The exokiss journal · skincare · 6 min read
Certified organic skincare: what COSMOS Organic and COSMOS Natural mean
By the exokiss team ·
In short
- Certified organic skincare has been checked by an independent body against a published standard. The word "organic" alone has no such check.
- COSMOS Organic requires at least 95% of the plant ingredients to be organic and at least 20% of the whole formula (10% for rinse-off and some water-based products).
- COSMOS Natural follows the same rules on ingredients and processing but has no minimum organic content.
- Seven exokiss formulas are COSMOS Organic, from 13% to 86% organic. Each is listed below.
Certified organic skincare is one of the few "clean" claims you can check. A certifier audits the formula and the factory, and the label has to print real percentages. This guide explains what the two COSMOS signatures mean, why the organic number on a pack can look low, and exactly where each of our products stands.
What "certified organic" means for skincare
In the US, the FDA does not define "organic" for cosmetics. Its page on the subject says the term "is not defined" in the laws it enforces. The USDA's National Organic Program defines "organic" for agricultural ingredients, not for cosmetics as a category.
That leaves a gap, and private standards fill it. A widely used one for cosmetics is COSMOS. It publishes its criteria, and approved certification bodies check products against them. Ours are certified by Ecocert Greenlife.
Certification includes an audit visit to the site where the product is made. Further audits, announced or unannounced, can follow as part of a yearly plan.
COSMOS Organic vs COSMOS Natural
Every certified product carries one of two signatures. Both must meet the whole standard. The difference is the organic content.
| COSMOS Organic | COSMOS Natural | |
|---|---|---|
| Organic plant ingredients | At least 95% of the physically processed plant ingredients must be organic | No minimum |
| Organic share of the whole product | At least 20%. At least 10% for rinse-off products, water-based products that are not emulsions, and products that are at least 80% mineral | No minimum |
| GMOs | Forbidden | Forbidden |
| Animal testing | Not allowed by the manufacturer or anyone acting for it | Not allowed by the manufacturer or anyone acting for it |
| Petrochemical parts of ingredients | No more than 2% of the finished product | No more than 2% of the finished product |
| What the label must print | The certifier, the % organic and the % natural origin | The certifier and the % natural origin. The % organic is optional |
Ecocert adds that certified products contain no parabens, phenoxyethanol, synthetic perfumes or synthetic colorants, and that packaging is checked too.
Why the organic % can look low
The percentage on a COSMOS label is the organic share of the whole product. Water and minerals count toward the total, but they are not farmed, so they can never be organic. A water-based formula starts with a ceiling.
An oil blend has no water, so its number runs high. Our Glow Body Oil is seven organic seed oils and comes out at 86% organic. Our Micellar Water is built on aloe juice and water and is 13% organic. Both carry the same COSMOS Organic signature.
So compare like with like. A 13% micellar water and an 86% body oil can both be at the top of what their format allows.
The exokiss products that are COSMOS Organic
Seven of our formulas state COSMOS Organic, certified by Ecocert Greenlife. All seven are also vegan.
| Product | Organic | Natural origin | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glow Body Oil | 86% | 99% | Seven organic seed oils for the body |
| Rosemary Scalp Oil | 69% | 100% | Pre-wash oil with nine organic plant oils |
| Glow Face Oil | 63% | 100% | Jojoba, argan and avocado face oil |
| Bakuchiol Oil Serum | 61% | 99% | Night face oil with 1% bakuchiol |
| Micellar Water | 13% | 99% | No-rinse cleanser for face, eyes and lips |
| Oil-to-Milk Cleanser | Not listed on our page | Not listed on our page | Makeup-melting oil that rinses off as a milk |
| Fragrance-Free Moisturizer | Not listed on our page | 100% | Light cream with no fragrance and no essential oils |
Three gift boxes include one of these: the Hydration Gift Box (the cleanser), the Warm Spice Gift Box (the body oil) and the Scalp to Ends Gift Box (the scalp oil). The other items in those boxes are COSMOS Natural.
The body oil sinks in fast and is best right after a shower, on slightly damp skin. It is scented with green cardamom, rosemary and galbanum, and it contains sweet almond oil, a tree-nut oil.
The face oil is made for normal, dry and mature skin. Press a few drops on as the last step, alone or over moisturizer. It also contains sweet almond and apricot kernel oils, and it is scented.
The scalp oil is a rinse-out step: leave it on for at least 15 minutes, then shampoo. We print that rosemary is 0.1% of the formula. Read more in rosemary oil for hair.
And the ones that are COSMOS Natural
Most of the rest of our skincare states COSMOS Natural. These formulas pass the same checks on ingredients and processing, and many still contain organic ingredients. A few examples:
- Ceramide Night Cream: 99% natural origin, 27% organic.
- Hydrating Serum: 99% natural origin, 25% organic.
- Retinol Alternative Serum: 99% natural origin, 24% organic.
- Peptide Serum: 99% natural origin, 20% organic.
- Scalp Serum: 100% natural origin.
A formula can pass 20% organic and still be COSMOS Natural. To be COSMOS Organic it must also have at least 95% of its plant ingredients organic.
Some of our products do not state either signature on their page, including the Urea Body Cream, the Niacinamide Serum and the Caffeine Eye Patches. We only use the name where the page states it.
What certification does not tell you
- It is not a safety ranking. The FDA puts it plainly: "An ingredient's source does not determine its safety." Plant ingredients can still cause reactions, so patch test.
- It is not fragrance-free. Six of our seven COSMOS Organic formulas are scented. Only the Fragrance-Free Moisturizer has no fragrance and no essential oils.
- It is not automatically vegan. The standard allows ingredients produced by animals, such as beeswax. See what vegan and cruelty-free mean on a label.
- It is not a results claim. It tells you how a product is sourced and made, not how your skin will look.
How to read a COSMOS label
- Find the signature. COSMOS ORGANIC or COSMOS NATURAL sits under the certifier's mark.
- Find the percentages. "x% organic of total" and "x% natural origin of total".
- Check the ingredient list. Organic ingredients are marked, usually with an asterisk and a line such as "from organic farming".
- Think about the format. Oils run high. Toners, cleansers and gels run low because of water.
Two of our COSMOS Organic cleansers work as a pair. See how to double cleanse with an oil cleanser. For the plant alternative to retinol in our night oil, read bakuchiol vs retinol.
Frequently asked questions
What does certified organic mean for skincare?
An independent certifier has checked the formula, the ingredients and the production site against a published organic standard, and the label must show the organic percentage.
What is the difference between COSMOS Organic and COSMOS Natural?
Both meet the full COSMOS standard. COSMOS Organic also meets minimum organic percentages: 95% of plant ingredients and 20% of the whole product, or 10% for some formats. COSMOS Natural has no organic minimum.
Is "organic" skincare regulated in the US?
The FDA does not define "organic" for cosmetics. The USDA's organic program covers agricultural ingredients. Outside that, a third-party seal such as COSMOS is the practical way to verify the claim.
Why is my certified organic product only 13% organic?
The percentage is of the whole product, and water and minerals can never count as organic. Water-based products such as micellar waters and toners therefore show low numbers even when nearly all their plant ingredients are organic.
Is certified organic skincare better for sensitive skin?
Not automatically. Certification covers sourcing and processing. Many certified products contain fragrance or essential oils. If your skin reacts easily, look for fragrance-free on the label as well, and patch test.
Which exokiss products are certified organic?
Seven formulas are COSMOS Organic: Glow Body Oil, Rosemary Scalp Oil, Glow Face Oil, Bakuchiol Oil Serum, Micellar Water, Oil-to-Milk Cleanser and Fragrance-Free Moisturizer.
Sources
COSMOS-standard AISBL. COSMOS certification: organic and natural products certification (cosmos-standard.org).
COSMOS-standard AISBL. COSMOS-standard: Cosmetics Organic and Natural Standard, version 4.0, 1 January 2023 (sections 5, 6.1, 7 and 10).
Ecocert. COSMOS certification (organic or natural cosmetics).
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Organic" Cosmetics.
Product details are taken from the exokiss product pages. This article is general information, not medical advice.
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