Responsible cosmetics: organic certification or ecotoxicity study, what should you really look at?

Between ethics, ecology and greenwashing

At a time when cosmetics are becoming more responsible, many brands are adopting organic labels to meet the expectations of an increasingly engaged public. But behind the success of "natural" comes a question: is a certified organic product necessarily environmentally friendly ?

The reality is more complex. While organic labels regulate the composition and processing of products, they do not guarantee their safety for ecosystems. This is where ecotoxicity studies come in, a scientific tool that is still little known to the general public but essential for assessing the real impact of a product on biodiversity.

In this article, we compare two key approaches: organic certification and ecotoxicity studies. These two complementary tools must be fully understood to design truly sustainable cosmetics.

What is a product with organic certification?

Organic cosmetic products are regulated by specific labels, such as COSMOS Organic, Ecocert, Nature & Progrès and Natrue . These certifications impose strict specifications, based mainly on:

The use of ingredients of natural origin and/or from organic farming.
The ban on many controversial substances (parabens, silicones, PEG, etc.).
Transformation processes deemed environmentally friendly.
Traceability of the production chain.

What organic certification guarantees:

The absence of petrochemical or GMO ingredients.
A controlled natural and/or organic origin.
Attention to ethics (animal testing, cultivation conditions, etc.)

What it does not guarantee:

The absence of environmental impact after use (wastewater, aquatic environments, etc.)
The actual biodegradability of all ingredients in a natural environment.
The safety of the formula on flora and fauna.

In other words, a certified organic cosmetic may contain natural substances which are not without effects on ecosystems.

Ecotoxicity study: a scientific assessment of environmental impact

Unlike organic certification, the ecotoxicity study is based on standardized scientific tests . It evaluates the effect of an ingredient or finished product on different living organisms representative of natural environments (fresh water, sea, soil).

The tests performed include:

Toxicity on microalgae (primary producers of aquatic ecosystems).
The effects on daphnia (small crustaceans, key links in the food chain).
Evaluation on fish cells (yes, animal testing is prohibited!)
The biodegradability of substances.

These tests help answer crucial questions . They determine whether a substance is toxic to the environment, either in the short or long term. They also assess the substance's persistence: is it readily biodegradable, or does it remain in the natural environment for weeks or even months, with potentially serious effects on the food chain and biodiversity?

What ecotoxicology brings:

Ecotoxicity studies provide a scientific, quantitative, and objective view of the environmental impact of cosmetic products. They enable informed decisions to be made right from the formulation stage, eliminating the most problematic ingredients. It's also an increasingly valuable tool in a constantly evolving regulatory environment: REACH, detergent regulations, CLP, etc. Anticipating risks is becoming a strategic asset for responsible brands.

At Galeniform, we use these studies to help brands choose raw materials and formulas with the lowest possible impact on biodiversity.

Comparison: Organic certification vs. ecotoxicity study

Criteria	Organic certification	Ecotoxicity study
Objective	Guarantee a natural/ethical origin	Ensure safety for the environment
Methodology	Specifications / audit	Laboratory tests
Scope	Ingredients and processes	Ingredients and finished formulas
What is measured	Origin, transformation, naturalness	Toxicity, biodegradability
Taking toxicity into account	No	Yes
Complementarity	Recognized and valued	Still little used, but essential

Towards complementarity for truly sustainable cosmetics

A certified organic product is not necessarily environmentally friendly. Conversely, an uncertified ingredient may be environmentally neutral.

Consider a natural surfactant extracted from coconut. This compound may well meet the criteria for organic certification because it is plant-based and extracted using a non-synthetic process. However, when released into the environment, it can be toxic to daphnia , small freshwater crustaceans essential to the balance of aquatic environments.

Conversely, a texturizing agent resulting from bacterial fermentation, not certified organic due to lack of criteria compatible with the specifications, may present rapid and complete biodegradability , and proven safety for aquatic fauna and flora.

This is why it is essential today to no longer oppose these two approaches, but to combine them intelligently :

Organic certification remains a valuable indicator of naturalness, ethics and traceability of ingredients.
Ecotoxicity studies , for their part, make it possible to ensure that the formulated products will not have negative consequences on ecosystems, once discharged into wastewater or released into nature.

Galeniform supports brands in this dual approach, by offering advice on eco-responsible formulation, a selection of validated ingredients, and the performance of rigorous ecotoxicity tests.

Conclusion: Understanding labels to formulate better

Responsible cosmetics can no longer be satisfied with marketing polish or an organic logo. It must be based on scientific data and fully integrate the notion of environmental impact.

In times of ecological crisis, it is no longer enough to be organic: it must be eco-compatible, biodegradable and non-toxic to aquatic and terrestrial life.