COSMOS and NATRUE are associations that operate without the intention of making a profit. They work in accordance with Belgian Law (Association internationale sans but lucratif = AISBL). In spite of not striving to make a profit, these associations must carry a considerable internal cost burden and need to pass this on.

An organisation that awards comprehensive certificates will, of course, cost money. This applies, in particular, to international associations. This is perfectly normal.

In this context, the contributions which these organisations have to charge in order to cover their administrative expenses are a relatively small and manageable portion. The major share of the costs is incurred when upstream inspection bodies have to carry out their operative testing activities. It is compulsory that every detail, every change that has already been taken into account in the production process must be newly tested and released in accordance with the legal regulations. This also applies, among other things, to simple changes to the name of the very same product. Furthermore, when directly implementing COSMOS and NATRUE, a safety assessment stipulated by EU laws covering cosmetic products must also be carried out by external experts, among other aspects for simple changes in the packaging of the product. As a result, certification in accordance with COSMOS and NATRUE is often problematic in practice.

Having double testing processes in this manner results in high costs and the impact is particularly strong when dealing with small volumes and puts their realisation at risk. It makes it difficult for small players on the market to have the opportunity to sell certified products or to introduce new creations in small quantities.

This situation is exacerbated by the fact that when a natural cosmetic product is available in several different sizes, e.g. in different packaging, it leads to a direct multiplication of the costs.

Even minor modifications to the formula must be submitted in full and without exception. This requires time, money and resources.

Any further developments to the formula therefore become much more expensive. This is money that would possibly be better spent on the product – especially in the case of small to medium-sized series – without this leading to any type of detrimental effect whatsoever with regard to the actual quality or safety of the product.

For this reason, Pure Green decided to create its own quality seal with NatCert so that verifying that a cosmetic product is genuinely plant-based does not become a cost factor.

Pure Green would like to offer consumers the possibility to choose self-determinedly that their resources are used for developing, manufacturing and realising natural cosmetic products without making any compromises regarding quality and safety. For selected ranges of care products and own brands, of course, Pure Green also uses the NatCert quality seal itself. Pure Green die Kennzeichnung mit dem NatCert Gütesiegel selbstverständlich auch selbst.