Algae related regulation & legislation

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This sub-page covers voluntary certification and quality schemes relevant to cosmetic products containing algae. These schemes are private, not established by EU regulation, but are commercially significant because “organic” and “natural” cosmetic claims in the EU are not defined by binding EU law and instead rely on these private standards.

The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 requires that all claims be truthful and substantiated, but it does not define “organic”, “natural” or “sustainable” for cosmetic products. Unlike the EU organic food regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/848), which creates a legally defined organic claim for food and feed, there is no equivalent legal definition for organic cosmetics. This creates a situation where:

• Cosmetic “organic” and “natural” claims are regulated only through the general claims framework (truthfulness, no misleading of consumers).
• The substantive content of such claims — what percentage of ingredients must be of natural origin, what organic certification of plant/algal ingredients means, how processing is limited — is defined by private certification standards rather than EU law.

The two principal international private standards for organic and natural cosmetics are COSMOS-standard and NATRUE.

COSMOS-standard AISBL (a non-profit association, Brussels) operates two levels of certification:

• COSMOS ORGANIC — requires that a significant proportion of all agronomic ingredients (including algae ingredients) be certified organic, typically to the EU organic Regulation or equivalent national organic standards; sets processing restrictions; requires origin and sustainability documentation.
• COSMOS NATURAL — requires that ingredients be of natural origin or derived from natural origin by permitted processes; organic certification of algal ingredients is not required but is allowed and credited.

There are two levels of certification of the raw materials (ingredients): COSMOS CERTIFIED and COSMOS APPROVED.

The technical standard defines permitted and prohibited processes for transforming natural ingredients into cosmetic materials, and includes specific provisions for marine-derived ingredients (seaweeds, marine extracts). Algae producers supplying the cosmetics sector increasingly need to be able to provide COSMOS-compliant ingredient certification to their cosmetic manufacturer customers.

COSMOS-standard is the most widely adopted cosmetic organic/natural certification scheme in the EU and is used by brands across multiple European markets. Certification bodies including Ecocert, BDIH, Cosmebio, ICEA and Soil Association operate as approved certifiers against the COSMOS standard.

NATRUE is an international non-profit association based in Brussels that operates its own certification standard for natural and organic cosmetics, with two levels: “Natural cosmetics with organic ingredients” and “Organic cosmetics”. The technical requirements differ from COSMOS in some specific areas. NATRUE certification is recognised in the market alongside COSMOS and is particularly prevalent in Germany and Central Europe.

The EU Ecolabel (Flower label) is a voluntary environmental certification scheme established under Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 on the EU Ecolabel EURlex. Product group criteria for rinse-off cosmetic products (shampoos, conditioners, shower gels) have been established, and criteria for other cosmetic categories have been or are being developed. The Ecolabel criteria for cosmetic products address biodegradability of ingredients, limitation of hazardous substances, and packaging sustainability — they are different from COSMOS/NATRUE in focus (environmental sustainability rather than “natural/organic” product character).

Algae-derived ingredients may be relevant to Ecolabel cosmetics both as active ingredients and as more sustainable alternatives to synthetic alternatives; however, the Ecolabel criteria must be checked specifically for each product category.

When a COSMOS ORGANIC or NATRUE certified cosmetic claims to contain organic algae, the algae ingredient itself must typically be certified organic to a recognised national or international organic standard. In the EU, Regulation (EU) 2018/848 is the applicable organic production standard for algae grown or harvested in the EU (see Organic Production and Other Certifications). The same Regulation covers seaweed harvested from EU waters under its aquaculture chapter, including the provisions on organic wild harvest from unpolluted natural waters.

Algae producers supplying COSMOS-certified cosmetic ingredient customers should therefore:

• Hold an EU organic certification (under Regulation (EU) 2018/848) for their algae production, as this is typically accepted as the basis for COSMOS organic status of the ingredient.
• Or, for seaweed harvested from wild, provide documentation of the harvest area's environmental quality status and certification under a recognised organic standard for wild harvest.

See also: Cosmetics and Personal Care Products | Organic Production and Other Certifications | Green Claims and Greenwashing | EU Quality Schemes and Geographical Indications

Last reviewed: June 2026.