The number of certification schemes and ethical labels in use in the cosmetics industry is on the increase, a new study by Ecovia Intelligence has found.
According to its research, there are now about 45,000 certified products in the global cosmetics industry, with COSMOS and NATRUE now established as the leading standards for natural and organic cosmetics.
Natural and organic labelling
Europe leads the way in terms of the adoption of natural and organic labels, with 20 different standards in place.
Elsewhere, vegan and vegetarian labels have also shown notable growth in recent years, with The Vegan Society now boasting the largest number of certified products – some 34,556 cosmetic products now carry its Vegan trademark.
The Body Shop is a key supporter of The Vegan Society, with all products in its 1,000-strong range now certified as of this year.
As well as The Vegan Society, the V-label certification by the The European Vegetarian Union has also commenced certifying cosmetics.
In North America, the focus is more on health-related labelling schemes. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), with its Skin Deep database, has verified nearly 2,400 cosmetic products for safety, while the Non-GMO Project and Made Safe schemes are also gaining popularity.
Environmental impact
Sustainability-focused labels addressing environmental impact are also on the rise, according to Ecovia Intelligence. The Nordic Swan and EU Eco Flower are leading in northern Europe, while Green Seal and Global GreenTag are prominent in North America and Australasia.
Finally, cruelty-free labels are particularly prevalent in Asia and North America. PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies program certifies over 6,000 brands that do not test on animals, while the Leaping Bunny certification, from Cruelty-Free International, is adopted by nearly 2,400 brands.
Read more: More than 60% of global firms have implemented a sustainability strategy this year
Sustainable Cosmetics Summit
Ecovia Intelligence conducted its research ahead of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, which takes place in Paris on 23 to 25 October.
‘The number of ethical labels and sustainability schemes have increased substantially in recent years,’ Ecovia Intelligence said. ‘As will be shown at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, the trend could be curtailed by regulations. The European Commission’s Green Claims Directive aims to make brands substantiate any green claims they make.
‘The directive plans to control the number of ethical labels in the cosmetics industry; new labels can only be introduced if they can prove they are better than existing ones. The number of ethical labels has proliferated in the last decade, however could rationalisation now be on the horizon?’
Read more about the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit here.
