That difference changes how ingredients are evaluated.

Not every exceptional ingredient is certified.
Not every certified ingredient is exceptional.

At Gladiateur Beauty™, we don’t outsource judgment to logos. We use certification as evidence, not as a personality trait — and we hold every ingredient to a higher, internally enforced standard before it ever earns a place in a formula.

What certification actually does

Certification systems exist to create guardrails.

They define:

• What ingredients are allowed

• How they can be processed

• Which environmental and safety rules must be followed

When used correctly, certifications like COSMOS provide a strong, globally recognized framework for clean beauty. They help eliminate harmful practices, restrict problematic chemistry, and improve transparency across the supply chain.

That matters.
But it’s not the full story.

Where certification stops short

Certification is not a quality verdict — and it was never designed to be.

Most certifications:

• Apply at the ingredient level, not the finished formula

• Depend on supplier audits, not performance testing

• Can lag behind innovation in biotech and green chemistry

• Favor what is easy to classify, not always what performs best on skin

In short, a stamp or logo can confirm compliance.
It can’t tell you whether an ingredient is well chosen.

Our standard of proof

This is where Gladiateur Beauty™ diverges.

Before certification is even considered, every ingredient is evaluated through our internal framework:

• Origin — where it comes from and how it’s produced

• Processing — what’s done to it (and what isn’t)

• Function — its actual purpose in the formula

• Skin response — performance, tolerance, and long-term use

• Transparency — documentation, traceability, and honesty

Certification strengthens trust after those standards are met — not before.

The Hierarchy of Purity™

To make that process visible, we built the Hierarchy of Purity™.

It’s not a badge system.
It’s a ranking of ingredient origin and integrity — designed to show why something qualifies, not just who signed off on it.

At the top:

• Organic agricultural ingredients (when applicable)

Followed by:

• COSMOS-approved clean ingredients

• Bio-Based & Biotech ingredients created through green chemistry

• Naturally Derived ingredients allowed under clean-beauty standards

Each tier exists for a reason.
Each one earns its place.

The Hierarchy governs formulation decisions across the brand — regardless of what logo appears on the label.

How we use certification — intentionally

We reference certification when it adds clarity.
We ignore it when it adds noise.

• COSMOS is our primary clean-beauty benchmark

• ECOCERT is listed when relevant for recognition and transparency

• Organic certification is prioritized for oils and botanicals

• Bio-Based and Biotech ingredients are evaluated for sustainability, purity, and performance — even when farming-based certification isn’t possible

This allows us to build formulas that are:

• Scientifically sound

• Environmentally responsible

• Honest about tradeoffs

• Uncompromising in execution

No greenwashing.
No mandatory sticker collection.

What this means for you

You don’t need to memorize certification acronyms.
You don’t need to chase paperwork across ingredient lists.

We’ve already done the work — and we show our work.

Every ingredient profile includes:

• Its certification category (where applicable)

• Its functional role in the formula

• A clear path to the Hierarchy of Purity™ for full context

Because informed customers don’t need promises.
They need proof — and peace of mind.

Explore further

• Organic vs. Naturally Derived vs. Clean

• The Hierarchy of Purity™ FAQ

• Glossary

Soft on skin. Savage on standards.