory compliance; it supplements it.
Laboratory Testing Requirements for COSMOS Certification
Achieving and maintaining COSMOS certification generates significant laboratory testing requirements across multiple disciplines. Manufacturers need analytical data to substantiate ingredient origin claims, demonstrate preservation performance, and establish product shelf life.
Analytical Chemistry for Ingredient Verification
COSMOS-certified and COSMOS-approved raw materials require documented organic content calculations. For finished products pursuing COSMOS-ORGANIC, formulators must calculate the percentage of organic physically processed agro-ingredients and the overall organic percentage of the total product formula. Chemistry and compound analysis supports verification of ingredient identity, purity, and organic content, including detection of prohibited substances such as parabens, PEGs, or synthetic petrochemical residues.
Reverse engineering and deformulation testing, which Contract Laboratory regularly receives requests for, plays a role when manufacturers need to characterize incoming raw materials or verify that a supplier’s COSMOS-APPROVED material matches its certification documentation. Trace-level detection of prohibited substances requires validated chromatographic methods, particularly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Laboratories may also reference ISO 16128-2:2017 (Cosmetics, Guidelines on Technical Definitions and Criteria for Natural and Organic Cosmetic Ingredients, Part 2), which provides the calculation methodology for natural, natural origin, organic, and organic origin indexes that underpins ingredient-level documentation in COSMOS applications.
Microbiology Testing and Preservation Validation
Naturally derived preservation systems are the most technically demanding aspect of any COSMOS-certified cosmetics formulation. Because many conventional synthetic preservatives are prohibited, formulators rely on permitted alternatives such as benzyl alcohol, certain organic acids, and plant-derived antimicrobials. These systems must be validated to prevent microbial contamination throughout the product’s shelf life.
The reference method for evaluating preservative system performance in cosmetics is ISO 11930:2019 (Cosmetics, Microbiology, Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Protection of a Cosmetic Product), which specifies a preservation efficacy test using inoculation with defined strains of bacteria, yeast, and mold under controlled conditions over 28 days. For general microbial limits testing, ISO 21149 (enumeration and detection of aerobic mesophilic bacteria) and ISO 16212 (yeast and mold enumeration) apply, with pathogen-specific detection covered by ISO 21150 (E. coli), ISO 22717 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), ISO 22718 (Staphylococcus aureus), and ISO 18416 (Candida albicans).
Contract Laboratory connects manufacturers with accredited laboratories for microbiology and pathogen detection, including preservation efficacy challenge testing and batch-release microbial limits testing. Because COSMOS-NATURAL formulations often use water-based matrices with limited preservative systems, microbiology testing is non-negotiable for both safety substantiation and EU good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliance under Regulation 1223/2009.
Manufacturers also benefit from reviewing preservatives used in cosmetics and their compatibility with COSMOS-permitted ingredient lists before finalizing a formulation.
Stability Testing
COSMOS does not specify its own cosmetics stability testing protocol, but EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 requires cosmetic product safety assessments to include physical, chemical, and microbiological stability data under foreseeable storage conditions. COSMOS-certified products must comply with these regulatory requirements.
Cosmetics stability studies typically include accelerated temperature cycling, freeze-thaw assessments, and real-time stability monitoring for viscosity, pH, color, fragrance, and active ingredient concentration. For COSMOS-NATURAL formulations using plant-derived actives and natural-based emulsification systems, stability can be less predictable than in conventional formulations, making early-stage stability screening through specialist consumer goods testing particularly valuable before committing to a packaging format or geographic market.
Toxicology and Safety Assessment
EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 requires a safety assessment prepared by a qualified person (Responsible Person) supported by toxicological data for every ingredient. For COSMOS-certified formulations, ingredient toxicology data must cover substances at the concentrations used. Toxicology and biocompatibility testing through contract laboratories provides the in vitro data needed to complete these assessments without animal testing, consistent with COSMOS’s prohibition on animal testing.
Why COSMOS Certification Matters for Market Access
COSMOS certification functions as a verifiable, third-party-audited consumer guarantee in a market segment where “natural” and “organic” claims are otherwise self-declared and unregulated in most jurisdictions. In a landscape where greenwashing is common, the COSMOS standard’s independent audit requirement and public product database give manufacturers a credible, searchable proof of compliance. With over 31,100 certified products across 80 countries, the COSMOS signatures carry meaningful consumer recognition, particularly in EU, UK, Australian, and East Asian markets. Major global brands and specialist independent companies both hold COSMOS certifications, positioning the standard as mainstream rather than niche in the organic beauty segment.
For laboratories supporting cosmetics manufacturers, COSMOS certification projects represent multidisciplinary testing programs spanning chemistry, microbiology, stability, and toxicology, often executed before a product launches and repeated at each reformulation or packaging change. Connecting with accredited contract laboratories experienced in COSMOS-relevant test methods is an efficient way to structure these programs and access the multiregional regulatory expertise needed for simultaneous market access in the EU, UK, and beyond.
Need cosmetics testing for COSMOS certification? Submit a lab request to connect with and get quotes from industry experts, or explore our guide to top cosmetic testing labs and contract research organizations
This content includes text that has been generated with the assistance of AI. Contract Laboratory encourages the use of new tools and technologies that enhance our editorial process. Our full editorial policy can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
COSMOS-ORGANIC requires at least 20% of the total product formula (including water) to be from certified organic agriculture, and at least 95% of plant-based, physically processed ingredients to be organic. COSMOS-NATURAL has no minimum organic content requirement; it requires that all ingredients are of natural origin and that the full prohibited substance list is respected. Both certifications apply the same banned ingredient list, including no parabens, silicones, PEGs, or synthetic petrochemicals.
COSMOS certification is issued by one of 12 COSMOS-authorized certification bodies, not by COSMOS-standard AISBL directly. Manufacturers choose a certification body, submit ingredient and manufacturing documentation, and undergo a site audit. The process typically takes several months, depending on formula complexity and the certification body’s review timeline.
COSMOS v4.2 became applicable from September 1, 2025. All cosmetic products submitted for certification from that date must comply with v4.2. Products certified under v3 had to comply with v4 by December 1, 2025; any product manufactured after that date must meet the current standard. The v4.2 Criteria document and Technical Guide, along with the v4.0 Labelling Guide (which remains current), are all available on the COSMOS documents page.
Manufacturers typically need analytical chemistry testing to verify ingredient origin and detect prohibited substances, preservative efficacy testing per ISO 11930 to validate the natural preservation system, microbial limits testing per ISO 21149 and ISO 16212, and stability testing to meet EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 safety assessment requirements. Toxicology data for each ingredient is also required to support the mandatory product safety assessment.
No. Products must comply with EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 independently before pursuing COSMOS certification. COSMOS certification is a voluntary third-party quality mark that supplements regulatory compliance; it does not substitute for it. In markets outside the EU, manufacturers must also meet applicable national cosmetics regulations alongside COSMOS requirements.
Yes. Several of the 12 COSMOS-authorized certification bodies operate internationally, including in North America, and offer US manufacturers access to COSMOS certification. US manufacturers should note that COSMOS certification does not imply FDA compliance for any product; the two frameworks are independent. Manufacturers seeking access to EU markets must also comply with EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 regardless of COSMOS status.