Used voluntarily, the AB mark enables professionals who wish to use it and who comply with its rules of use to identify their products in a specific way. An exclusive property of the French Ministry of Agriculture, which defines the rules for its use, the AB mark guarantees both :
- A product composed of at least 95% organically grown ingredients, using agronomic and farming practices that respect natural balances, the environment and animal welfare,
- Compliance with current French regulations,
- Certification under the control of a body approved by the public authorities, meeting the criteria of independence, impartiality, competence and efficiency as defined by European standard EN 45011.
Source: official website of the French agency for the development and promotion of organic agriculture - Agence BIO(www.agencebio.org).
In collaboration with leading manufacturers of natural cosmetics, the federal association BDIH has developed a guideline for tested natural cosmetics. Based on this guideline, products in the natural cosmetics sector are tested for their ingredients by independent testing institutes. Only products that meet the strict criteria of the guideline are authorized to bear the BDIH control mark reserved for "controlled natural cosmetics".
Today's 50 manufacturers of controlled natural cosmetics are extremely demanding when it comes to natural substances and careful processing. Careful use of active ingredients and plant care products, combined with the latest scientific findings, result in natural cosmetics that are innovative, caring and particularly gentle on the skin.
Products bearing the BDIH test mark use, for example, high-quality plant oils, fats and waxes, herbal extracts, flower waters or essential oils and aromas, wherever possible from controlled organic cultivation or wild harvesting.
In addition, the BDIH control mark excludes products based on synthetic organic colorants, synthetic aromatic substances, ethoxylated raw materials, silicone, kerosene and other petroleum-derived products.
Source: BDIH official website (www.kontrollierte-naturkosmetik.de).
Depending on the biotope (sunshine, climate, soil composition, altitude, etc.), the same plant may secrete biochemically very different essences. These variations in the biochemical composition of essential oils give rise to the notion of chemotype (CT).Two chemotypes of the same essential oil will present not only different activities, but also highly variable toxicities.
Example:
Thymus vulgaris CT thujanol:
Very safe to use, well tolerated by the skin.
Thymus vulgaris CT thymol:
Dermocaustic and hepatotoxic in high, prolonged doses.
Lack of awareness of the distinction between various chemotypes, and the lack of precision in identifying certain essential oils, leaves the door open to toxicity-related incidents and therapeutic failures.
The HECT label guarantees you:
a botanically certified distilled plant
a specified distilled part of the plant
a defined chemotype
quality steam distillation of essential oils
The HECT label guarantees:
100% NATURAL essential oils, not denatured by synthetic components, mineral oils or essences
100% PURE essential oils, not blended with other essential oils, fatty oils or alcohol
100% TOTAL essential oils, non-discolored, non-peroxidized, non-deterpenated and non-rectified.
Ecogarantie is the Belgian label for ecological products. If you choose products bearing the Ecogarantie label, you are opting for quality and durability.
Ecogarantie has developed guidelines for cosmetics, personal care products, cleaning products and salt.
Consumers can be sure that products bearing the Ecogarantie label meet the most stringent requirements in terms of quality, safety and sustainability.
While the Ecogarantie label is used for many ecological products, whether or not their raw materials come from agriculture, products bearing the Biogarantie label are those whose raw materials come exclusively from organic farming.
Raw materials such as minerals and gases are subject to strict requirements. Animal products are permitted only in limited quantities. Any processes used to transform raw materials must be ecologically responsible.
Standards for the production of ecological products have been set in collaboration with companies and consumer groups from different sectors.
These standards are set out in the Cahier des charges Ecogarantie. These standards are subject to modification in line with advances in research and development. A wide range of products are already inspected by independent inspection bodies.
http://www.ecogarantie.com/fr/index.html
A consumer federation
NATURE & PROGRES is an international federation of some thirty departmental and regional associations in France, including the French overseas departments and territories.
It is also present in Spain and Belgium, where it has some 20 local groups. Founded in 1964 as an association under the French law of 1901, it brings together farmers, processors, suppliers, distributors and consumers of agrobiological and bioecological products.
NATURE & PROGRES not only guarantees consumers healthy, high-quality products, but also contributes to preserving and maintaining our planet.
By signing the Nature & Progrès specifications, professionals commit to involving consumers in the choice and definition of organic food production methods with quality criteria that respect the health of both man and the Earth.
NATURE & PROGRES is a shared charter between professionals and consumers, to which all subscribe. In addition to the technical recommendations in the specifications, the charter includes ecological and social objectives to which our members commit.
The charter is intended as a guide which, according to the choices and possibilities of each of our members, will enable them to improve their ecological, social and economic practices year after year.
The Nature & Progrès charter is a project for society... for our health and that of the earth.
http://www.nature-et-progres-npdc.org/index.html
Based on specifications filed with the French Ministry of Industry in 2002, the Cosmébio charter offers transparency regarding the nature of the ingredients and manufacturing processes used in organic cosmetics.
In accordance with the Cosmébio charter, products bearing the BIO or ECO logo contain a majority of natural ingredients of natural origin. The entire composition of an organic product is carefully controlled according to strict rules.
It must contain a minimum of 95% natural ingredients or ingredients of natural origin, with the plant ingredients coming primarily from organic farming.
The standard authorizes a minimal, even negligible, quantity of synthetic products, which are still unavailable in natural form today (these ingredients must meet the requirements of a very restrictive positive list excluding PEG, silicones, petrochemical derivatives...):
- Of the plant-based raw materials, a minimum of 95% must be of organic quality
- No synthetic fragrances or colorants
- Total exclusion of synthetic preservatives such as parabens or phenoxyethanol
- Petrochemical-free (kerosene, silicone, PEG)
- No genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
- No ionizing treatments
Full respect for nature (respect for natural balances, no animal testing).
Production processes are non-polluting.
Packaging must be biodegradable or recyclable.
Consumers must be given full, transparent information on the ingredients used and all stages of production, right through to the finished product. The percentage of natural ingredients and the percentage of organic ingredients are clearly indicated on all certified product packaging bearing the BIO and ECO logos.
A.
Minimum 95% of natural ingredients or ingredients of natural origin:
- Ingredients from organic farming: minimum 10% of total ingredients
- Ingredients from organic farming: minimum 95% of certifiable ingredients
B. Maximum 5% synthetic ingredients
A. Minimum 95% natural ingredients or ingredients of natural origin
- Ingredients from organic farming: minimum 5% of total ingredients
- Ingredients from organic farming: minimum 50% of certifiable ingredients
B. Maximum 5% synthetic ingredients
Source: official website of Cosmébio, the professional association for ecological and organic cosmetics (www.cosmebio.org).
Ecocert is a control and certification organization that aims to:
- Verify compliance with specifications, through announced annual visits and random visits possible at any time, to check facilities, plots, buildings, manufacturing methods, ingredients, accounting, packaging, transport, etc.
- If these standards are met, a license is issued to the operator, attesting to his commitment to an inspection body, and his authorization to refer to the organic production method,
- After inspection, a certificate is issued, establishing that each product or service complies with the organic production standards. The certificate is valid for 12 to 24 months.
Source: official website of the Ecocert inspection and certification body (www.ecocert.fr).
The European Ecolabel has been in existence since 1992, and certifies that a product is more respectful of the environment, while being as effective and as efficient as a similar product intended for the same use. It is the only official European eco-label that can be used in all member countries of the European Union. In France, it is issued by AFNOR Certification, an independent certification body. It is a voluntary certification mark for products and services.
Source: European Ecolabel official website (www.ecolabels.fr).
The Leaping Bunny label, issued by the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), is a standard certifying that the manufacturer (as well as its laboratory(ies) and supplier(s)) has not carried out, sponsored or accepted any animal testing during the entire manufacturing process of the certified cosmetic product, nor on its ingredients.
Source: official website of the Leaping Bunny program (www.leapingbunny.org).
The international Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 label, developed by the textile research institutes OTI (Austria) and Hohenstein (Germany), was created in 1992 to meet the needs of health- and well-being-conscious consumers. The Oeko-Tex® standard 100, "trust in textiles", is a worldwide control and certification system for raw materials, intermediate and finished products. It is a product label. It is renewed and inspected every year.
The aim of this label is to protect the consumer by minimizing the presence of substances that are harmful or may present a health risk.
The control methods developed by the Oeko-Tex® association and its members are based on simulation tests, deemed representative of current usage. In particular, they take into account the three possible modes of contamination: skin contact, ingestion (sucking by babies) and inhalation (emissions of harmful volatile compounds for large items). The Oeko-Tex® label guarantees chemical safety and traceability, based on four levels of trust and control:
Source: official website of the Oeko-Tex® association (www.oeko-tex.com).
The descriptions and editorial content associated with the above ecolabels are taken from the official ecolabel websites.
