Certified Natural Cosmetics

1. Review the BDIH Standard: Download and thoroughly read the BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics guidelines from the official website (kontrollierte-naturkosmetik.de) to understand permitted and prohibited ingredients and sourcing requirements.

1. Audit Your Formulations: Conduct an internal ingredient-by-ingredient review of each product you wish to certify, checking all raw materials against the BDIH positive and negative lists. Identify any non-compliant ingredients that must be reformulated.

1. Source Compliant Raw Materials: Ensure all plant-based raw materials are sourced from controlled biological cultivation or certified wild collection, and obtain documentation from your suppliers confirming this.

1. Prepare Documentation: Compile full ingredient lists (INCI), raw material sourcing certificates, supplier declarations, and product formulation details for each product to be certified.

1. Submit Application to BDIH: Contact BDIH directly to initiate the certification application, submitting your complete documentation package for conformity assessment review.

1. Undergo Conformity Review: BDIH conducts a second-party documentation review, evaluating your submissions against the standard. Be prepared to respond to clarification requests or provide additional supplier documentation.

1. Receive Certification and License the Seal: Upon successful review, you will receive authorization to use the BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics seal on your product packaging and marketing materials, subject to a licensing agreement.

1. Maintain Compliance: Notify BDIH of any formulation or supplier changes and resubmit documentation as required to maintain ongoing certification status.

The BDIH standard evaluates cosmetic and personal care products against a detailed set of ingredient and sourcing criteria. The core assessment focuses on ingredient compliance: all raw materials must be of natural origin, primarily plant-based (plant oils, waxes, herbal extracts, essential oils, and similar botanicals). A strict prohibited ingredients list excludes synthetic fragrances, artificial colorants, silicones, paraffins, PEGs, and other petrochemical-derived substances. Mineral ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are permitted under specific conditions.

Raw material sourcing is a key evaluation area: plant-based ingredients must originate from controlled organic cultivation (ideally certified organic) or from sustainable wild collection. Manufacturers must provide supplier documentation and sourcing certificates to substantiate these claims. Animal-derived ingredients are heavily restricted — no ingredients from vertebrate animals are permitted, though beeswax, lanolin, and similar by-products from living animals may be allowed under specific conditions.

Preservation and processing are also assessed: only certain natural preservatives are permitted, and manufacturing processes must not use petrochemical solvents or other prohibited processing aids. The ecological impact of the finished product is considered, including packaging and biodegradability of ingredients where relevant. There is no points-based scoring system — compliance is binary, meaning a product either meets all criteria or does not receive certification.

The BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics standard holds a historically significant position as one of the earliest formal natural cosmetics certifications in Europe, predating the COSMOS standard by over a decade. It is particularly well-established in the German-speaking market (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), where it enjoys strong brand recognition among health-conscious consumers and is widely accepted by major natural and organic retail chains such as dm-drogerie markt and Rossmann. Many of Germany's most iconic natural cosmetics brands — including Weleda, Lavera, and Logona — built their reputations in part through BDIH certification.

However, the competitive landscape has shifted considerably since the launch of the COSMOS standard in 2010, which unified several European natural and organic cosmetics standards (including Ecocert, Soil Association, BDIH, ICEA, and Cosmebio) into a single harmonized framework. COSMOS has become the dominant pan-European standard and is increasingly preferred by brands seeking international recognition beyond the German market. NATRUE is another strong competitor, particularly for premium and luxury natural cosmetics brands. As a result, BDIH's standalone certification is now more niche, though it retains loyal adoption among established German brands and those specifically targeting the DACH region.

The global natural and organic cosmetics market continues to grow strongly, driven by consumer demand for clean beauty and ingredient transparency. This tailwind benefits all credible natural cosmetics certifications, including BDIH. However, brands entering the market today often opt for COSMOS certification for its broader international recognition, while BDIH remains a respected legacy standard with deep roots in the German retail ecosystem. Brands holding BDIH certification alongside COSMOS certification can leverage both seals for maximum market coverage.

The BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics standard was established in 1996 by the BDIH (Bundesverband Deutscher Industrie- und Handelsunternehmen), the Association of German Industries and Trading Firms, in response to growing consumer demand for credible, independently verifiable natural cosmetics claims in the German market. At the time, the term "natural cosmetics" had no legal definition in Germany or Europe, allowing brands to make largely unsubstantiated claims. BDIH developed its standard — known in German as "Kontrollierte Naturkosmetik" — to provide a clear, enforceable set of ingredient and sourcing criteria backed by a recognized industry body.

The standard quickly gained traction among German natural cosmetics brands and retailers, becoming a de facto benchmark for the category in the DACH region through the late 1990s and 2000s. In 2010, BDIH became one of the five founding members of COSMOS-standard AISBL, a pan-European initiative to harmonize natural and organic cosmetics standards across Europe. While BDIH contributed its expertise to the COSMOS framework, it has continued to operate its own standalone certification in parallel, maintaining the BDIH seal as a distinct and recognized mark in the German market. The standard has undergone periodic updates to reflect evolving ingredient science and sustainability expectations, but its core philosophy of plant-based, petrochemical-free formulations has remained consistent since its founding.