"Natural cosmetics" is not a legally protected term, so there are no uniform standards. Natural cosmetics are usually those that do not contain synthetically produced ingredients such as silicone oil and paraffin.

As genuine natural cosmetics are free from preservatives, they have a shorter shelf life than conventional cosmetics. Products with natural ingredients should be kept refrigerated. As a rule, you can recognise that cosmetics have expired when fatty substances and water-containing substances separate from each other or when they start to smell rancid.
Cosmetics containing olive oil, almond oil, rose oil or lavender oil have a longer shelf life.

Chemical processes are necessary to produce cosmetics, even in the case of genuine natural cosmetics. Creams and lotions are made up of fats and water, which cannot be combined without emulsifiers (solubilisers). In conventional cosmetics, synthetically produced mineral oils are used as emulsifiers; in genuine natural cosmetics, lanolin or lecithin is used.