The NPA standard and certification for personal care products states that all products that are labeled or branded as ‘natural’ must be made with at least 95% all natural ingredients.
The association defines natural ingredients as those which come or are made from a renewable resource found in nature (flora, fauna, mineral), with absolutely no petroleum compounds.
First raw material supplier to gain certification
Denise Peterson, marketing manager for Cognis Care Chemicals North America told CosmeticsDesign that in April, Cognis was first raw material supplier to have products certified by the Natural Product Association.
“Five materials were certified at that time,” she added. “Over the past several months, we have continued to work with the NPA to certify an additional 58 products.”
She explained that to gain the certification, an NPA questionnaire has to be filled out that requests information on the ingredient's composition, how an ingredient is manufactured, and what the ingredient specifications are.
NPA approved ingredients
The NPA-approved ingredients from Cognis Care Chemicals and its active ingredients business, Laboratoires Sérobiologiques, cover a wide range of products.
Euperlan Green is the first green pearlizing wax dispersion that is vegetable based and free from ethylene oxide and amine feedstock, according to the company, who said it is particularly suitable for ‘green’ skin and hair cleansing formulations.
The certified products also contain APG surfactants that are based on renewable, plant-derived materials such as vegetable oil and starch. The surfactants are suitable for use in mild shampoos and bath and shower gels, according to Cognis.
Green regulation easy guide
The certified ingredients have been added to Cognis’ Green Chemicals Solutions Regulation Easy Guide, which provides customers with information about regulatory and certification standards, and details to what extent the various Cognis ingredients comply with selected certifications.
This reference tool helps formulators to design products that meet the requirements necessary to obtain the desired official labels or certificates, said the company.
According to Cognis, more than 110 products from Care Chemicals’ portfolio comply with ecocert certification. In addition, more than 35 products are approved by the BDIH, meeting the even tougher prerequisites for German certification.
Peterson added that as there is a large demand from manufacturers for natural ingredients, the company is looking to get more of their products certified by the NPA.
The Natural Products Association is the oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry in the United States. It represents more than 10,000 retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of natural products.