Overview
ISO 16128-1:2016 - Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products (Part 1: Definitions for ingredients) provides a common, cosmetic‑sector specific framework to define natural, organic, derived natural, derived organic, derived mineral and non‑natural ingredients. The standard clarifies ingredient categories, quantification approaches (e.g. molecular weight or renewable carbon), and solvent roles in ingredient manufacture. It is guidance (not a labelling or safety standard) intended to encourage consistent classification and innovation in cosmetic ingredient development.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Ingredient definitions
- Natural ingredients: sourced from plants, animals, micro‑organisms or minerals and obtained without intentional chemical modification (physical processes, natural fermentation, traditional extraction).
- Natural mineral ingredients: naturally occurring inorganic substances with distinct chemical and physical properties.
- Organic ingredients: from organic farming or compliant wild harvesting (exclusions: water and most minerals).
- Derived ingredients
- Derived natural: >50% natural origin by molecular weight or renewable carbon, produced by defined chemical/biological processes.
- Derived organic: derived from organic or mixed organic/natural origin and must not contain fossil‑fuel moieties.
- Derived mineral: chemically processed inorganic substances matching the composition of natural mineral ingredients.
- Non‑natural ingredients
- ≥50% fossil fuel origin by molecular weight or ingredients outside the other categories.
- Solvent categories and processing
- Distinguishes ingredient solvents (remain in final ingredient) from process solvents (removed except traces). Annex A discusses solvent impact on classification.
- Quantification and calculation
- Methods to quantify natural origin (molecular weight, renewable carbon), with worked examples and calculation guidance in Annex C.
- Informative annexes
- Annex A: solvents for ingredient processing
- Annex B: list of chemical/biological processes
- Annex C: calculation examples
- Annex D: derived mineral examples
Note: ISO 16128-1 does not cover product claims/labelling, human or environmental safety, socio‑economic issues (e.g. fair trade), packaging characteristics, or cosmetics regulatory requirements.
Applications and users
ISO 16128-1 is practical for:
- Cosmetic formulators and R&D teams classifying and selecting ingredients
- Ingredient manufacturers and suppliers clarifying processing impacts on natural origin
- Procurement and product development when assessing ingredient composition (molecular weight/renewable carbon)
- Standards developers and certification schemes seeking a technical reference for ingredient categories
Using ISO 16128-1 helps ensure consistent terminology and supports transparent ingredient classification in the cosmetic industry.
Related standards
- ISO 16128‑2 (Part 2: Criteria for ingredients and products) - to expand criteria and product‑level guidance (under preparation)
- ISO 9235 - aromatic natural raw materials (referenced for complex natural mixtures)
