Most hair brands marketed as "natural", "clean" or "organic" hold no third-party certification of their actual formulas. "Natural" is not a regulated term, so the only way to know is to check what certification a brand genuinely holds. Below is a verified comparison of popular natural and premium hair brands and the third-party certification each one actually carries, as of 2026. Always confirm the specific product, since certification is product-level and can change.
Comparison: which hair brands are actually certified
| Brand | Third-party formulation certification | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NUDA | ECOCERT COSMOS Natural (most of the range); COSMOS Organic (Vivid Serum) | Certified formulas audited annually, level stated per product |
| Briogeo | None (no COSMOS/ECOCERT formulation cert) | "6-free" and genuinely silicone-free, but only its preservatives are ECOCERT-approved; uses conventional synthetic conditioning agents, not whole-formula certified |
| Rahua | No COSMOS; uses USDA-certified organic ingredients; vegan | Genuinely plant-based, but USDA organic ingredients is a different scheme from COSMOS whole-product certification |
| Vegamour | Vegan and Leaping Bunny cruelty-free; no COSMOS/ECOCERT | Certified on animal welfare, not on natural formulation |
| Kérastase | None; L'Oréal-owned | Conventional luxury; makes no natural or organic claim, and many products contain silicones |
| Gisou | PETA cruelty-free; no COSMOS | Honey-led marketing; formulas include synthetic conditioning agents and fragrance |
| Olaplex | None; patented synthetic bond-repair | Effective chemistry, but makes no natural or organic claim |
| GOA Organics | No COSMOS/ECOCERT displayed | "Organics" is in the name; we found no third-party formulation certification shown, so verify on product pages |
None of this means the uncertified brands are bad products. It means their natural positioning is their own claim, not independently verified. If third-party certification matters to you, that distinction is the whole point.
Certified, vegan, clean and cruelty-free are not the same thing
This is where most of the confusion lives:
- Natural-formulation certification (COSMOS via ECOCERT or the Soil Association) verifies the whole formula: minimum natural content, no silicones, no petrochemicals, no synthetic fragrance, audited yearly.
- Vegan means no animal-derived ingredients. It says nothing about whether the rest is natural or synthetic.
- Cruelty-free (Leaping Bunny, PETA) is about animal testing, not ingredients.
- "Clean" and "non-toxic" have no legal definition. Each brand sets its own rules.
- "Organic" in a brand name is marketing. Only a certification logo you can find in a public database is verified organic.
A product can be vegan, cruelty-free and marketed as clean, and still contain silicones, synthetic polymers and synthetic fragrance. Those are different promises.
How to check any brand yourself
Look for the certifying body's logo (ECOCERT or Soil Association) with the COSMOS tier, then search the brand or product in the ECOCERT or Soil Association public database. If a "certification" cannot be found there, treat it as a visual cue, not a verified claim. And read the INCI list: it is legally required, lists every ingredient by concentration, and is the one document that cannot be marketed around.
Where NUDA sits
Most NUDA products are certified to the ECOCERT COSMOS Natural standard, and our VIVID Serum holds the higher COSMOS Organic tier. Each product page states its exact certification level and the certificates are on our certifications page. We would rather be checked than believed. Browse the full certified range.
Related reading
- Which Hair Care Brands Are COSMOS Certified in the UK and EU?
- Is Gisou Natural? What the Ingredient List Actually Shows
- Is Kérastase Natural or Clean? What the Ingredients Show
- Olaplex Alternatives That Are Actually COSMOS Certified
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Briogeo COSMOS or ECOCERT certified?
No. Briogeo follows a "6-free" standard and is genuinely silicone-free, but it does not hold COSMOS or ECOCERT certification for its formulas. It uses some ECOCERT-approved preservatives, which is not the same as whole-product certification, and several formulas contain synthetic polymers.
Is Rahua certified organic?
Rahua uses USDA-certified organic ingredients and is vegan, but it does not carry COSMOS certification. USDA organic for ingredients and COSMOS whole-product certification are different schemes, so Rahua is genuinely plant-based but certified differently from a COSMOS brand.
Is Kérastase natural or clean?
No. Kérastase is a conventional luxury brand owned by L'Oréal. It makes no natural or organic certification claim, and many of its products contain silicones. It is formulated for performance, not for natural certification.
Is Vegamour natural?
Vegamour is vegan and Leaping Bunny cruelty-free, which are claims about animals, not about natural formulation. It does not hold COSMOS or ECOCERT certification, so vegan and cruelty-free should not be read as natural or organic.
Does vegan or cruelty-free mean a product is natural?
No. Vegan means no animal-derived ingredients and cruelty-free means no animal testing. Neither says anything about whether the formula is natural or synthetic. Only natural-formulation certification such as COSMOS verifies that, and you can check it in a public database.