How to prepare your application for the Nordic Swan Ecolabelling of cosmetic products

What is important to know when applying for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and how to prepare your application and documentation so that it is as complete as possible when you apply. Get help and an overview on this page.

We recommend that you review and prepare the following points to ensure that your application for certification of cosmetic products with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel is as complete as possible when you submit it.

The processing time for a new application depends on how complete the application and documentation are at the time of application.

In general, you can expect it to take between 3-6 months to have your products or service certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

Download fact sheet on cosmetic products and application process

Points that are important to keep in mind:

Raw materials
Ask the raw material supplier to fill in Appendix 2 for each raw material, including alternative raw materials. Check that the chemicals do not have classifications and substances that are not accepted.
Packaging
Fill in declarations from your packaging supplier in Appendix 4-5, including material specifications. Make a WUR calculation for your packaging.
Environmental calculations
Make calculations for environmentally hazardous substances, aNBO, anNBO, CDV as well as biodegradability and acquatic toxicity, according to requirements O17 – O20.
Supply Chain polity and Code of Conduct
See requirement O3.
Fragrance according to IFRA
Fill in raw material appendix 2, MSDS and perfume specifications from fragrance manufacturers, maximum permitted allergens and H317/H334 are 100 ppm for rinse off and 10 ppm for leave-on. See requirements O9-11.
Procedures
To ensure that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel requirements are met, you must implement and describe procedures for traceability and how customer complaints are handled.

Fees

The application fee is EUR 3,348 and includes up to 4 formulations. For the review of additional formulations, there is a charge of EUR 836.

For other cases, a fixed fee is charged according to the time taken. An inspection visit to the manufacturing site is included when applying for a new or renewed licence. If the factory is located outside the Nordic region, there is an additional cost of EUR 1,673 – 2,790. There is no limit to the number of products that can be added to a licence.

Find the fees here

Renewal of cosmetic products

Get an overview of the application process for renewal of cosmetic products with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Find guidance and relevant documents.

Get ready for your application in three steps

Follow these three steps when preparing your application and read the instructions in each document carefully. Our certification team is ready to help you through the process.

Read the criteria document ...

... explaining the requirements for a Nordic Swan Ecolabel cosmetic product.

Check your formulation ...

... to make sure it meets our chemical requirements. Collect ecotox data and DID numbers for each raw material (Material safety datasheet, Appendix 2, etc.).

The DID list contains information on the toxicity and degradability of a range of substances.

Collect technical data on your packaging to ensure that it meets the packaging requirements. You can find below documents under "Application tools" on the criteria page.

Calculation sheet – foam soap
Calculation sheet – rinse off
Calculation sheet – leave on
DID list 2023
Writable declarations
WUR and emptying levels

Collect and upload documentation ...

... for all requirements when you know that the formulation can be approved. Upload the documentation to the file exchange system on Sharepoint.

Once most of the documentation is uploaded and you feel ready, you can submit your application in our application portal, where you choose whether it is a new application, extension or renewal.

We process all data in accordance with strict confidentiality requirements in compliance with ISO 14024.