Building Natural Products

By: Eric S. Abrutyn, TPC2 Advisors Ltd., Inc.

Posted: September 29, 2009, from the October 2009 issue of C&T Magazine.

Based on previously published studies and consumer articles, it appears that consumer interest in natural and organic products is growing. The question is: What does this mean? Are consumers actually interested in products that contain natural materials, or are they really interested in products that are safer and whose production or use have a minimal impact on the planet (i.e., they are renewable)? The key to meeting consumer demand is to understand what natural means in order to produce formulations that meet expectations.

Since the cosmetics and personal care industry is not regulated, various organizations have offered conflicting positions on standardized guidelines for natural and organic claims. To improve communication on this topic, it will therefore become important to dissociate claims regarding the naturalness of ingredients from the perception of safety.

Safety is inherent in the raw materials used for formulating, regardless of their origin and in the synergies among ingredients—for more than 50 years, the industry has worked hard to monitor the safety of products on the market, supported by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And recently, more governmental agencies such as the FDA, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Cosmetic Products have taken a proactive role in sorting out the meanings of natural and organic for the cosmetics and personal care industry. Such organizations act as a clearer scientific focal point in deciding what ingredients are safe for use in cosmetic products. In addition, several organizations currently are monitoring the safety of cosmetics and personal care ingredients, such as the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel.

General Formula Standards
As noted, an ever-growing list of organizations with standardized guidelines exists that measures the naturalness of a product formula. The definition for natural in chemicals legislation was introduced in 1981, and in 2000, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Cosmetic

Products issued guidelines for natural cosmetic products. Only as recently as 2008, however, did the USDA and the European Cosmetic Standards Working Group (COSMOS)¹ provide additional guidance for formulating to meet natural claims. Nongovernmental, for-profit organizations offering organic and/or natural certification for cosmetic products include: Quality Assurance International,² the National Science Foundation,³ ECOCERT,⁴ OASIS,⁵ Nature,⁶ the Soil Association, Guaranteed Organic Certification Agency,⁷ BDIH,⁸ the Natural Products Association,⁹ and Certech¹⁰—to name a few. However, organic and natural certifications for cosmetics are not backed by specific legislation, such as in the foods industry.