The COSMOS-standard is a cosmetic certification developed to create one standard that is internationally recognised for natural and organic cosmetics. The “COSMetic Organic Standard” was officially launched in February 2011, and as a result of Europe’s leading natural cosmetic certifiers coming together and forming a non-profit association, COSMOS-standard AISBL. The COSMOS-standard association consists of five founding members who now authorise and oversee the certification, including the Soil Association (UK), Ecocert (France), Cosmebio (France), BDIH (Germany) and AIAB/ICEA (Italy). The main goal is to uphold the inspection and certification of organic and ecological products, eco-friendly systems and respect for the environment throughout the production chain.

Within this standard are the core principles of prevention and safety, reflective from the production of raw materials to the distribution of finished products which includes:
• Promoting the use of products from organic agriculture, and respecting biodiversity
• Using natural resources responsibly and respecting the environment
• Using processing and manufacturing that are clean and respectful of human health and environment
• Integrating and developing the concept of "Green Chemistry" instead of using petrochemicals
• Providing transparency for consumers

• Physically processed agro-ingredients – organic agriculture that reflects pure or allows simple processing;
• Chemically processed agro-ingredients – certifiable by using agricultural organic raw materials and manufacturing processes that are clean and authorised, all under the umbrella of “Green Chemistry”;
• Water – non-certifiable and must comply with hygienic standards;
• Minerals and ingredients of mineral origin – non-certifiable, requires clear environmental rules in their use, and in further processing;
• Other ingredients – a very limited list of preservatives and some ingredients allowed as long as there are no effective natural alternatives available to ensure the safety of consumers or efficacy of the product.

Ecocert is a certification body amongst other key roles. Founded in France 1991, ECOCERT specialised in the certification of organic agricultural products and was the very first certification body to develop standards for "natural and organic cosmetics. ECOCERT had become a benchmark in organic certification worldwide, winning the confidence of consumers and professionals. The ECOCERT standard was set to inspect the ingredients, manufacturing process and packaging to ensure that everything from the where the plant is grown to the packaging you see on your shelf is compliant. ECOCERT will only approve the use of “green chemicals” and accredit products that meet its strict criteria. To ensure an environmentally friendly product, ECOCERT strives to promote the use of ingredients derived from renewable resources and production and manufacturing processes that are environmentally safe. Outside of cosmetic products and respected ingredients, ECOCERT also holds certification and control of eco-products related to home fragrance, textiles, spas, and detergents. It is accredited in accordance with the ISO 17065 standard, and their certification standards now fall under the broader COSMOS-standard noted above and set forth in early 2017.

COSMOS certifications have to be renewed every year for each product. Individual products have to go through document inspection and physical audits for raw materials, production, packaging and labels every year to renew their certification.