What AIAB Certification Means

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The short answer. Most Lakshmi products are certified to an Italian standard called AIAB Bio Eco Cosmesi. AIAB is an Italian association that writes the standard. An independent certification body, QCertificazioni, part of the Bureau Veritas Italia group, audits us against it. It is an Italian standard for natural and organic cosmetics, and it is not the same thing as USDA certified organic.

Who AIAB is

AIAB stands for Associazione Italiana per l'Agricoltura Biologica, the Italian Association for Organic Agriculture. It is a private Italian association that promotes organic farming. Neither Italian nor EU law defines what makes a cosmetic "organic," so associations like AIAB published their own written standards to fill that gap. AIAB's standard for cosmetics is called Bio Eco Cosmesi.

Who actually does the audit

AIAB writes the standard. It does not certify us itself. Our certification is issued and audited by QCertificazioni, an Italian certification body in the Bureau Veritas Italia group. Lakshmi has been certified to Bio Eco Cosmesi since 2008.

AIAB identification code: CA ITA 100052
Certificate of conformity: no. 015/CA/2015
Valid through: June 14, 2027

What the standard actually requires

Bio Eco Cosmesi looks at the formula, the production process, and the packaging. To carry the mark, a product must:

use raw materials from organic agriculture;
contain no raw materials AIAB classifies as "at risk," meaning potentially allergenic or irritant, or with evidence of probable harm to human health;
contain no materials AIAB classifies as non-ecological, in the product or in the packaging;
use packaging with low environmental impact.

Compliance is verified by audit rather than self-declared.

Is this the same as USDA certified organic?

No, and we do not claim that it is. In the United States, the FDA regulates cosmetics and has no definition of the word "organic" at all. The term is governed by the USDA National Organic Program, which certifies agricultural products. Lakshmi is not certified under the USDA National Organic Program. Our products are made in Italy and certified in Italy, to the Italian standard described above.

If a US certification is a hard requirement for your shelf or your treatment menu, tell us early and we will be straight with you about what we hold and what we do not.

Why some products carry the mark and some do not

Certification is granted per product, not per brand, which is why we do not describe the whole line as certified. Every formula is assessed on its own ingredients.

One product in our US range, the NETRA Eye Mask Gel Lift, is intentionally not AIAB certified. Two of its ingredients, sodium acetylated hyaluronate and dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, are not eligible under the standard. The missing mark on that carton is deliberate, not an oversight. The other products in our US catalog carry the certification.

Check it yourself

We would rather you verify this than take our word for it.

Still have a question about our certifications? Wholesale partners can write to wholesale@lakshmi-usa.com and we will send the certificates themselves.