Posted on 1st August 2021
Focus on Hair and Make Up: Certification
In the fourth of seven articles taking an in depth look at sustainability in the Hair and Make Up department, we turn our attention to...certification
Are there any logos/labels that should be looked for or avoided?
With the rise in demand for natural and environmentally sound ingredients, more and more brands are jumping on the bandwagon and making claims about their natural ingredients. The same can be said for “clean brands” using scaremongering tactics. Don’t be fooled by marketing. There are countless half-truths and pseudo-facts floating about. It all comes down to context.
The truth is that no single beauty product is going to kill anyone. The ingredients used, while potentially toxic in large quantities, are used in safe quantities in any commercially available beauty products. This is one part of the beauty quagmire that does have some serious governing – unlike claims and definitions around natural and organic. The crux is, we are not using one product, so those safe levels become questionable.
Another, often misquoted fact, is that our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it. In truth, skin absorbs between 0% – 100%. This absorption varies on numerous factors including; skin health, ingredient molecule size and additional ingredients designed to aid with absorption – the amount of time it takes for products to be absorbed into our skin also varies.
A good starting point is looking for certifications. It is worth bearing in mind that not all clean brands feel the need to get certified, as certification is expensive and of course, none are perfect. However, there is undeniable merit in certifications if you’re starting out on your journey into making more ethical and sustainable choices personally and professionally.
If you’re looking for natural and organic certification, which currently provides the highest assurances of not only natural and/or organic ingredients, but also environmental sustainability and cruelty-free assurances
- In the UK & Europe – look for COSMOS Organic and COSMOS Natural certification (followed by either BDIH (Germany), Cosmebio (France), Ecocert Greenlife SAS (France), ICEA (Italy), Soil Association (Great Britain).
- Europe: Natrue
- In the USA look for USDA Organic Certification
- Australia: Australian Organics
Other certifications to look out for are *
- Vegan Society,
- Cruelty Free International,
- Peta Cruelty Free,
- Peta Cruelty Free & Vegan
*While these ensure that there has been no harm done to animals, it does not offer any assurances of environmental impacts of products and the manufacturing processes.
Carbon Trust and Carbon Neutral certifications, ensuring carbon zero carbon emissions were created during the manufacturing of the products.
If a product contains palm oil and does not carry a reputable organic certification (which covers palm oil), look out for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) logo. There has been a backlash against the RSPO in recent years, for not enforcing strict enough rules. As of late 2018, they have revised the certification criteria for the better. If you want to learn more about sustainable palm oil initiatives, you can find out more at the Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG).
Khandiz Joni
Multidisciplinary artist + Sustainability Professional
Khandiz Joni
About the author
She is a founding member of the Conscious Beauty Union and runs VUJÀ DÉ Creative Solutions