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A Certified Organic Sunscreen^[1], also known as Petrochemical-Free Sunscreen, is a third party certified^[2] sunscreen product consisting of certified and approved organic ingredients, with typically zinc oxide acting as the photo-protector. An organic sunscreen is verified and approved by a certifier to international or national organic standards, such as NSF/ANSI 305 and USDA organic, which define production and labelling requirements for personal care products containing organic ingredients.^[3][4] These standards are complemented by existing sunscreen regulatory bodies such as the FDA that regulate the efficacy of the sunscreen, safety and permitted ingredients. Generally speaking, sunscreen has photo-protective properties that reduce the risk of skin cancer and ageing with relation to the SPF value and proper application.^[5][6]

Certified organic sunscreen is part of a broader trend towards certified organic cosmetics^[7] and certified natural cosmetics.^[8] Especially in the sunscreen market, developers have been 'pushed'^[3] towards alternatives to petrochemical UV filters due to their lack of safety data^[9] and their detrimental ecological effects,^[3] which has resulted in various petrochemical UV filters being banned in different countries and ecological areas.^[10]

Organisations that manage standards and certifiers generally provide allowances for natural ingredients, such as water, as well as minerals such zinc oxide and titanium dioxide towards their organic calculation^[11][12] as they have photo-protective properties and a well regarded safety profile.^[3]

Certified Organic refers to the processing and production of a personal care product without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, petrochemicals, aromatic hydrocarbons and other contaminants or practices.^[13][1] Petrochemical suppliers may promote their ingredients as organic compounds; however, it is essential not to confuse this with the term "organic" or "certified organic". In this context, "organic compounds" simply means that the substances are derived from petroleum sources. Marketing products under organic is protected by consumer commissions such as the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission and other national bodies.^[1][14][15]

Created by Non-For Profit Organization NSF, it is a standard designed for products intended for external use on any part of the body.^[16] This specific standard allows using the "contains organic ingredients" label for products containing at least 70% organic ingredients.^[16]

Source:^[17]

Due to the fact that the FDA does not define or regulate the term “organic” in personal care products, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken responsibility. The USDA has been regulating organic cosmetics and personal care products since 2001, under the National Organic Program.^[18] Unlike personal care products, sunscreen is regulated by the FDA as an OTC drug and thus has a GRASE monograph, so it is possible that the FDA may expand its role in regulating organic sunscreen in the future. Currently, only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been determined by the FDA to be generally recognised as safe and effective (GRASE).^[9]

The ISO 16128 is a guideline defined by the International Organization for Standardization which establishes how to numerically determine the degree of natural and organic origin of a product based on the single ingredients which compose its formulation. The ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 169 national standards bodies.^[19] The ISO:16128 standard aims to contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 12^[20][21]

The Cosmos Natural and Organic standard was established in 2002, and is the first voluntary standard harmonized at the European level.^[3] COSMOS standard prohibits petrochemical UV filters in cosmetic product. The standards permit the utilization of minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, contingent upon their acquisition via meticulously defined industrial processes, owing to their lack of agricultural origins.^[3] It does not calculate natural minerals, such as zinc oxide, towards the organic percentage of a product, as the standard was heavily adapted off of existing organic agricultural standards.^{[clarification needed][22][2][23]}

Natrue was created in 2007. The first Natrue labelled product launched in 2009. There are now over 7,000 Natrue certified products.^[24] The standard is for natural and organic cosmetics.

Certified organic sunscreens or products must comply with certifiers 'green list' of ingredients that are considered safe and represent their organic standard.^[25] Ingredients that are not permitted generally include: silicones, parabens, microplastics, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colorants, petrochemicals and certain preservatives such as phenoxyethanol.^[25][26] As well as contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, PCBs, radiation,^[27] mycotoxins, nitrates, nitrosamines.^[13]

Major organic certifiers prohibit animal testing for the product to carry their label^[28] and European certifiers generally require the ingredients to be non-GMO.^[25][26] Organic certifiers do not allow the use of synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers in the production of certified organic ingredients.^[13] Cross contamination^[29] has been citied as a major cause of benzene contamination in sunscreens, and organic production practices typically prohibit this practice by requiring organic only production facilities.^[30] Reported^[31] cases of benzene contamination^[32] have resulted in sunscreen recalls^[33] initiated by regulators such as the TGA^[34] and FDA or voluntarily by the brand.^[35] Other reasons why the contamination likely occurred was the degradation of benzene-based (hydrocarbon) ingredients,^[36] such as petrochemical UV filters^[37] or from supply chain neglect.^[38] Most notably Valisure, an independent Connecticut based laboratory, found benzene contamination in products such as sunscreen, deodorant, and hand sanitiser resulting in over 25 million products being recalled in the US since 2019.^{[39][clarification needed]}

Certified organic and natural UV protectors Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, "TiO2 and ZnO[,] represent the only effective alternatives to ultraviolet (UV) filters of petrochemical origin regarding photoprotection, and they contribute significantly to the safety of consumers who use them."^[3]

Certified Organic Sunscreen bans the use of all petrochemicals active ingredients that are generally regarded as harmful to the environment such as Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Octinoxate.^[40] Avobenzone, for example, is one of the most frequently used UV filters on the market and ^[41][42] has been shown to cause damage to marine ecosystems such as coral reefs and harm marine life.^{[43][41][10][44][45]} Avobenzone has also been shown to absorb into the bloodstream after application in an FDA funded study.^[46] Oxybenzone and Octinoxate were also both banned in Hawaii over studies showing toxicity towards marine life.^[47]