Natural beauty products are high in demand; however, they remain as a grey area of the industry. Therefore, industries are working slowly to set a standard. Consumers and companies can start with ISO16128, a guideline on the definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients. ISO16128 is recognised internationally and can help to define validity of claims.

A product can be marketed as natural when manufacturers provide evidence that 5% of its ingredients are natural. This does not account for the whole formulation and labelling them as “natural” will mislead consumers. Because of the lack of a regulatory system to govern the use of such terms, it has led to problems like greenwashing, where companies falsely advertise their products as natural and eco-friendly but in reality, they are not. As a result, consumers are more skeptical about marketing claims and value brands that are honest. Transparency is appreciated and justifying claims and providing assurance will differentiate your brand from others.