We get it. It can feel overwhelming when faced with cosmetic products and all their different characteristics and functions. But we want to make it easier for you. That’s why we’ve created a guide featuring our most common cosmetic claims.

For cosmetic brands owned by any of the H&M Group brands, this is how we define vegan and natural claims.

When we claim “vegan” on H&M Group’s own cosmetic product, this means that the formula does not contain any ingredient with animal origin, for example beeswax, the colorant carmine or xanthan gum using animal products in its manufacturing process. For information on animal testing see H&M Group’s animal testing ban.

“Vegan” is used on H&M Group’s own cosmetic products to help the customer make an informed decision selecting a formula not containing any ingredients with animal origin. Vegan cosmetic ingredients can be both natural or synthetic. We do not use “vegan” to state or imply that the formula has a positive or no impact on the environment or is less damaging to the environment than other formulas.

When we claim “natural” or “natural origin” on H&M Group’s own cosmetic products, it means that we follow guidelines and methods from ISO 16128 for cosmetic ingredients. ISO 16128 is an international standard for natural and organic cosmetics. In accordance with the standard, a “natural ingredient” is unchanged from its natural state and a “naturally derived ingredient” has a natural source but has undergone some processing. If processed, the ingredient must retain more than 50% of its original natural structure. For example, a coconut can become both a natural ingredient and naturally derived ingredients, meaning that they will receive different natural origin percentage. H&M Group’s own cosmetic products communicate the percentage of natural origin ingredients per product.

The ”percentage of natural origin ingredients” is used on H&M Group’s own cosmetic products to help the customer make an informed-decision selecting a formula with a high concentration of natural origin. Synthetic ingredients can be included in the formula. We do not use “natural or natural origin %” to state or imply that the formula has a positive or no impact on the environment or is less damaging to the environment than other formulas.