ALAIN KHAIAT
Seers Consulting
Science Park Road 51, Singapore

The International Standard Organization Technical Committee 217 is tasked with creating standards in cosmetics. Created in 1998, the TC 217 has published numerous standards ranging from GMP to microbiology to analytical methods, to sun protection methods or labeling and packaging.
The committee was tasked with establishing a Guideline on the definition and indexes for natural and organic definitions applicable to ingredients and products.
The first part of the standard ISO 16128 part 1 deals with the definitions of ingredients, it was published in February 2016 while the part 2 will deal with the indexes and should be published in 2017.
Following the definition, Natural ingredients are cosmetic ingredients obtained only from plants (including fungi and algae), animals, microorganisms or minerals. They also include those ingredients obtained through transformation processes like physical processes (grinding, drying, etc.), fermentation (provided they occur in nature and lead to the same molecules) or extraction without intentional chemical modification. Ingredients derived from fossil fuel are excluded. Examples would include essential oils, Aloe Vera juic ...