Organic cleaning and skincare labels: the basics

Guide · 2026-10-16 · 5 min read · by the Blueberry Bear Team

"Organic" turns up on soap, shampoo, moisturiser, laundry liquid and dishwashing detergent as well as food. But the rules behind those labels are different from food, and some common words have no defined meaning at all. This guide explains how to read organic labels on skincare and cleaning products in Australia and how to check them.

We don't make claims that organic skincare or cleaning products are better for your skin, your health or your home. This is a guide to what labels mean.

How these products are regulated

Three different sets of rules can apply, depending on what the product is:

• Cosmetics (soap, shampoo, moisturiser, deodorant, make-up, toothpaste and similar) are consumer goods. They must list their ingredients under the Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020, which the ACCC enforces. Industrial chemicals in them are regulated by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS).
• Therapeutic goods (for example most sunscreens, and products that claim to treat a condition) are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). They have their own labelling rules.
• Household cleaning products are consumer goods too. Products containing scheduled poisons must follow poisons labelling rules, with signal words such as CAUTION, POISON or DANGEROUS POISON and first aid instructions.

The Australian Consumer Law applies to all of them: claims, including "organic" and "natural", mustn't be false or misleading.

Reading a cosmetic ingredient list

Under the cosmetics information standard, ingredients must be listed on the container (or on the product if there's no container) in descending order by mass or volume. Alternatively, ingredients at 1% or more can be listed in descending order, followed by those under 1% in any order, then colour additives. Ingredients are usually given their international INCI names, which is why you'll see "Aqua" for water and Latin plant names such as "Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter".

What this means for organic claims:

• Organic ingredients are often marked with an asterisk, such as "Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*", with a note like "*certified organic ingredient".
• Water usually comes first in creams and liquids. Water and minerals (such as clays and salts) can't be certified organic, which is why organic percentages are often given two ways (see below).
• "Fragrance" or "parfum" can be listed as a single ingredient rather than by each component.

Organic certification for skincare: COSMOS and others

There's no single government definition of organic for cosmetics in Australia, so certification schemes fill the gap.

COSMOS

COSMOS is an international standard for organic and natural cosmetics, used by certifiers in many countries. In Australia, Australian Certified Organic (ACO) is an authorised COSMOS certifier. You'll see the certifier's logo with one of two words beneath it:

• COSMOS ORGANIC: the product meets the COSMOS standard and contains the minimum percentages of organic ingredients it requires.
• COSMOS NATURAL: the product meets the standard's other rules but doesn't reach the organic percentages.

COSMOS-certified products show the percentage of organic ingredients. This may be given for the whole product, and also as a percentage excluding water and minerals, since those can never be organic.

Other marks

You may also see the ACO bud on skincare certified to ACO's own standard, and overseas marks on imported products, such as Ecocert, Soil Association or USDA Organic. Each has its own rules. Check the certifier's website for what the mark requires and look up the product or company.

Cleaning products

Organic certification is less common for cleaning products, because many cleaning ingredients (such as surfactants, bicarb soda and vinegar's acetic acid) aren't agricultural. You're more likely to see:

• Ingredient disclosure. Some brands list every ingredient voluntarily. That's helpful but not required for all cleaning products.
• Environmental claims, such as "biodegradable", "plant-based" or "eco". These should be specific and able to be backed up. The ACCC's Making environmental claims guide (December 2023) says broad, unqualified claims are risky for businesses.
• Independent eco-labels with published criteria and a licence number, which you can check on the scheme's website.
• Cruelty-free and vegan logos, which cover animal testing and animal ingredients, not organic status.

If a cleaning product says "organic" on the front, check whether it means the whole product is certified, or just that it contains an organic ingredient such as an essential oil.

Words with no defined meaning

• "Natural" and "naturally derived" aren't defined in Australian law for cosmetics or cleaners.
• "Clean beauty", "non-toxic" and "chemical-free" are marketing terms. Everything, including water, is a chemical.
• "Made with organic ingredients" may mean only a small share of the formula is organic.
• "Dermatologically tested" says a test was done, not what the result was.

None of these are certifications. They may be accurate for a particular product, but you'd need to check what's behind them.

A five-step label check

1. Find the certifier logo on the pack, such as ACO with COSMOS ORGANIC, Ecocert or another named certifier.
2. Read the percentage of organic ingredients, if shown.
3. Scan the ingredient list for the asterisks that mark organic ingredients.
4. Look up the product or company on the certifier's website.
5. Ignore undefined words unless the brand explains exactly what they mean.

For food labels, our guide to Australian organic logos and label wording uses the same approach.

Safety basics

Whatever the label says, use products as directed. Keep cleaning products in their original containers, out of reach of children, and don't mix products (for example bleach with acids or ammonia). Patch-test new skincare if the label suggests it. For urgent advice about a swallowed product, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

Will Blueberry Bear Organics sell these?

Our marketplace is starting with certified organic food. If we add skincare or cleaning products later, we'll apply the same approach: a current certificate from a recognised certifier, checked and shown on every product, and no health claims. The products on our site today are clearly marked SAMPLE.

Information checked 16 October 2026 against the ACCC (cosmetics ingredients labelling standard and environmental claims guidance), COSMOS-standard and ACO. General information only.

— the Blueberry Bear Team