With all the cosmetics brands you see on store shelves and online, it's getting harder and harder to choose. Which cosmetic product is good for my health? Which one pollutes the least? Which cosmetic is truly more eco-responsible? To answer all these questions, LAO shares its tips for choosing a cosmetic product well, for both your health and the environment.

The best tools for understanding and telling cosmetic products apart are the INCI list and cosmetic labels. But for them to be truly useful, you first need to know a little more about them and learn how to decipher them. After reading this article, you'll be able to choose the cosmetic products best suited to your needs and preferences much more easily!

Which cosmetic labels are the most reliable?

There are several cosmetic labels, but some are more demanding, and therefore more reliable, than others. LAO breaks down the specifics of the main cosmetic labels so you can more easily understand what each one means for the cosmetic product, how it's made and what's in it.

1) ECOCERT

The ECOCERT label is one of the most demanding labels, and it guarantees:

✅ products made with respect for the environment

✅ green chemistry, which is much less polluting,

✅ the use of natural ingredients in a way that respects biodiversity and the environment

✅ recyclable packaging

❌ no GMOs

❌ no petrochemical ingredients, apart from certain authorized preservatives

This label takes every stage of cosmetic manufacturing into account, from the formulation and choice of ingredients to the product's packaging.

The label certifies cosmetic products in which almost all the ingredients are of natural origin. The LAO cleansing products are, in fact, ECOCERT certified and contain 100% ingredients of natural origin.

2) COSMEBIO: COSMOS ORGANIC and COSMOS NATURAL

The COSMEBIO label certifies organic cosmetic products as well as natural products and products of natural origin. The label comes in 3 different versions:

• COSMOS

✅ 95% minimum ingredients of natural origin

✅ 95% minimum organic ingredients among the ingredients that come from nature

✅ minimum 10% of the product's total ingredients must be organic (not counting water and minerals)

• COSMOS NATURAL

✅ minimum 95% of ingredients of natural origin

❌ limited use of petrochemical ingredients

• COSMOS ORGANIC

✅ 95% minimum ingredients of natural origin

✅ 95% minimum organic ingredients among the ingredients that can be organic

✅ 20% minimum organic ingredients out of the product's total ingredients

For all 3 certifications, the COSMEBIO label certifies:

✅ the preservation of diversity and the sustainability of cosmetics

✅ healthy cosmetics that are not harmful to health

❌ no animal testing for the ingredients of cosmetic products

❌ no genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or nanomaterials

❌ irradiation with gamma and X-rays is prohibited

To learn more about the COSMEBIO label, check out The Beauty Nerds podcast with Nicolas Bertrand of COSMEBIO.

3) Nature & Progrès

The Nature & Progrès label certifies products that respect living beings, the environment and natural cycles, as well as ethical and sustainable products. Nature & Progrès is a label for both food and cosmetics. In either sector, this label is particularly demanding:

✅ Only mineral materials are allowed (only those that don't harm the environment and whose extraction is not polluting)

✅ Natural or organic ingredients

✅ Simple chemical processes for extracting raw materials

✅ Only natural colorants and fragrances are allowed

✅ Natural, non-toxic preservatives

✅ Cosmetic products guaranteed free of polluting processing methods

❌ Products guaranteed GMO-free

❌ Palm oil and its derivatives prohibited

❌ Ingredients of animal origin prohibited (except beehive products, fresh or freeze-dried dairy products, egg and its derivatives, and lanolin that contains no nickel)

❌ Synthetic solvents prohibited

❌ Parabens, phosphates, synthetic essential oils and synthetic fats prohibited

❌ No silicone

❌ Animal testing prohibited

In short, this label guarantees cosmetic products that respect both the environment and animals, and that pose no risk to our health!

4) NATRUE

The NATRUE label applies both to cosmetic ingredients, meaning raw materials, and to finished cosmetic products. It is an international label created for natural and organic cosmetics.

✅ At least 95% natural ingredients or ingredients of natural origin

✅ Protection of biodiversity

✅ Natural or naturally derived preservatives

✅ Labeling and claims must be clear and must not mislead about the product

❌ No animal testing, in the EU or in other countries

❌ No synthetic fragrances or colorants

❌ No petrochemical products

❌ No GMOs

The NATRUE label offers 3 types of certification:

• Organic cosmetics
• Natural cosmetics
• Natural cosmetics with a share of organic ingredients

What is the INCI list?

The INCI list, which stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, was created in 1973 and has been required on the packaging of every cosmetic product in Europe since 1998.

The list is written in two different languages: Latin for plant names, and English for the names of molecules and other ingredients. Yes, learning Latin in school turns out to be useful after all!

This list tells you the exact composition of cosmetic products, so you can spot ingredients that may cause allergies, or polluting ingredients such as silicone.

However, the INCI list unfortunately doesn't tell you how much of each ingredient the cosmetic product contains. That said, we'll give you a tip for roughly estimating the quantity of the ingredients.

How do you decipher the INCI list?

The ingredients on the INCI list are always ranked in descending order, based on the amount of each ingredient in the cleansing product. The exact quantities aren't specified, in order to protect brands' formulas.

If you don't know Latin or English well, it's often hard to decipher all the ingredients on an INCI list. Luckily, there are tools to help you!

You can use a scanning app such as INCI Beauty, Yuka, Mireille App, QuelCosmetic and Clean Beauty.

You can also look up a cosmetic ingredient on the website of The Truth About Cosmetics, which will give you the rating of the ingredient you searched for, its origin and an explanation of what it is.

Whichever you choose, all these tools make it much easier to understand different cosmetics and to pick cosmetics that are healthy for you and for the environment.

If you have any questions, contact us on social media: @lao.care!