This standard was developed at an international, multinational level by the EU-based ECOGEA Institute for Quality and Innovation to define common requirements and definitions for premium cosmetics and related products. Premium products can be conventional or natural-organic quality. The naturalness of the product is not assessed during certification. Therefore, also hybrids between conventional and natural products are also eligible for certification.

The main criteria for the assessment are that premium products are better than most other comparable products on the market. The main focus is on the active ingredients, which must be added to the product in the concentration recommended by the suppliers or higher (if this makes sense). The concentration of active ingredients must be high enough to achieve the claimed or intended effect. Angel dusting is strictly prohibited. The safety profile of the products is also checked and some additional dermatological testing is carried out to ensure proven safety. It is important that the products are safe for normal use.

The first and most important objective is to highlight a real added value of ingredients to be of higher “premium value”. While focused on ingredients that have a beneficial effect on the skin, standard also focus on ingredients with high safety profiles and skin compatibility. Last but not least, the packaging material must also be of high quality and visually appealing in order to convey a high-quality impression.

An important goal is to present a standard that is equally available to small and micro companies as well as multinational corporations. The standards currently available generally favor large and rich companies, which means that it is almost impossible for small companies, micro-family businesses or start-ups to implement them.

The big advantage of this standard in comparison to other standards is that most of the work can be done online. Even an audit at the production sites can be avoided if proper documentation and the necessary proofs of compliance are provided by manufacturer. This significantly reduces costs compared to similar standards and provides easier user experience.

Manufacturers can have cosmetic products certified according to the PREMIUM standard by applying for certification via contact form contact form