The AISBL was founded in 2010 by the five main European (and international) organisations involved with organic and natural cosmetics standards: BDIH in Germany, Cosmebio and Ecocert in France, ICEA in Italy, and Soil Association in the UK. They recognised that the cosmetics market and the cosmetics industry are both international, and therefore both consumers and companies are best served by a single international standard, as this is the only way to ensure the same clarity, integrity and consumer trust in all countries and markets, coupled with manufacturing efficiency and sustainable development.
These organisations therefore came together in a spirit of cooperation for the public good to develop the COSMOS-standard. Once established they formed a non-profit international association to own, manage and develop the Standard, to be independent and open to all.
* AISBL stands for ’Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif’ (English translation: international association without lucrative purpose) and is the formal designation for such organisations under Belgian law.
What they do
As we (in other words, all our members) own the COSMOS-standard, our main work is to manage, promote and protect it. We do this by authorising and overseeing high quality and harmonised certification using well defined, comprehensive and independent procedures. Thus you can be assured that any COSMOS ORGANIC and COSMOS NATURAL product has been produced and manufactured in accordance with our strict standards and has been certified as such by a competent and professional certification body which itself has been approved by an independent accreditation body.
But the COSMOS-standard is also progressive. The organic and natural cosmetics industry is still small and relatively new, and its requirements are already a big step up from conventional cosmetics. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve more organic ingredients and more environmentally friendly manufacturing. Therefore the Standard includes progressive steps in that direction and our aim is to continue this process as technology development and more widespread organic farming allow.
Of course, organic and natural cosmetics don’t operate in a vacuum – they are influenced by both government policy and consumer interest and demand. Therefore we also provide representation, communication and information exchange between members and other stakeholders with the aim of improving the policy environment for organic and natural cosmetics and to foster wider public awareness.
Why choose COSMOS?
They are independent and proud of it, owned by associations that support our aims, not by companies with commercial interest. Their roots are deep in the organic farming movement and in the ethos of natural cosmetics. They work in the public interest for a better environment, for better products with more organic content that consumers can trust, therefore for a better market.