Australia: Organic cosmetics certification takes next step

In a move towards promoting greater consumer confidence in organic beauty and personal care products, the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) has announced the launch of a new Australian Certified Organic “Beauty” logo. Cosmetics and personal care products are the only products which are allowed to use the Bud logo along with the claim “made with certified organic ingredients”. They are required to contain 70 % - 95 % organic ingredients, with the remaining ingredients natural and compliant with strict requirements. The organic ingredient percentage will appear as the XX part of the logo in this example. As with all Australian Certified Organic products, the non-organic component of products making the claim “made with certified organic ingredients” must still be natural and meet tough requirements in order to carry the logo as well as undergo annual audits.

Ms. Akiko Nicholls, Managing Director of ACO, says ACO cosmetic products are becoming popular in markets like Japan, where consumers pay more attention to the product ingredients’ source. Ms Nicholls points out that even some completely natural cosmetics, such as mineral-based products, cannot be labelled “organic”, even though they contain no harmful chemicals and preservatives. “Minerals are not cultivated in soil so cannot be classified as “organic” according to standards – but for consumers seeking naturally-derived mineral-based cosmetics there are products endorsed by the BFA which carry the “BFA Approved Product” logo.” Ms. Nicholls notes ACO’s resolute and respected standards are helping penetrate the international market and that trade and government agencies are increasingly supportive of certified organic products because they understand certification is an important factor for consumers.

BFA