Being able to extricate oneself between the various brands of eco-friendly cosmetics for sale is not always easy: unlike agro-food products, for cosmetic products there is not in fact a single standard for organic certification. Some certifying bodies from different countries have worked together to standardize their specifications and create a single European standard for the certification of organic cosmetics .
THE RESULT WAS THE CREATION OF TWO CERTIFICATIONS: IOAS and ICEA
WE AT BIOS&DERMA HAVE CHOSEN ICEA FOR THE CERTIFICATION
The Eco Bio Cosmetics and Natural Cosmetics Standard certifies cosmetic products , raw materials for cosmetic use and cosmetic products for pets . It guarantees cosmetic products obtained by favoring the use of organic ingredients , chemical substances of natural origin , selected on the basis of environmental sustainability and health criteria.
Eco Bio Cosmesi is a project that started in 2000 in a highly deregulated context and that managed to find the right compromise between the consumer's expectations of naturalness and wholesomeness and the needs of the Italian cosmetics industry such as the need for sufficiently performing and perfumed products , managing to overcome the traditional mistrust of dermatologists towards the natural product.
Unlike food products, in the cosmetic sector there is no law that establishes what an organic and/or natural cosmetic is. Certification therefore becomes a voluntary choice pursued by the most advanced and virtuous companies which feel the need to provide customers with greater guarantees, subjecting themselves to the controls of an independent and professional organization which guarantees their correct operation and the ecological qualities of the products.
The operating rules of the certification are public, transparent and the same for all producers that boast the ICEA brand.
The products of ICEA Eco Bio Cosmetics and Natural Cosmetics guarantee:
- formulations made up of ingredients of natural origin, selected on the basis of environmental sustainability and health criteria.
- In the case of Eco Bio Cosmetics products, surfactants, functional principles and plant extracts from organic and certified agriculture according to the main international standards
- Mandatory tests on the finished product to prevent unwanted effects and ensure product stability
- Labels with truthful claims supported by reliable scientific tests or bibliography;
- An independent control and certification system with international accreditations, which makes public the rules, lists of certified companies and products (including ingredients) and responds to questions posed by consumers.
THIS IS HOW IOAS DECIDED TO WORK
IOAS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the integrity of eco-labels in the fields of organic and sustainable agriculture, environmental management, social justice and fair trade. We work internationally to evaluate the competence of organizations that provide " sustainability " standard certifications, so that producers can work in a fair environment and consumers can trust the products that bear these brands ; our contribution to a more sustainable and just world.
IOAS ( original name International Organic Accreditation Service ) was founded in 1997 by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements ( IFOAM ), a non-profit organization founded in 1972 and committed to the adoption of organic agriculture at world level. IOAS was established to further develop an accreditation program (IFOAM accreditation) to build trust among certification bodies operating in the organic agriculture sector and help develop production and market worldwide. The current size of the international organic market is partly due to this work.
While our overall goal is that farmers and businesses can work in a fair environment and find markets for their products and that consumers can trust the label on the products they buy, our direct clients are intermediary organizations that provide inspection and certification to farmers and companies. These certification or inspection bodies operate within a variety of schemes which may be regulatory or set up by private organisations. These "pattern owners" set the standards for manufacturers, requirements for certification bodies, and also requirements for the operation of accreditation bodies such as IOAS.
Our role is that of an independent technical expert who verifies the correct application of the standard and the requirements for certification ; objectivity, transparency and absence of conflicts of interest, among others.
All IOAS revenues come from the services we provide, be they accreditation, assessment, training or projects in the field of conformity assessment and sustainability standards.
Why IOAS
The reason system owners and certification bodies love working with IOAS is that we are mission driven, speak the same language and understand the world in which they operate.
Our origins and focus on organic farming provide us with many years of experience working with voluntary standards. Our international accreditation model ensures a consistency and fairness of approach that matches the way people do business today. Our commitment is reflected in the commitment of our customers and their customers to build a better world through better business.
During 2012, IOAS defined its Core Values, which describe why we do our work and the principles by which we do it.
https://ioas.org/