Bernhard Irrgang new president of Natrue

The International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association Natrue has a new president. Dr. Bernhard Irrgang, Head of Research & Development Natural and Organic Cosmetics at Weleda was unanimously elected.

The term of office of Dr. Bernhard Irrgang (Weleda) as President of Natrue will be three years. Irrgang replaces Hans Nijnens, who was elected in 2018 but resigned when he left Weleda. Only someone belonging to a member of the association can be president of Natrue – this is stated in its statutes.

Prof. Dr. Florian Stintzing, Head of Science at Wala Heilmittel GmbH, who was elected Vice President in 2018, will continue in his office as usual.

Common vision

With Vice President Stintzing (Wala), Irrgang (Weleda) shares a common vision for the opportunities and challenges of the natural and organic cosmetics sector. Both agree that a unified approach is needed to support the standards set in the Natrue-label for producers and consumers, protect natural and organic cosmetics and to combat greenwashing. According to them, the Natrue-label needs to be further developed to adapt it to the current challenges in the cosmetics market.

According to Irrgang, “many companies want to sell their products as ‘natural’, but do not meet the requirements of private standards such as Natrue. This unsettles and confuses consumers. Through its transparency and integrity, Natrue is helping to show consumers what a truly natural and organic cosmetic product should provide”.

Stintzing stated: “We must now address the key issues of current discussions on climate change, plastic waste and endangered animal species and find sustainable solutions for our industry. It’s time to start rethinking.”

Who is Dr. Bernhard Irrgang?

Dr. Bernhard Irrgang started his career at REWO Chemische Werke GmbH, where he was responsible for research and development of new ingredients such as surfactants for cosmetic and household applications. In his position as laboratory manager at Cosmital SA (Wella AG), he was involved in the development of hair care products for the Japanese and South Korean market. For over 15 years, Irrgang worked in the body and beauty department of Mibelle AG, one of the largest Swiss companies. Here he was Head of Department for Research & Development and responsible for the development of formulations and packaging, quality, compliance and safety. Since July 2017, he has been Head of Research & Development Natural and Organic Cosmetics at Weleda AG, where his responsibilities include galenics, packaging development, fragrance and active ingredient development and innovation management.

About Natrue

Natrue was founded in 2007 with headquarters in Brussels to promote and protect natural and organic cosmetics worldwide and to create awareness for natural cosmetics. With the Natrue-label, the association sets its own quality and performance standards. Currently, more than 6,200 products from more than 260 brands are Natrue-certified.

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