Apply for Certification for Personal Care Products

Certification is a five-step process.

An application is available for download here

Audit Protocol

1. Review Natural Product Association Natural Standard and Certification Program materials. Become familiar with the NPA Natural Standard to determine if all product ingredients are from natural renewable sources (flora, fauna, mineral), are free of prohibited substances, and have been manufactured using only allowed ecological processes listed in the NPA Natural Standard.
2. Submit Application. Complete the application and all other related documents. The application must be complete and include payment before a product will be sent to the third-party auditor for review. A complete application must include the following applicant information: the completed Application, the signed Natural Personal Care Certification Program Agreement a Site Quality Summary for each manufacturing site, a Company Product Matrix, and the Company Product Lines Worksheet. The application packet must also include the following documentation for each product: a copy of the product label; product certification matrix, quantitative formula (raw material breakdown); ingredient documentation including tech/spec sheets, MSDS, COAs and product and/or manufacturing instructions where appropriate; citations of regulatory status for color additives; a signed affidavit attesting to their compliance with existing federal and state laws and regulations; and additional documents as requested by NPA or the auditor. An officer of the company should sign the Natural Personal Care Certification Program Agreement. The Natural Products Association and auditing company will sign a confidentiality agreement, if requested.
3. Audit Review Goal. The goal of the review is to confirm compliance of the product to the Natural Standard and assign a percent (%) natural to each product reviewed for the Natural Certification Program. The audit is based on a review of the product and ingredient documentation and therefore the documentation must be comprehensive and complete. The auditors may request additional information from companies to verify products and ingredients do not contain prohibited substances and are manufactured using only the allowed ecological processes identified in the NPA Natural Standard.
4. Third-Party Audit Review. During the audit process, auditors will review all pertinent product and ingredient documentation. If there are outstanding issues with the product, the auditor will notify NPA and NPA will contact the company. The company will address outstanding issues and submit necessary documentation to NPA that confirms that appropriate action has been taken. Once outstanding issues have been addressed, the auditor will complete a review report utilizing Natural Products Association's audit report protocol. Compliance and deficiencies will be evaluated based on the Natural Products Association Standard and Certification Program for Natural Personal Care Products requirements. The completed review report and level of compliance (recorded as "% Natural") to the Standard will be forwarded to the Natural Products Association. NPA will review the report and, if the product is at least 95 percent natural based on the audit report findings, will certify the product for two years.
5. Certification and Use of seal. The Natural Products Association will issue a certificate for each product certified Natural under the NPA Natural Program and post the name of the product on the NPA Natural Webpage. The association will make high-resolution copies of the seal available to those firms meeting the standard. The seal will be used in accord with the terms of use. Firms will notify the Natural Products Association in writing of the products and the representative batch/lot or identifying code which are incorporating the seal within fifteen (15) business days of the product and its representative batch/lot or identifying code being marketed.

An application is available for download here