Finally official: sustainable cosmetics by STOP THE WATER WHILE USING ME!

For years we have stood for natural care products and for a really good feeling. Our shower gels, soaps, hand balms and hair care products have always been 100% of natural origin, biodegradable and completely free of silicones, mineral oils, paraffins and parabens and microplastics. Completely free of animal testing, of course. Now our sustainable cosmetics are also officially certified natural cosmetics. We are proud that our liquid body and hair care range is now allowed to bear the COSMOS NATURAL seal and thus meets the high requirements for environmentally friendly cosmetics according to the strict COSMOS standards. In the future, regular audits will check the ingredients and production of our cosmetics, so that you can trust a demonstrably high-quality cosmetic without questionable ingredients.
But not only our natural cosmetics ingredients are now confirmed by a recognized body. In the course of this, we gave our bottles a recover and made them even more sustainable. What is different now? From now on we fill our sustainable cosmetics in bottle bodies made from 100% recycled material made from European household waste. In this way we use existing resources and save a lot of water in production. Cosmetics not only trumps us with good ingredients, but also comes in an all-round environmentally friendly packaging. Our "next steps" on behalf of water protection, environmental protection and of course for the sake of your skin.
We are happy to answer the most important questions about our natural cosmetics, which are now certified. Transparency for your beauty.

What is COSMOS and what are certified natural cosmetics all about

COSMOS stands for "Cosmetic Organic and Natural Standard". The COSMOS standard defines requirements and definitions for organic and/or natural cosmetics. Anyone who wants to receive the COSMOS standard signature and thus produces demonstrably sustainable and certified natural cosmetics for the consumer must meet all the strict requirements set therein. The criteria for organic and/or natural cosmetics are defined at European and international level by the BDIH (Germany), COSMEBIO & ECOCERT (France), ICEA (Italy) and SOIL ASSOCIATION (UK).

The aim of the guidelines is to strengthen, promote and advance the sustainable development of products in the cosmetics industry in order to harmonize economic progress and social responsibility with the natural balance of our planet. In order to create an incentive for the production and use of sustainable cosmetics, a number of rules and standards were defined that take into account the current state of the art and the dynamics of the innovative market.

The guidelines include:

• Use of raw materials from organic farming
• Preserving Bio-Diversity
• responsible use of natural resources
• No genetically modified organisms
• Palm oil only from controlled organic cultivation or certified sustainable sources
• no animal testing
• recyclable or biodegradable packaging
• clean processing and manufacturing processes, taking into account the impact on human health and the environment
• Implementation of an environmental management concept in production
• Development and integration of a concept of so-called "green chemistry"

The transparency that a company like us creates with the COSMOS seal and thus communicates sustainable cosmetics to the outside world, gives you as a consumer the opportunity to actively promote the sustainable development of natural and organic cosmetics.
Good to know: Since the organic and natural cosmetics industry is constantly evolving, the COSMOS standards are also continuously checked, revised and adapted.

But now, we present: Our sustainable cosmetics of liquid body and hair care, which is now certified according to COSMOS NATURAL and thus meets all guidelines for certified natural cosmetics according to the international set of rules for organic and natural cosmetics of the COSMOS standard. In any case, we have avoided using dangerous ingredients in our cosmetics ever since:

• 100% biodegradable ingredients of natural origin
• Free from silicones, mineral oils, paraffins and parabens
• without microplastics
• Not tested on animals

The fact that our cosmetics are sustainable is now checked annually as part of an audit. Our products and our production are scrutinized and evaluated by Ecocert Greenlife according to the COSMOS standard. Only if we continue to meet all old and new guidelines will we keep the certificate as proof of sustainable cosmetics.

Unbelievable, but true

Did you know that we have been relying on the power of nature for 10 years? Regardless of the certification, with us you have always trusted in formulations with ingredients of 100% natural origin according to ISO 16128 and 90% plant-based raw materials from controlled organic cultivation. Whether face cream, shampoo, soap or body lotion - our recipes contain high-quality vegetable oils, extracts and butters. Free of any additives and therefore naturally also cosmetics without carcinogenic substances.

We go one step further for sustainable cosmetics, because we have committed ourselves to the mission of protecting what is probably the most important resource on this planet: water. So we shout with STOP THE WATER WHILE USING ME! not only to actively save water, but also actively contribute to it on every corner. Whether it's our choice of raw materials, the "Made in Germany" production, our refill packs for less packaging waste, climate-neutral shipping or our "green philosophy": We live what we communicate. Our GOOD WATER PROJECTS initiative is particularly important to us. With every purchase of our certified natural cosmetics, 1% of the net proceeds goes to global water protection and drinking water projects.

Good for the environment, but also good for you

There is no question for us that our sustainable cosmetics are also effective. We have matched all natural cosmetic ingredients with specially developed recipes that are suitable for all main types. Whether dry, sensitive, oily or combination skin - with us everyone will find the right and above all effective, sustainable cosmetics in our cleaning and care product lines.

How are sustainable cosmetics certified?

There are 11 authorized accredited certification partners in Europe, Australia and Asia offering COSMOS certification around the world and auditing companies against the guidelines. We chose ECOCERT GREENLIFE as an experienced certification partner.

After the application has been submitted to the selected certification body, each product, including its recipe, raw materials, packaging materials and labels, is checked both before market entry and annually in an on-site audit. All ordering, storage and returns processes are also on the checklist. In addition to our headquarters in Hamburg, the auditors also visit our other productions in Germany.

The certified natural cosmetics are checked once a year to ensure compliance with all the requirements of the currently applicable COSMOS standard.

Good cosmetic ingredients according to COSMOS or ECOCERT?

Maybe you are a bit confused because our sustainable cosmetics have two labels. We'd be happy to clarify that. The COSMOS seal confirms that our environmentally friendly cosmetics meet all COSMOS standards and are based exclusively on natural ingredients. It can therefore call itself a certified natural cosmetic according to COSMOS.

The ECOCERT label shows you which authorized certification body carries out the tests for us, with which we are ultimately allowed to bear the COSMOS seal if we comply with all COSMOS standards.
You may have come across the terms COSMOS NATURAL and COSMOS ORGANIC when talking about ecological cosmetics. What's the difference here?

For COSMOS NATURAL to be certified, at least 95% of the raw materials must be of natural origin. What is different about us? We immediately rely on 100% natural cosmetic ingredients of natural origin. With COSMOS ORGANIC, on the other hand, 95% of the plant-based ingredients must be "organic". So, among other things, vegetable oils such as organic sunflower oil or organic safflower oil, extracts such as organic sage or our shea butter. For certification, around 20% of the total product must be organic and at least 10% organic ingredients for rinse-off products, lotions and powders.

Good to know: In many of our products we use ingredients from organic farming. Even the honey for our COSMOS NATURAL certified LEMON HONEY HAND SOAP comes from an organic apiary. However, some ingredients do not have organic certification. This is often due to the fact that such recognition can be very expensive for a company, even though it actually acts according to the organic guidelines. With all our recipes you can therefore rely on high-quality natural cosmetic ingredients. Since water or minerals are not considered "organic" either, but are present in almost every product, a 100% organic recipe is only possible if water and minerals are completely dispensed with.

These sustainable cosmetics carry the COSMOS NATURAL label according to the COSMOS standard by Ecocert Greenlife

Our body and hair care products currently carry the COSMOS NATURAL label and thus meet the COSMOS standard for certified natural cosmetics. This includes:

• Cucumber Lime Hand Soap with organic cucumber extract and a lime scent made from essential oils
• Lemon Honey Hand Soap with organic acacia honey and a lemon scent from essential oils
• Cucumber Lime Hand Balm with organic shea butter, organic cucumber water and lime scent from essential oils
• Lemon Honey Hand Balm with organic shea butter, organic sunflower oil, organic acacia honey and a lemon essential oil scent
• Orange Wild Herbs Body Wash with the natural scent of wild herbs and organic orange blossom water
• White Sage Cedar Body Wash with the natural scent of cedarwood and organic sage extract
• Orange Wild Herbs Body Lotion with organic shea butter and organic almond oil
• White Sage Cedar Body Lotion with organic shea butter and organic safflower oil
• Rosmary Grapefruit Shampoo with organic rosemary oil, wheat protein and the natural scent of grapefruit

All sustainable cosmetics certified according to COSMOS come in a 100% recycled bottle (without a pump). The pump dispenser can also be easily refilled at any time with our practical refill bags in 2 liter canisters.

Tip: Get to know our certified natural cosmetics now. We have put together a practical trial package for you so that you can easily test our sustainable cosmetics. And with our dream team of soap and hand balm in a set, you are well prepared for the winter with cosmetics with good ingredients.

Why aren't all STOP THE WATER WHILE USING ME products certified according to COSMOS NATURAL?

Of course, all other products from our range also contain ingredients of natural origin, are free of silicones, mineral oils, paraffins, parabens and microplastics, have not been tested on animals and are biodegradable. For example, our Parsley Kale Light Face Cream and Parsley Kale Rich Face Cream face creams, which we have tailored to every skin type, age and gender, contain organic shea butter, organic safflower or sesame oil, kale extract and parsley herb extract. Our face mask also does not contain any questionable ingredients and contains caring clay mineral and organic sunflower oil. Here, too, you can refill the jars at any time with our refill system. Produced sustainably and as a solid piece without water, our Waterless Bars even make a significant contribution to water protection.

Our sustainable cosmetics, which have not yet been labeled, are gradually being certified according to the COSMOS standard. The next goal is to have all products from the skincare and waterless range certified, which, as already mentioned, already meet all the criteria for certified natural cosmetics. However, the certification process takes time and our packaging also gets an update. It is also important to sell off current stocks before we launch under COSMOS.

What makes the packaging of the certified natural cosmetics so sustainable?

We make our bottles for sustainable cosmetics from recycled HDPE. This is a subspecies of the plastic polyethylene. Because of its high density, it is often referred to as "high-density polythene". We no longer use newly manufactured HDPE for our sustainable cosmetics, but use old plastic. This is made from old plastic packaging from the yellow sack and is recycled in a special process. It is then called PCR or "post-consumer recyclate".

How is PCR obtained?

Our supplier sources discarded HDPE material from Europe, where it is sorted by color and material in the Netherlands. All residues of adhesives, printing ink and other substances are carefully removed. It is then crushed into fine granules for further processing. Arrived in Germany, the packaging for our sustainable cosmetics is made from the granules.

And please don't be surprised - the recycling process involves the mixing of different colors, so that the recycled material differs in color from new plastic and also from bottle to bottle. The best thing about it: Each bottle is truly unique!

We currently fill all of our liquid body and hair care products into 200ml and 500ml PCR bottles and canisters that carry the COSMOS seal. But of course we are already busy finding suitable PCR materials or other more sustainable alternatives for our crucibles and other refill solutions.

How do we make our packaging recyclable?

Whenever possible, we only use one type of plastic, a mono-material. In this way, we avoid that layers of plastic that are connected to one another cannot be sorted correctly later in the disposal process, as clear identification is often difficult. We consistently use mono-material for all packaging. Only for our pumps and tubes are we still intensively looking for a new solution.

Perhaps you have already noticed that we do not use dark packaging for our sustainable cosmetics. The reason for this is that the soot-based dyes are also not correctly recognized during sorting. That's why we only use light or transparent packaging or soot-free colors like our soap box. We print directly on the bottle, which saves more material for a label and increases durability. We also do without secondary packaging and offer you a refill option for almost every product. Because the best packaging is the one we can do without. Therefore we keep all bottles, jars, cans and tubes as minimalistic as possible.

Why don't we use glass or bio-plastic for our sustainable cosmetics?

In many cases, our products are liquid. Nothing of the contents may leak out, nor may particles get inside. The task of packaging is not only to contain the product content, but also to protect it and ensure the fragrance and consistency. In addition to plastic, aluminum or glass can also offer this protective function.

Glass is a great recycling partner, but it weighs heavily in transit, which in turn requires more energy than lightweight plastic packaging. In addition, the plastic HDPE, in which we fill our sustainable cosmetics, is unbreakable and can also be recycled several times. This also reduces the risk of injury in your home.

Bio-plastics are bio-based plastics that are produced from corn or sugar cane, among other things. They end up in the yellow bag as well. So far there is no recycling path for the biodegradable material. They are also considered to be less stable and more susceptible to contamination. Since they are not 100% bio-based either, they are not rated with a better ecological balance by the Federal Environment Agency. Another reason why we chose HDPE for our sustainable cosmetics. Of course, we remain open to new possibilities, which will certainly provide even better solutions in the future.

Are you interested in natural care? Your certified natural cosmetics are now available in our online shop. And free shipping from an order value of €20.

We hope you enjoy testing.