BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics Certification Explained

Type: Cruelty-Free

Country: Germany

Established: 2001

Scope

Natural cosmetics

Audit rigor

Level: third-party-audit. Supply-chain verified: No.

Cost for brands

Annual licensing fee.

Recognized in

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Europe

Notes

One of the earliest European natural cosmetics standards. Prohibits animal testing and many synthetic ingredients, but does not prohibit all animal-derived ingredients — beeswax, lanolin, and honey are permitted. Now largely superseded by COSMOS certification, which BDIH co-developed. Products bearing only the BDIH mark are not automatically vegan.