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ISO 16128-2:2017
Cosmetics — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients — Part 2: Criteria for ingredients and products
ISO 16128-2:2017 describes approaches to calculate natural, natural origin, organic and organic origin indexes that apply to the ingredient categories defined in ISO 16128‑1. This document also offers a framework to determine the natural, natural origin, organic and organic origin content of products based on the ingredient characterization.
Neither ISO 16128‑1 nor this document addresses product communication (e.g. claims and labelling), human safety, environmental safety, socio-economic considerations (e.g. fair trade), characteristics of packaging materials or regulatory requirements applicable for cosmetics.
ISO 16128-2:2017 builds on and enhances ISO 16128‑1. It is intended to be used in conjunction with ISO 16128‑1.
What ISO 16128 means for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients
ISO 16128 provides guidelines for definitions and criteria related to natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. It helps cosmetic brands, formulators, raw material suppliers, and quality teams calculate natural origin, organic origin, natural, and organic indexes for cosmetic formulations.
It provides a standardized framework for cosmetic naturality calculations.
It helps brands communicate natural and organic content using a consistent technical basis.
It supports formulation, documentation, supplier review, and product claim substantiation.
Video credit: ICADA e.V. on YouTube.
How ISO 16128 fits into the cosmetic formulation lifecycle
ISO 16128 is used when brands need a consistent method to classify ingredients and calculate natural or organic content. It does not certify products by itself, but it provides a technical calculation framework for documentation and marketing support.
Ingredient review: classify each raw material based on origin and processing.
Formula calculation: calculate natural, natural-origin, organic, and organic-origin indexes.
Claim review: compare calculated indexes with brand, market, or customer expectations.
Documentation: maintain supplier data and calculation records for substantiation.
Core building blocks of ISO 16128
Natural ingredients: ingredients obtained from natural sources with limited processing.
Natural-origin ingredients: ingredients derived from natural sources but processed more extensively.
Organic ingredients: ingredients derived from organic agriculture.
Organic-origin ingredients: processed ingredients with organic-source contribution.
Indexes: numerical values used to calculate content percentages in finished products.
High-value use cases of ISO 16128
Natural and organic cosmetic formulation development.
Raw material supplier documentation review.
Marketing claim substantiation for natural-origin content.
Private-label and contract manufacturing documentation.
Product portfolio benchmarking and reformulation planning.
Integration with related cosmetic requirements
Cosmetic regulations: safety, labeling, and claims rules still apply separately.
Certification programs: ISO 16128 is not a certification scheme by itself.
Supplier documents: raw material origin and processing data support calculations.
Product information files: calculation records may support compliance documentation.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Calling ISO 16128 a certification: it is a guideline and calculation framework, not a certification mark.
Weak supplier data: incomplete raw material data can distort index calculations.
Overclaiming naturality: marketing claims must match calculated values and local rules.
