ISO 16128-Natural Cosmetics: Why More and More Brands Are Moving Away from Traditional Natural Certifications
At a Glance
For a long time, demand for natural cosmetics has been a key growth driver in the cosmetics market. However, a significant shift is currently underway: More and more brands are moving away from traditional certifications such as NATRUE or COSMOS and are instead turning to ISO 16128 natural cosmetics. The main reasons for this are rising costs, long certification times, and a lack of flexibility.
The reality for many brands today looks like this
- rising annual certification costs,
- time-consuming manufacturer audits,
- long processing times of three to six months,
- recertification required for even the smallest changes.
- A recent example from our practice illustrates the problem: A client who had successfully marketed NATRUE-certified products for years had to discontinue their entire product line. The trigger was a change in the specification regarding the water content of a raw material.
The consequences
- complete recertification
- significant additional costs
- massive delays
- And this is precisely where the problem becomes apparent: it is not product quality that matters, but the certification process.
Natural cosmetics are no longer a strong selling point
Another crucial but often underestimated issue with traditional natural cosmetics certifications like NATRUE, COSMOS, or Ecocert is the lack of market support. These certification bodies generally provide no active consumer communication or marketing support for brands. There are no broad-based campaigns, no clear education at the point of sale, and no systematic effort to strengthen consumer understanding of these standards.
As a result, despite high certification costs, brands must invest additional substantial marketing budgets to explain what these natural cosmetics labels stand for and why they matter. The brand is effectively left to fend for itself and must build trust on its own, even though it has already paid for the certification.
This is precisely where a clear advantage of ISO 16128 natural cosmetics becomes apparent. Instead of complex labels that require explanation, this standard is based on a simple, immediately understandable principle: a percentage indicating the natural content. The higher this value, the higher the proportion of natural raw materials in the product. This system is self-explanatory, requires no additional interpretation, and significantly reduces the communication effort.
For brands, this means less marketing pressure; for consumers, maximum transparency. In short: this is how clear and simple natural cosmetics can work today.
Another crucial point is that natural cosmetics no longer sell on their own today.
The market has changed:
- Consumers are paying closer attention to effectiveness and value for money.
- Claims such as “dermatologically tested” or “effective” are often more relevant.
- “Natural” is increasingly perceived as a baseline rather than a premium.
- At the same time, costs for brands are rising—a clear contradiction.
The alternative: ISO 16128-natural cosmetics
More and more companies are therefore turning to ISO 16128 natural cosmetics.
What is ISO 16128?
ISO 16128 is an international standard for defining natural and nature-based ingredients in cosmetic products. It evaluates the natural origin of raw materials, the proportion of natural ingredients in a formulation, and transparency toward the consumer. Unlike traditional certifications, ISO 16128 is not an audit-based label but a scientifically based evaluation method.
The advantages of ISO 16128 natural cosmetics are
- one-time costs (e.g., €250 per product),
- no annual audits,
- no dependence on certification bodies,
- no re-evaluation required for changes in raw material specifications,
- significantly faster time to market.
👉 Result: greater speed, less complexity, full control.
For consumers
- transparent evaluation of natural ingredients,
- clear definition of “natural,”
- no marketing-driven labels.
👉 Result: greater clarity instead of a jungle of labels.
Disadvantages of ISO 16128 natural cosmetics
- No strong marketing seal like NATRUE or COSMOS,
- less emotional brand impact
- Interpretation by consumers sometimes requires explanation
Conclusion: ISO 16128-natural cosmetics is less of a marketing tool and more of a technical standard
Why the market is clearly moving toward ISO: Many brands’ decisions today are rational. There is faster time-to-market, lower costs, fewer dependencies, and greater flexibility. Or to put it plainly: Products could have been sold long ago if certification weren’t standing in the way.
Our conclusion: Traditional natural cosmetics certification is losing relevance because it no longer makes economic or operational sense for many brands.
ISO 16128 natural cosmetics offer a streamlined, transparent, and practical alternative—and that is precisely why more and more companies are choosing it.
Because at the end of the day: coconut oil is coconut oil.
There is no reason to turn it into an artificially inflated system.
Would you like to certify your products quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively?
Then you’ve come to the right place:
Cosmacon: Development and EU-compliant implementation of your cosmetic products
Tojo Cosmetics: White-label products starting at 100 units – ready to go immediately
Cosactive: Innovative raw materials starting at 1 kg – available immediately
Innosicos: International approval and expansion (e.g., USA)
We handle your ISO 16128 natural cosmetics certification for a one-time fee of €250 per product.
No unnecessary complexity.
No hidden costs.
No wasted time.