CERTIFICATION COSMOS INGREDIENTS

COSMOS Natural vs COSMOS Organic: What Is the Difference?

COSMOS has two certification tiers: Natural and Organic. Both are rigorous. But they are not the same. Here is what separates them and why it matters.

The COSMOS standard has two certification tiers: COSMOS Natural and COSMOS Organic. Both sit well above anything a brand can self-declare, but they are not equivalent. Understanding the difference helps you read product labels with more precision.

The Baseline: What Both Tiers Require

Before looking at what separates COSMOS Natural and COSMOS Organic, it helps to understand what they share. Every product certified under either tier of the COSMOS standard must meet the same baseline requirements:

  • No petroleum-derived ingredients (no mineral oils, paraffins, petrolatum, or PEGs from petrochemical sources)
  • No synthetic fragrances; all scents must be naturally derived
  • No silicones (dimethicone and its derivatives are prohibited)
  • No GMO ingredients
  • No parabens
  • Annual third-party audit by an accredited certification body

These are not optional. They apply to every product carrying a COSMOS label, regardless of tier.

COSMOS Natural: Natural Origin Required

COSMOS Natural requires that all ingredients in a formula come from natural or naturally-derived sources. Ingredients can be processed, extracted, refined, or chemically transformed, but the starting material must be natural, and the processing methods must meet COSMOS criteria for what counts as acceptable transformation.

COSMOS Natural does not impose a minimum percentage of certified organic ingredients. The formula must be natural in origin, but the agricultural raw materials used do not have to be organically grown.

COSMOS Organic: Organic Sourcing on Top

COSMOS Organic includes everything required by COSMOS Natural, plus strict requirements on where plant-based ingredients are grown. Specifically:

  • At least 95% of plant-based ingredients in the formula must be certified organic
  • For rinse-off products (shampoos, conditioners, scrubs): at least 10% of the total formula by weight must be certified organic ingredients
  • For leave-on products (oils, serums, masks): at least 20% of the total formula by weight must be certified organic ingredients

The reason the percentages are calculated this way is that water, which forms the base of most rinse-off products, cannot be certified organic. Once water is excluded, the organic requirements become considerably more demanding than they might initially appear.

Why the Distinction Matters in Practice

Both certifications mean the product has passed an independent third-party audit and contains no prohibited ingredients. The practical difference is the agricultural provenance of the plant ingredients: in a COSMOS Organic product, those plants were grown without synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, or GMO practices, and that claim has been verified at farm level.

For consumers who want to know not just what is in their product but how those ingredients were grown, COSMOS Organic provides that additional layer of traceability.

Where NUDA Sits

Every NUDA product is certified to the COSMOS Natural standard, audited annually by ECOCERT. Our VIVID Serum, our hair and scalp strengthening oil, holds the higher COSMOS Organic certification. Full details are on our certifications page, including the certification documents themselves.

Explore our certified range: Volume and Body, Shine and Colour, Scalp Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is COSMOS Organic better than COSMOS Natural?

Both are rigorous third-party certifications that prohibit synthetic ingredients, petrochemicals, silicones, and GMOs. COSMOS Organic adds verified organic agricultural sourcing on top of COSMOS Natural requirements. Whether one is "better" depends on what you are looking for: if the provenance of plant raw materials matters to you, COSMOS Organic provides additional assurance on that point.

Why do the organic percentages seem low (10% for rinse-off)?

The percentages apply to the total formula including water. Water makes up 60-90% of most rinse-off products and cannot be certified organic. When you calculate the organic threshold against the non-water portion of a formula, the requirement is substantially higher. Additionally, 95% of the plant-based ingredients (not the water, not the minerals) must be organically grown.

Can a product be labelled "organic" without COSMOS Organic certification?

In the EU and UK, the term "organic" is not legally regulated for cosmetics the way it is for food. A brand can technically write "organic" or "with organic ingredients" on a label without any third-party certification. This is why looking for a specific certification logo, COSMOS Organic, Soil Association Organic, or similar, matters more than reading the word "organic" in marketing copy.

How do I verify a product's COSMOS certification?

Certified products are listed in the databases of their certifying bodies. For ECOCERT-certified products, you can search the ECOCERT public database. For COSMOS certification more broadly, the COSMOS-standard website maintains a registry. If a brand claims COSMOS certification but you cannot find the product in any database, that is worth noting.

Does COSMOS certification cover the entire product or just some ingredients?

COSMOS certification covers the entire formula. The audit reviews every ingredient, its sourcing, its processing, the manufacturing conditions of the finished product, and the packaging. It is not possible to certify a product to COSMOS standard while including non-compliant ingredients elsewhere in the formula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is COSMOS Organic better than COSMOS Natural?
Both are rigorous third-party certifications that prohibit synthetic ingredients, petrochemicals, silicones, and GMOs. COSMOS Organic adds verified organic agricultural sourcing on top of COSMOS Natural requirements. Whether one is "better" depends on what you are looking for: if the provenance of plant raw materials matters to you, COSMOS Organic provides additional assurance on that point.
Why do the organic percentages seem low (10% for rinse-off)?
The percentages apply to the total formula including water. Water makes up 6-0% of most rinse-off products and cannot be certified organic. When you calculate the organic threshold against the non-water portion of a formula, the requirement is substantially higher. Additionally, 95% of the plant-based ingredients, the water, not the minerals, must be organically grown.
Can a product be labelled "organic" without COSMOS Organic certification?
In the EU and UK, the term "organic" is not legally regulated for cosmetics the way it is for food. A brand can technically write "organic" or "with organic ingredients" on a label without any third-party certification. This is why looking for a specific certification logo. OSMOS Organic, Soil Association Organic, or similar, matters more than reading the word "organic" in marketing copy.
How do I verify a product's COSMOS certification?
Certified products are listed in the databases of their certifying bodies. For ECOCERT-certified products, you can search the ECOCERT public database. For COSMOS certification more broadly, the COSMOS-standard website maintains a registry. If a brand claims COSMOS certification but you cannot find the product in any database, that is worth noting.
Does COSMOS certification cover the entire product or just some ingredients?
COSMOS certification covers the entire formula. The audit reviews every ingredient, its sourcing, its processing, the manufacturing conditions of the finished product, and the packaging. It is not possible to certify a product to COSMOS standard while including non-compliant ingredients elsewhere in the formula.
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