Natural, organic, & co. The ultimate terminology guide

Walk into any skincare aisle today, and you’re faced with a swirl of terms like natural, organic, and naturally derived. However, few brands actually explain what those words legally mean. The result is a haze of green marketing that makes it hard to tell which claims are backed by regulation and which are purely there for marketing. In this article, we cut through the confusion by defining each term precisely and breaking down what the EU’s laws actually require (and don’t require) from the products you buy.

Natural vs. organic

A natural ingredient is an ingredient of botanical, mineral, animal, or microbiological origin that has been obtained with minimal processing (e.g., physical processes like pressing, distillation, filtration). There is no legal definition for the term “natural” in cosmetic regulations in the EU. Its use on packaging is largely unregulated under the main [EU Cosmetics Regulation EC 1223/2009].

This gap is filled by private standards (COSMOS, Natrue) and the technical guidelines of ISO 16128.

・ ISO 16128: Provides technical definitions and guidelines for calculating a “Natural Origin Index”, but it is a voluntary standard for industry, not a consumer label.
・ Private standards (COSMOS, Natrue): These provide the strictest operational definitions for what can be called natural in certified products.

There is no official regulation on the definitions of “organic” for cosmetics in the EU either. The term “organic” is protected for food ([EC 834/2007]) in the EU, however, it has no legal definition under the [Regulation EC 1223/2009] for cosmetics. This gap is filled by private cosmetic standards.

The term “organic” refers primarily to the agricultural origin and cultivation process of an ingredient. It means the plants were grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, and according to specific soil management practices.

Definition recap

Term

Definition

Natural ingredient

Derived directly from plants, minerals, or animals (and sometimes microbiological sources) with minimal processing. Processing is typically physical (e.g., pressing, distillation, drying) rather than chemical alteration.

Examples: Jojoba oil (cold-pressed from seeds), shea butter (extracted from nuts), zinc oxide (mineral), rosewater (steam distillation).

Synthetic ingredient

Human-made through chemical synthesis in a laboratory. Synthetic ingredients can be original molecules or copies of those found in nature.

Examples**:** Parabens (preservatives), silicones (like dimethicone for texture), synthetic fragrances, petroleum-derived oils.

Naturally-derived ingredient

This is a crucial middle category. They start with a natural raw material (e.g., coconut oil) and are chemically modified through hydrogenation, esterification to enhance functionality. Such ingredients are permitted and labeled as “Derived from Natural Origin” under COSMOS certificate.

Examples include Squalane (hydrogenated), Cetearyl Olivate, Ethyl Olivate, hydrogenated castor oil.

Naturally identical ingredients

These are substances chemically identical to those found in nature but produced synthetically for purity, sustainability, or ethical reasons (for example, avoiding animal sourcing).

In many EU standards, they are treated as “natural” for calculation purposes under ISO 16128. ISO 16128 standard provides the calculation basis for the “Natural Origin Index”. Under its guidelines, ingredients produced by fermentation (Hyaluronic Acid, Propanediol) or derived from plant biomass via defined chemical steps (Sorbitol, Betaine) are assigned a high percentage of natural origin.

Organic ingredients

Ingredients grown or produced without synthetic pesticides, GMOs, or artificial fertilizers, following strict ecological farming methods. By definition, organic production is based on natural substances and processes. You cannot have an “organic synthetic ingredient” — organic automatically implies agricultural or natural origin.

All organic ingredients are natural, but not all natural ingredients are organic (i.e. they could be natural but grown with conventional farming that uses synthetic pesticides).

A major misconception is that a “natural ingredient equals safe ingredient”. This is not true. Many plant extracts are natural but poisonous, hence harmful. Many natural ingredients are common allergens (for example, essential oils or botanical extracts). Natural doesn’t equal better, so don’t let dishonest marketing trick you into believeing so.