In Australia, a mandatory standard for ingredients labelling on beauty products came into effect in 1991 and was last amended in 200812. The standard prescribes the information requested on the labelling and testing including listing ingredients, but does not require testing.

In Canada, by law, manufacturers cannot sell cosmetics that contain any ingredient that may cause injury when used according to the directions on the label and under normal use. Health Canada can also take appropriate compliance action if a product presents a hazard to the health or safety of Canadians by monitoring scientific literature on cosmetic ingredients, as well as information from the Chemicals Management Plan, from the European Union and the US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In Brazil, the Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) depending on the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency is the regulatory body responsible for cosmetic legislation applicable to manufacturers, importers, and retailers of cosmetics that have been harmonized so they can apply, like many other regulations, to the entire Mercosur (Mercado Comun del Sur ). Moreover, a Technical Regulation was set up to establish a list of authorized and restricted substances for cosmetic use, used in products such as hair dyes, nail hardeners, or used as product preservatives.

In China, cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients are regulated by a series of laws13. Imported cosmetics are divided into two classes: ordinary cosmetics and special use cosmetics. The Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics published by the Ministry of Health in 2007 has banned over 1200 chemicals in cosmetics and restricted the use of 73 chemicals, 56 preservatives, 156 colorants, 28 sun block agents and 93 dyes in cosmetics.

In South East Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam) set up the ASEAN Cosmetic Committee (ACC) which coordinates, reviews and monitors the implementation of the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD)14. Under the ACD, cosmetic dealers are required to comply with a series of requirements in order to market a product.

How are “natural” ingredients in cosmetic products evaluated?

Intrinsically "natural" or "organic" cosmetic products or ingredient are all chemical substances, and “natural products” must undergo, as any other cosmetic product, the same level of testing to ensure that they are adequately safe for the consumer.

The fact that some certification bodies in the European Union advertise their integrated standards as the “European harmonised standard” for natural and organic cosmetics leads to unfair and misleading information for consumers and disruption of the internal market as today there is no such European harmonised standard which sets criteria for natural and organic cosmetics9. There is currently work from the European commission and by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to put in place these standards.