ntil 2008 there was no real legislation in the UK or EU providing guidelines on cosmetic products and production in the cosmetic and personal care industry. The Soil Association, launched in 1946 to regulate organic farming, extended its remit to provide a voluntary standards and certification process for cosmetic companies. Products containing at least 95% organic ingredients can be labelled organic; those with no less than 70% organic ingredients may state that they “are made with x% organic ingredients”. The 2008 Cosmetic Products Safety Regulations was established in UK law as part of an EU directive requiring cosmetic products to undergo a safety assessment before they’re put on the market. This is a step in the right direction for cosmetics regulation; however it’s only a small step. For example, although brands are now required to list the ingredients of products they do not have to list the materials and processes used in the preparation of the product. Then there’s the issue of organic or ‘natural’ authenticity. Accreditation by the SA or other bodies is a voluntary process. Numerous brands who are not accredited still label their products as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ when they contain far less than the 95% required by the SA for organic certification and likely contain many synthetic ingredients.
www.soilassociation.org
