All French certification bodies — Bureau Veritas, Cosmécert, Ecocert — and the Cosmébio association sound the Alarm: Greenwashing in Cosmetics is a Public Health and Environmental Threat

Press Release – Paris, September 25, 2025

On September 25, Bureau Veritas, Cosmébio, Cosmécert, and Ecocert joined forces to raise the alarm, denounce harmful practices, and, above all, protect. Protect consumers, protect public health, and protect the future of our planet. Greenwashing is no longer merely a marketing ploy: it has become a genuine threat to both human health and the environment. In the face of this urgency, the sector is calling for strict regulations and reminds us that only certification provides consumers with a true guarantee.

Greenwashing: An Ongoing Threat to Consumers

Deceptive marketing practices, which claim to be “natural” or “organic” without evidence or rigorous standards, fuel confusion and erode consumer trust. Behind the appealing promises on packaging—pastel colors and reassuring slogans—lie concerning realities: conventional cosmetics, used daily by millions, often contain toxic substances. These substances accumulate in our bodies, disrupt hormones, and pollute the environment over the long term. In response, the historic pioneers of natural and organic cosmetics are uniting their voices to demand greater clarity, rigor, and transparency.

Persistent examples of greenwashing include:

• Claims like “Up to 100% natural!” without proof.
• “Strawberry bio toothpaste” with less than 1% actual strawberry.
• Products marketed as “95% natural” with the remaining 5% containing harmful substances such as phenoxyethanol.
• Images of plants or pristine landscapes adorning products derived from petrochemicals.

In contrast, there is a solution: certification. Not a marketing logo, but an independent, transparent, and demanding guarantee—precisely what the COSMOS standard provides.

COSMOS Certification: A Reliable, International Benchmark

With over 34,000 certified finished products and 24,000 certified ingredients, the COSMOS standard has established itself as the global reference for organic and natural cosmetics.

Founded by associations—including Cosmébio—and independent certification bodies such as Ecocert, the COSMOS standard was created to harmonize rules and practices that define what constitutes a natural and/or organic cosmetic product.

COSMOS certification uniquely guarantees:

• Clear and precise requirements: An international standard updated regularly to reflect scientific, technical, and environmental progress.

• A strict blacklist: Excludes toxic and polluting substances such as parabens, PFAS, silicones, microplastics, GMOs, and more.

• Independent, regular audits: At least one audit per year, including verification of ingredients, packaging, and labeling.

• Truly natural and organic formulations: Ingredients from organic agriculture, environmentally friendly processes, and full traceability from plant to finished product.

• Total transparency: A publicly available standard, clear labeling, verified natural and organic percentages, and controlled claims.

• Proven efficacy: Products that combine safety, environmental respect, and scientifically demonstrated cosmetic performance.

A COSMOS-certified product is based on:

• Regular independent audits ensuring product compliance.

• Strict formulation criteria: A COSMOS ORGANIC-certified product contains at least 95% ingredients of natural origin and at least 20% organic ingredients.

• Eco-responsible packaging: Specific requirements to minimize impacts on health and the environment, including banned materials and eco-design principles.

• Resource management and traceability.

• Enhanced transparency: Verified labeling, harmonized claims, clear logos, and clearly stated natural and organic content.

Unlike vague marketing claims, a COSMOS-certified product represents a genuine, measurable, and verifiable commitment.

COSMOS Standard Update – Version V4.2

The COSMOS standard is updating the method for calculating the percentage of organic ingredients: water and minerals—non-certifiable by nature—are now excluded from the calculation. This new approach reflects more accurately the organic content, facilitates comparison across products, and highlights the most committed formulations.

Example: A cream containing 60% water and 5% minerals previously displayed “20% organic on the total formula.” Under the new version of the standard, it may now display “57% organic on the total, excluding water and minerals.”

Health, Environment, and Innovation at the Core of Requirements

The certification excludes harmful and polluting ingredients such as PFAS, parabens, silicones, microplastics, synthetic dyes and fragrances, GMOs, and chemical pesticides (for agricultural ingredients).

It encourages the development of plant-based alternatives, green chemistry innovations, the promotion of organic farming, and a holistic “One Health” approach that links human health, biodiversity, and environmental well-being.

Key takeaway: The health of consumers and the health of the planet go hand in hand. COSMOS certification ensures the protection of both.

A Call for Stricter Rules and a Public Awareness Campaign

Bureau Veritas, Cosmébio, Cosmécert, and Ecocert are urging public authorities to act decisively to protect consumers and put an end to abusive practices:

Ban misleading claims: Terms like “natural,” “organic,” and “clean” must be regulated by law, or they remain empty promises.

Make transparency mandatory: Consumers have the right to know what they are applying to their skin. Full ingredient lists, including fragrances, must be accessible and easy to understand.

Support green innovation: Plant-based chemistry, gentle processes, and eco-responsible packaging already exist—now they need to be scaled up.

At the same time, Cosmébio is embracing its role as a watchdog by launching a new communication campaign to raise public awareness of the dangers of certain controversial ingredients still used in conventional cosmetics, such as acrylates, silicones, and PFAS. This campaign aims to inform consumers about the health and environmental risks posed by these substances and to emphasize that certification and labeling remain the only reliable guarantees of truly organic cosmetics.

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in inspection, certification, and laboratory testing, with a powerful mission: to build a world of trust by ensuring responsible progress. With the vision of being the preferred partner for clients in their pursuit of excellence and sustainability, Bureau Veritas innovates to support their transitions. Founded in 1828, Bureau Veritas employs 84,000 people and operates in 140 countries. The Group’s technical experts help clients address challenges related to quality, health and safety, environmental protection, and sustainability.

About Cosmébio

Cosmébio is the French association for organic cosmetics, currently chaired by Damien Sineau. Established in 2002, it now brings together over 500 companies, all committed to the principles of the Cosmébio Manifesto. The Cosmébio label covers every stage of a cosmetic product’s life cycle: sourcing of raw materials (to encourage ethical and sustainable supply), gentle and non-polluting transformation processes, manufacturing of the finished product, transparent labeling, and responsible communication. Annual audits by independent certifiers ensure that all labeled products comply with the COSMOS standard. Today, more than 16,300 products from over 650 brands carry the Cosmébio label.

About Cosmécert

Founded in 2017, Cosmécert is an independent body specializing in the certification of organic and natural cosmetics. Fully dedicated to the sector, it certifies according to the COSMOS standard and provides consumers with clear and reliable benchmarks.

About Ecocert

A pioneer and global leader in organic certification and eco-labels, ECOCERT has been supporting the cosmetics sector and many other industries in their sustainability efforts for over 30 years. Renowned for its unique expertise, ECOCERT works to accelerate the ecological transition on a global scale. Present in more than 30 countries through its subsidiaries, ECOCERT currently certifies over 20,000 cosmetic products under the most demanding standards, including COSMOS, and collaborates closely with more than 2,700 cosmetic industry clients to showcase their commitments. Beyond certification, ECOCERT stands out for its holistic approach, offering certification, strategic consulting, and training. Today, ECOCERT is an essential player in sustainable cosmetics and a trusted partner.