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After several years of discussions, the major certification agencies in Europe have finally reached an agreement on harmonising their private standards for natural & organic cosmetics. Soil Association (UK), BDiH (Germany), Ecocert (France), Cosmebio (France), AIAB (Italy) and Ecogarantie (Belgium) have developed common standards for natural and organic cosmetics. The first draft of the new standards has been released for public consultation this week. The final draft will be drawn in January and certification of products will begin in April 2009.

The agreement sets minimum standards for natural cosmetics and organic cosmetics, however the agencies will still be able to develop separate standards as long as the baselines are met. The move is analogous to what has occurred in the organic food industry where the EU has minimum standards for organic agriculture and food products.

Harmonisation of standards is an important development, since the private standards of the agencies involved are the most widely adopted in the natural cosmetics industry. If the new standards receive a high take-up rate, they could possibly pave the way for common global standards. However, the lengthy discussions have led to the emergence of new standards in Europe and North America. In Europe, NaTrue is gaining momentum since its initial announcement at the Natural Beauty Summit last year. Its natural & organic cosmetic standards have received the backing of some of the leading international brands. Across the Atlantic, initiatives like NSF, OASIS and NPE are gaining ground.

With a plethora of natural & organic cosmetic standards being introduced, cosmetic manufacturers, formulators and ingredient companies are questioning the differences between these standards and their practical implications. The Natural Cosmetics Masterclass has been launched to navigate companies through the maze of natural & organic cosmetic standards, looking specifically at the technical, formulation and ingredient issues involved.

The first-ever Natural Cosmetics Masterclass will be held in London, December 4th and will comprise two interactive workshops. Major topics to be covered include demystifying standards, formulating natural & organic products, replacing synthetics, raw material sourcing, and developing new processes.

The first workshop will critically review and compare the major natural & organic cosmetic standards: the new European harmonised standards, NaTrue as well as North American private standards. The workshop will look at the practicalities of these standards, looking specifically at ingredient issues and processes.

The second workshop, Challenges in Formulating Natural & Organic Cosmetics, will focus on the major formulation and technical issues involved in making these products. The agenda includes defining natural / organic products, highlighting the synthetic chemicals typically absent in these products, and the suitability of natural alternatives. The pitfalls of formulating natural & organic cosmetics will be detailed, followed by practical solutions for product developers and formulators.

The Natural Cosmetics Masterclass will be led by Ms. Judi Beerling, Technical Consulting Manager of Organic Monitor. With over 30 years experience in cosmetic formulations and innovations, she has assisted numerous companies with natural & organic formulations and processes.