While "natural cosmetics" are generally formulated with ingredients deriving from extracts of vegetable origin, eco-organic cosmetics are obtained with vegetable raw materials mostly from organic farming, extracted with non-polluting methods, and obtained from renewable sources. Cosmetic products defined as "natural" contain a maximum of 10% pure vegetable substances.

While in eco-organic cosmetics the percentage can even reach 70-90%. With the exception of oils and butters, a product is hardly 100% natural since in some cases it is necessary to use emulsifiers or thickeners to "bind" the various ingredients.