Eco-Friendly Mama: Safe product recommendations with a focus on organic and Made in USA!

Approved Brands

 I’m a label-reading mama on a mission to find the safest products on the market, for my family & yours! To read about how I decide what goes where on my rating list, please read this info: https://ecofriendlyusa.wordpress.com/product-reviews/how-i-decide-what-to-recommend-please-read-1st/. Please check out my So-So & Not Recommended/Greenwashers lists also!

**I’ve had people ask me to make this info into a pamphlet/book. My take on that is this: as soon as something gets written down it runs the risk of becoming inaccurate due to new formulas, etc. And with everyone having phones these days, I feel keeping these lists here is the best way to keep the info readily accessible. I’m 100% okay with these lists being FREE, I do not expect anything for them. I truly enjoy sharing my opinion on what products are great, or not so great. When you do purchase from the handful of brands that I’m an affiliate of, I appreciate you using my links (they are noted below). All that being said, if you truly value these resources and have a few extra bucks you feel like donating, I would be flattered, and appreciative of your donation. Enough people have asked that I felt like adding those details here is in order. My PayPal is: ecofriendlymamausa@gmail.com. My Venmo is @Jessica-Brandt-56 (last 4 digits of my phone are 1282 if it asks). And for real, I do NOT expect anything in return for me sharing my thoughts with you.

BEST OF THE BEST

**Formulas can change overnight. If you find any of the following to be inaccurate, let me know and I’ll immediately look into and update it accordingly.

–Badger Balm http://www.badgerbalm.com/ USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: New Hampshire     Updated: 12/12/2023

Their mission: “We are inspired to make healing products and run a healthy business where money is the fuel and not the goal, where fun is encouraged, and where we cultivate good through our actions and advocacy. Back in 1995, Bill and Katie started hand filling tins of the original Badger Balm in their kitchen. 25 years later, Badger makes over 100 products, has over 90 employees, and is sold in 20 countries. Still family owned and operated, the company is now led by second-generation family owners.”

Products include: sunscreens, bug repellents, intensive moisturizers, face care, lip balms, baby care, wellness & aromatherapy, hair care, shaving & grooming. There are approximately 60 that re USDA certified organic! Mostly a wide variety of balms, something for just about everything you could imagine! I love that they have the website broken down into Specialty categories such as: USDA certified organic, Unscented, Vegan, Gluten Free, Fair Trade, Rose Beauty, Balms in Tins. That helps make it easy to navigate, someone like me goes straight to the USDA organic tab and has it all listed there!

Personal experience: I’ve used their sunscreen since it’s readily available at my local food co-op, it’s a great, safe option for sure. It’s what I’ll be taking to Belize with us this coming January. I can’t say I’ve used any of their other products. In browsing now, I see several products I’d like to try. I’m a HUGE fan of anything rose, so am intrigued by their Rose Beauty Balm, Cleansing Oil and Rose Face Oil.

Overall, I think this company has a great website, wonderful mission, is family-owned with a lot of USDA certified organic products to offer. It’s not a one-stop shop, but for sunscreen, and any balmy-type skin care product, they’re a great option!

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–Bubble & Bee   http://www.bubbleandbee.com USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: Utah   UPDATED 12/13/2023

About: We make everything in our own USDA certified organic processing facility in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. By manufacturing in-house we know exactly what’s going in our products and can ship out in small, fresh batches. When you order, you can be sure that everything was made, labeled, and shipped out by a real person. Like many other companies, this one was started as a result of a health crisis. From Stephanie:” I started this company out of my own need for “clean” products. Battling hormone imbalances, I needed products I could trust weren’t going to mess with my hormones. So many chemicals in personal care products are xenoestrogens that raise our own estrogen and mimic it. I’m passionate about formulating products that are safe, effective, and as organic as possible.”

Product categories include: Deodorant (in several forms), facial care, toothpaste, bar soap, shampoo, shower gels, foaming hand soap, insect repellent, lip balm, lotions (body butters, lotion bar and lotion stick), salt scrub, bubble bath, soap nuts. Many of the products are VERY basic, like a face cream that has 3 ingredients: organic shea butter, rosehip seed oil, and Vitamin E. For those people that believe the fewer ingredients, the better, this is a great line for you to check out: organic, safe, effective, minimal!

Some things I appreciate about the offerings: trial sizes available for some products so you can see what works! As someone who has hard well water, I absolutely know it affects results. So I appreciate on her shampoo page she says if you have soft water, choose the shampoo, for hard water choose head-to-toe washes. Her toothpaste comes in a class jar with a little bamboo scoop, much like the paste I make myself. So, it’s something that would take a little time to get used to if you’re used to squeezing from a tube. But personally, I always prefer glass packaging to plastic.

Personally, I have not tried anything from this brand. But I can say that I have confidence that there is nothing concerning in any products offered. It has been on my Approved list for many years, and absolutely deserves to stay there. I know customer service is huge to all of us, so I really appreciate this offer from Stephanie: ”To this day, I insist on being in direct contact with our customers and always being available to answer questions about our products.”  Being able to ask questions from the owner and product formulator of a company is a huge bonus, and increasingly rare!! Over the past decade I have referenced Stephanie’s Blog numerous times. I absolutely trust her research to be thorough and accurate. It used to be Chemical of the Day (you’ll see me reference it many times in my older posts), now it’s titled The Honey. And I will absolutely be spending a lot of time reading her blog posts there as I truly value her opinion as a staunch organic products/ingredients advocate!

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-Chagrin Valley-  https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/  USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Based in: OH         ADDED 3/23/2024

It’s so refreshing to be met with the USDA Certified Organic Seal as soon as I start looking at products. And indeed, each & every product I look at contains minimal, effective ingredients, selected for their known benefits in each formula. I did not see a single ingredient of concern in my book. In my opinion, you don’t need a bazillion ingredients to target each skin ‘problem’, a few great ingredients can have the same effect. Just about everything is in glass packaging, which I love. Some have raised concerns about use in a shower however, when you’re wet and things can become slippery. But from experience, most of the glass used in this type of packaging is quite durable!

I went to their ‘About’ page and absolutely love what I see! I think we can all use this reminder as to WHY certified organic products offer extra peace of mind.

Organic certification provides you with transparency, accountability and a guarantee:

• that the product ingredients were produced without the use of toxic pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), sewage sludge, or irradiation

• that assures you that your skincare products are free of the harsh synthetic chemicals often used in the skincare industry

• that the raw ingredients and finished products are handled, packaged, and distributed according to the rules of USDA Organic Certification without risk of contamination

They have a Product Knowledge Base Link that is FULL of great information to help you narrow down your options. You can also shop by Vegan, Coconut-Free, Shea Butter-Free, Tree Nut-Free, Gluten-Free!! With Hair Care (numerous shampoo bar options), Deodorant, Facial Care, Seasonal, Men, Bath & Body, Baby, Pets even, numerous bar soaps & salves, this is a very reasonably priced line that absolutely should be on the radar of any organic-loving consumer, like me. They even do a rewards points program, which helps save money. And many of their offerings are available via Mountain Rose Herbs, so if you’re placing an order from them, it would be a great time to check out this brand as well! This is a great fit for my Approved List!

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–Dr. Bronner– http://www.drbronner.com/          USDA/OTCO CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: CA      UPDATED 12/14/2023

I debated moving this to my So-So list because there are a few ingredients I don’t like, and I still cannot recommend Sals Suds (I noted my recommendation of this brand for everything but Sals Suds in my initial publishing of my Approved list). I like to be able to recommend brands without exception, but overall, the majority of the products offered are very “clean”, and I also appreciate that this brand is readily available in most marketplaces, so I decided to keep them on my Approved list. I like that they offer carton refills, which is something I’d love to see more brands offer as an eco-friendly option!

Renowned for their quality, versatility and eco-friendliness. Offerings include: Soaps & Sanitizers, Chocolate, lotions & balms, Hair Care, Home & Laundry, Toothpaste, Coconut Oil. I see nothing of concern in any products EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING: Sals Suds has Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which has strong evidence of being a human irritant. It also has Sodium Coco Sulfate, and Sodium Benzoate. I do really love that they link to Ingredient Disclosure sheets, as well as safety data sheet (for Sals Suds there is a 14pg document). I place so much value on full transparency so everyone can decide for themselves what their comfort level is. A couple of the liquid and bar soaps contain Benzyl Alcohol (Almond, Cherry Blossom) which gets a 4-6 via EWG. This ingredient’s score is higher if used in products intended for use around mouth due to increased risk of ingestion and absorption. Strong evidence that it is associated with immunotoxicity or allergies.

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–Earth Mama Angel Baby– http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/  USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: Oregon  UPDATED 12/19/2023

Natural and organic products for mama, baby, pregnancy, labor, postpartum, breastfeeding and gifts. They offer soaps, lotion, tea, suncare, personal care, eczema relief, deodorant. You can shop for gifts for: baby shower, pregnancy, new mama, baby loss. Their motto: Earth Mama truly is For Everyone and Their Mother®. Earth Mama’s Core Beliefs: do no harm, nature is our pharmacy, education empowers, honor the body’s ingenuity, mamas need one another.

Okay, let’s look at some of those products. I usually start with zeroing in on lotion when a company offers it. I feel like they give you a good sense for what they company is offering. A few basic offerings in the lotion department: lavender, non-scented, sweet orange baby lotion, eczema cream and belly lotion. They also offer several balms such as for nipple, face/nose/cheek, as well as sunscreen. One thing I noticed in reading the ingredient labels is nothing that stood out as a traditional preservative on the lotion labels. Which I found especially interesting since you can find this brand on Amazon, which usually means products are sitting around somewhere a bit longer than with small businesses who don’t use harsh preservatives but are making fresh batches and directly shipping them to the consumer.

I’m used to seeing ingredients like Organic Rosemary Extract and Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate (Kimchi Seaweed) used to preserve natural/organic lotions I’m familiar with and use myself. So I wrote in to their contact email to inquire. This was the response: “Earth Mama lotions are preserved using alcohol extracts of organic herbs. The ingredients that reflect that are the Calendula Flower Extract and Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos) Extract. You can learn more about it in the following blog post: https://earthmamaorganics.com/blogs/news/earth-mamas-take-on-preservatives-detergents-and-reformulations-oh-my. So, I did learn something new, which I always appreciate!

In addition to caring about what ingredients are being used, I always like to know what companies are doing about environmental concerns. More and more consumers want plastic-free options, or at least to know companies are aware of their impact there. Earth Mama is plastic-neutral certified, they have this pledge: removing as much plastic from nature as used by our company. You can read about it more on their site. I do recommend purchasing straight from the vendor whenever possible. Or looking locally if you have a health food type store. My local food co-op carries several EMAB products! But I also know many of you appreciate the ease of ordering via Amazon. So, I’m going to leave a referral link to EMAB products here, if you start with this link and purchase, I’ll earn a couple percent back. https://amzn.to/479Uz7q

In conclusion, I feel confident about recommending this as a safe option for your family. Especially those who are pregnant or new Mamas, this brand is for you! When I look at the ingredients selected I see a commitment to organic, natural, minimal but effective ingredients.

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–Honey Girl Organics– https://honeygirlorganics.com/
Based in: HI                                             ADDED on 2/28/24

They list the 5 products which are NOT certified organic, and in those I see 1 ingredient in 1 product that is on my To Be Avoided List: Grapefruit Seed Extract in the face scrub (read a summary of the concerns here). This was their response to me expressing that concern, and I do feel they have a valid point: “We are aware that this GSE is a less than ideal ingredient. However, given the combination of Aloe butter and sugar we needed a natural preservative to help keep the integrity of the product intact.  Since the GSE is in our Facial Scrub, it gets rinsed/wiped off quickly, so absorption is minimal unlike if it were to be in the Rejuvenating Mask.” I have never seen Diatomaceous Earth in skin care products for humans (I see it in pet products), but the only real concern I see for it is if it was dry, inhalation is not good. But in a face mask and scrub, I could find nothing pointing to it being concerning. The 5 products that are not certified out of the entire line are:  The Protect Stick features 80% organic & wild-crafted ingredients, 20% Zinc oxide. The Foaming Facial Wash contains 70%+ organic ingredients. After Sun Face & Body Lotion contains 70% organic ingredients. And the Facial Scrub and Rejuvenating Mask contains 100% natural ingredients. I appreciate that they made this info readily available, full disclosure is deeply appreciated and I didn’t have to dig for it! I dislike caveats, I prefer to be able to approve of every, single product that the Best of the Best brands are offering. But I do list other exceptions for brands like Dr. Bronner’s for example (I don’t recommend Sals Suds from them). I’m going to write to Honey Girl with the concerns over GSE and see if they are aware of those!

Products offered include a great-looking line of facial care (again, just check the ingredients in the scrub): face wash, scrub, toner, various creams. $52 for an 8oz lotion bottle, but it IS certified organic. Certified lotions are pretty hard to find because while many brands use organic ingredients as a base, the emulsifier equals more than 5% of the formula and throws it out of that 95%+ organic ratio. That being said, I do find it interesting that the combo of ingredients makes for a good lotion. It seems like it would be more like a salve. I’d love to try it, but no way am I springing for that price tag. If anyone has tried it I’d love to know! The face creams all look really, really good! Most products contain the same base of: Purified Water, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Honey PLUS a variety of essential oils to target specific concerns.

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–Just Skin Food- http://www.justskinfood.com/ USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: Cape May, NJ   UPDATE 12/20/2023: I went to their website and it has this message: We are making changes and almost done! Please come back soon! So I will keep an eye on it and revisit the brand when the site is back up!

There are numerous things I love about this line—both the products themselves & the true eco-friendly aspect of the business practices. Just Skin Food offers a fabulous selection of herbal salves, body butters, bar soaps, essential oils, skincare oils, lotion bars, body scrubs & flower essences. You will not find a SINGLE plastic product in her packaging, which makes me so very happy! Everything comes in glass or a stainless steel tin. Details like this show me Just Skin Food definitely deserves a spot on my best-of-the-best list: “Even our inside seals are made from certified unbleached chlorine free paper. We do not like to use any kind of sealer that requires heat transfer of glue or plastic.” Homeopathy is more than my life’s work, it is my passion! I first fell in love with homeopathy while studying abroad in Florence, Italy when I was just a teenager. Since then, I have furthered my education in the field, worked as a Classical Homeopath and Bach Flower Essence Practitioner, and continued studies in Natural Medicine and Holistic Healing and Herbology. Considering my holistic approach to health and skin care, bringing Just Skin Food to life was a natural evolution. It began with a simple line of Herbal Healing Skin Salves for clients, family and friends. But little did we know, there was much more to come. While my clients were on their holistic path to healing, their use of standard beauty products was counter-intuitive. Knowing that, they wanted products that would enhance their outer beauty while keeping in harmony with their inner journey of healing. With this in mind, we developed more holistic products to help them on this journey. Thanks to them, we continually evolve”. My review of some products: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2014/04/24/just-skin-food-review/

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–Moon Valley Organics- https://www.moonvalleyorganics.com/.  USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: Washington                               UPDATED 1/7/2024

Categories of products include: lip care, hair care, relieve, moisturize, cleanse, apiary and gifts/collections.  Mission: to harness the potent vitality of organic botanicals. From their website: “In 1998, Moon Valley was conceived out of a passion to live ethically and sustainably. Today that enthusiasm carries forth from our certified organic, permaculture farm and embraces traditional knowledge from our family of artisan farmers, herbalists and beekeepers. Each element coming together to create amazing products made from the best things on Earth! Our design, research, production, and sales teams are an assembly of strong local community organizers, artists, parents, entrepreneurs, activists, engineers, doctors, herbalists, and farmers dedicated to living in and creating a more sustainable, wholesome world. Our products are developed with the intention to nourish and heal your body, mind, and spirit, as well as to care for the Earth.”

I love how most companies I look at have a passion for certain, different things. While all can unite in their passion for organic ingredients, there’s generally a different reason for that. For this company, their passion is:  “expand pollinator habitat and work towards a pesticide-free future. Moon Valley Organics goal is to support organic farms and the people who farm on them by providing a source for high quality, organic personal care products that promote a healthy way of caring for our bodies and the world. We believe in using simple ingredients from our farm, packaged in environmentally friendly containers, free of any artificial ingredients. We start by following the highest organic standards and by creating a 4-acre pollinator sanctuary on our own farm. We are committed to self-sustaining and eco-friendly lifestyle and we carry that belief into our business practices.”

In the years I’ve offered the buying club, many of you have ordered some of these products from Mountain Rose Herbs (another option for trying some items out if you don’t have a $70+ order directly for free shipping). I have tried several of the lip balms when ordering from MRH myself, and really enjoyed them. They’re very yummy flavors, and go on a bit creamier. They feel less waxy than some other brands I’ve tried. For hair care they offer shampoo bars and a couple of hair oils that are loaded with organic, beneficial ingredients. I really like what I see in terms of ingredients selected for all products! There are several ointment type products for various ailments, and all are loaded with wonderful organic ingredients from healing plants. They also offer foaming hand soaps with refill pouches, and body wash. In the apiary category they have super cute honey jars and really lovely gift sets! One thing I noticed is their hand soap has water as the 1^st ingredient, yet no preservative listed (Purified Water, Moon Valley Organic Calendula, and Moon Valley Organic Comfrey infused in oils of Organic Coconut and Organic Sunflower, Potassium Hydroxide*, Organic Castor oil + EO’s for scent). I wrote in to inquire and was told this: “The reason we do not use a preservative in our foaming liquid soap is because of the higher PH value in this product which doesn’t allow for mold and bacteria to grow. Yet, it’s not too high as to irritate the skin.” I was told this optimal PH is 8.5. Moon Valley has been on my Best of the Best list for many years now, and it deserves to remain here! I love their safe, effective, organic ingredient selections, and their dedication to pollinators!

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–Motherlove: https://www.motherlove.com/                               USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: CO                            UPDATED 2/20/24

I’m happy to have another brand listed in my Best of the Best portion of my Approved list. I moved them up from the bottom (Good, but not Best) portion due to the fact that they became USDA certified organic. They join the likes of Earth Mama Angel Baby as an option for those of you currently pregnant or recently postpartum and/or breastfeeding. They offer basic products for those categories, with minimal, effective, almost exclusively organic ingredients (other than apricot oil I see in a few products).

As someone who grew up in a small family-owned business, I love that the company is Mom-founded and now daughter-run. Their products are available in the United States, Canada, and many other countries across the globe (20 countries!!) Also on Amazon, Target.com, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and many other retailers. That makes me happy as it can be hard to find safe, organic products on store shelves sometimes. They explain this: Even though you’ll see our herbal remedies on the shelves of the nation’s biggest retailers, our family still makes our products the old-fashioned way, with love, from our family to yours. Some of their core values, as listed on their website: Remedies that raise moms up. Empowering moms with organic herbal products for all stages of motherhood- from bump to birth, breastfeeding and baby.

Many salve-type products: nipple cream, pregnant belly salve, c-section cream, diaper balm, everyday baby balm, Mom’s bottom balm, baby hand & knee, green salve, a few oils and sprays, and then several supplements in capsule and tincture form. Note, I generally shy away from sharing my thoughts on supplements or other products that are ingested. From what I can see, those contain all organic herbs, but I’m just not positive about the non-herbal additives like: modified vegetable cellulose, medium-chain triglycerides (derived from palm kernel oil). There may be better options out there, I’m just not sure, so do your research on those, or turn to your trusted source for supplement advice, that is not my area. Many bundles available for easy gift-giving, and free shipping on all orders $49+.

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—Nature’s Brands      https://www.naturesbrands.com          USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Based in: TN                               ADDED 12/16/2024

This company offers a huge selection of USDA certified organic products including personal care, supplements, and herbal remedies. I love that for many products I looked at, such as face creams, you can choose between an organic option, or natural. For some who are on super tight budgets, the price tag that comes with purchasing USDA certified organic products is a bit too hefty. But those people should still be able to have safe product options, and I saw no ingredients of concern in the natural options offered. In fact, even the natural line still is full or organic ingredients. I also love that for many products I looked at, in addition to choosing the size of the bottle or jar you wanted, you could also choose plastic or glass (for more $$ of course). Options are great!

Note: I do not evaluate supplements or herbal remedies, or anything that leans towards medical advice. But I love what I’m seeing from this brand overall and urge you to check those categories out on your own.

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—Ola Organics by Dr. Mercola             ADDED 3/19/2024

https://www.mercolamarket.com/pages/personal-care    USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC

I have to say, I click around a LOT of websites for this project, and they each have their quirks. But this website is absolutely, positively maddening. It is so difficult to find the ingredient lists. There is an information overload with everything but the ingredients which is the 1st thing I want to see. I did a combo of magnifying the back of the products from the picture views, or you will see a link to the product label. But the labels are very hard to read. It was a very, very frustrating experience. BUT, I see no ingredients of concern in anything listed under the Ola Organics label. I do see shampoo and conditioner listed with a Dr. Mercola label, they contain potassium sorbate and I quit looking after that as they are all listed as out of stock. So I’m thinking maybe those are going to be reformulated and moved to the Ola line too possibly. But, from what I can see, just about every product carries the USDA certified organic logo and is full of great ingredients. The toothpaste does not have the seal, it does have Lauryl Glucoside but that’s different than SLS and I see minimal concerns in it, and the rest of the ingredients in the paste look great. But for sure, by far, the most frustrating user-experience ever. I’m so glad to move on to the next company now 🙂 And I only looked at the personal care tab, I can’t vouch for anything else offered by this brand.

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–Poofy Organics –  https://poofyorganics.com/?ref=ecofriendlyusa     USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: New Jersey            UPDATED 1/2/2024

Mission: is to provide the most effective & safest products at affordable prices! At this time there are~130 products that are USDA certified organic. With hundreds of products, just about everything you could need for personal care and home is available (auto dish detergent is currently in development then I truly feel it will be a one-stop shop)! LOTS to choose from, including bath & body, cosmetics, essential oils & blends, facial care, hair care, home, lip balm & oral care, lashes, supplements, products for men, travel sizes!

I’ve been a Guide with Poofy Organics for over a decade now! I fell in love with the products and commitment to organic ingredients when I began my mission looking for the safest products on the market at the beginning of my blogging journey (around 2011 when my son was born). So I have a lot of personal knowledge for this brand. Out of all brands I’ve ever looked at, Poofy stands out in every area as offering the very best options. Whenever I do a product specific list like laundry options for example, Poofy consistently has the very safest option and the most organic ingredients used. It is very easy to see why they are THE best-of-the-best if you look at as many companies as I have over the years!

There is no company on the market, that I’m aware of, that is making more products that are USDA certified organic, across numerous categories. And that is something to be hugely proud of! Here is a link to the huge list of products that are certified. https://poofyorganics.com/userfiles/b54b75e7-cb69-42ad-bd12-d5f985abd9a4/PoofyOrganicsUSDACertification1-3-2023.pdf

1st time customers can use this code for 10% off that order: ECOFRIENDLYMAMA10

After that, I offer a 5% rebate on every order after that! Send me an email to learn how that works!

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–Vermont Organic Soap-  http://vermontsoap.com/ USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Based in: Vermont                     UPDATED: 1/3/2024

Some background info from their website home page: “The highest quality natural soaps and cleaners, produced the right way. Safe, sustainable and effective organic products for your body, pets, and home. Our process is about making the right choices to deliver better products. Organic before pesticides; botanicals instead of artificial; reusable over disposable. We believe in big-picture thinking and socially responsible business practices, including the ways we source, produce and package our products.”

Offerings include: Bar soap, organic body wash, castile liquid soap, foaming soap, organic/natural kids & baby soap, pet & horse soap. Natural home care such as air fresheners, green cleaners, laundry soap, sanitizer. Natural personal care: bath accessories, scented & unscented natural bath salts, deodorant, fragrance-free, moisturizer/anti-aging, oral care (tooth salts, interesting!). You can shop by scent, skin type, travel, bulk, gifts.

I love that many of the products come in refill sizes. You can purchase a 12oz, gallon or 5 gallon cube of body wash or laundry soap! Not 100% organic ingredients in every product, but almost. I saw some natural essential oil blends that were not listed as organic. But I see absolutely no ingredients of concern, and the fact that many products are certified organic, means this brand is staying on my Best of the Best list. I’d love to know if anyone has tried the laundry soap. It has safe, minimal, organic/natural ingredients: Organic Saponified Oils (Coconut, Olive, & Jojoba), Sodium Bicarbonate, Glycerin, Lemongrass Essential Oil, Geranium Essential Oil, Patchouli Essential Oil, Rosemary Extract. Would be great to know how well it works!

STILL REALLY GOOD, BUT NOT CERTIFIED ORGANIC LINES. THESE LINES DO CONTAIN MANY ORGANIC INGREDIENTS STILL, BUT NOT ENTIRELY. THE ONES THAT ARE NOT ORGANIC ARE STILL NATURAL & NOT OF CONCERN, IN MY OPINION.

-A’Del Natural Cosmetics-   https://adelnaturalcosmetics.com/

BASED IN: (unclear, wrote in to ask)       ADDED 4/10/2024

It makes me so happy to add another brand to this list, it doesn’t happen often. I see nothing but minimal yet effective, safe, mostly organic ingredients. If this brand was certified organic, they’d be on my best-of-the-best list.  They offer the basics in cosmetics and skin care. The products look great!! This is why they started their company, and their mission, which they’re doing a great job living up to: The reason we started this cosmetic company came out of my own serious health concerns in 1999. At that time, instead of going the traditional medicine route, I chose a holistic lifestyle that included a clean diet and a regular herbal regiment which became the new normal for me and my family. Our goal in a final product is to use as few ingredients as necessary while maintaining high-end results, be as organic as possible and also be produced with as many minimally-processed ingredients as we can find. We hand-craft, artisan-make our cosmetics in small batches without the use of parabens, synthetic fragrances or preservatives, nano particles, petrol products or anything else on an ingredient list that’s difficult to pronounce.

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–A Remedy for That- https://www.etsy.com/shop/ARemedyForThat?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=758624358&from_page=listing#items

BASED IN: GA                   ADDED 3/9/2024

Former buying club vendor that many of you loved products from, I finally got around to “officially” adding this brand to my Approved List! I use and LOVE her tallow balm and magic elixir (Fire Cider), and her prices are a lot more affordable than other brands offering comparable products. She specializes in balms, salves, elixirs and I see no ingredients of concern in any of the products.

Use code: ECOMAMA for free shipping on any size order!

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-Bambu Earth–    https://bambuearth.com/

BASED IN: NC      ADDED 5/09/2024

Small line of mainly face care I see absolutely nothing of concern and if this brand were certified organic, they’d be on my best-of-the-best portion of this list. Expensive- $160 for a 1.3oz jar of the Cactus Concentrate face moisturizer (as an example of the extremely high end). $18 for a 4oz body soap bar. But everything is packaged in glass, and most ingredients are organic and fantastic. ONLY minor thing I dislike is a Proprietary Blend of essential oils in some of the products. I believe in full disclosure, but based on the ingredients used in these products, I believe this is a brand you can trust to offer great, safe products.

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*Blissful Organix-   https://blissfulorganix.com

BASED IN: CA              ADDED 7/12/2024

About them: Luxurious Organic Cosmetics is their motto. “All of our products are made in small batches with non-toxic, gluten-free, cruelty-free certified, mostly vegan, and all natural & organic ingredients. Proudly made in the USA!” Primarily a cosmetics line, with a focus on castor oil-infused products. They pretty much have it all: lipstick/gloss, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, blush, primer. A variety of other products geared mainly at healing various ailments (pain relief, etc). I’m pretty sure I looked at every product and they are full of really, really good and mostly organic ingredients. I just saw Phenoxyethanol in 1 item, the Brow Pen. If it had been in multiple items I would have put this brand on my So-So list. But with it being in just 1 item, I will put a disclaimer on that and seriously, the rest of the products look fantastic! Lots of compresses for use with castor and/or essential oils: neck & thyroid, knee/arm/calve, foot, etc. They offer Foundation and Primer samples, Elderberry syrup, Beard Pomade for men, a variety of makeup brushes. I think this is another great, safe option for cosmetics and more.

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-Earthley     https://earthley.com

BASED IN: OH             ADDED 6/10/2024

I looked at numerous products and saw no ingredients of concern. I really like the offerings, most of the basics are represented and there are a lot of tinctures, salves and balms to heal various conditions. There are not a lot of liquid offerings, things like shampoo and dish soap are in bar form. So they are great for a plastic-free option, and you also don’t need a preservative then.

Some products contain almost all certified organic ingredients, some contain 1 or 2. It’s surprising to me to see many of the essential oils are not noted as organic, when that’s a very readily available ingredient as an organic option. I dislike when companies use cost as an excuse because many small brands are able to afford becoming certified. I have a separate article about the costs of becoming certified if you want to read my thoughts on that topic. There is a note that they are working on becoming certified. I’ll be happy to update and move this brand to my best-of-the-best portion of my list when that does indeed happen.

Are your products certified organic?

A: Not at this time. It’s more important to us to stay affordable than to pursue an expensive certification. But please rest assured, we use as many organic ingredients as we can in our products. Approximately 80% of our ingredients are organic. Our herbs are 100% organic, our butters and oils are about 70% organic, and our “other” ingredients (like magnesium, clay, salt, etc.) don’t come in organic at all. You’re getting all the quality…without the cost. 🙂 We are working on organic and non-GMO certification at this time, and will update once that process is completed!

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-Herbal Alchemy-    https://www.herbalalchemy.com/

BASED IN: TN                       ADDED 4/10/2024

Each product features a long list of botanical oils, wild-crafted herbs, farm fresh beeswax. I do see a LOT of EO’s in most products, so there is concern with overuse if you were using multiple products a day with multiple eo’s in each. But in general, that’s not the case for most people. Not cheap, but they boast many “waterless wonders”, meaning the products do not contain water as a primary ingredient. They are full of beneficial oils and plant extracts. Here are a couple examples of price: $40 10ml deodorant. 4 oz bar of soap= $30. But the quantity and quality of the ingredients does suggest a very high level of appreciation for plant & herbal remedies. Here is an example of the extensive, but absolutely awesome ingredient lists you’ll see. They boast farm-fresh ingredients, I don’t see mention of organic anywhere, so that is why they are not on my best-of-the-best portion. Otherwise, they would be fit for it!

Renewing Facial Bar- 1 oz $68. Linum Usitatissimum (Flax) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Farm Fresh Cera Alba (Beeswax), Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Infusion, Urtica Dioica (Nettles) Leaf Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Infusion, Taraxacum (Dandelion) Officinale, Essential Oils, Azadirachta Indica (Neem) Leaf Extract, Calophyllum (Tamanu) Inophyllum, Opuntia Vulgaris (Prickly Pear) Extract, Essential Oils of Lavandula Officinalis Flower (Lavender) Oil, Pelargonium Roseum Leaf (Rose Geranium) Oil, Boswellia Serrata (Frankincense) Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower (Rose Absolute) Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed (Wild Carrot) Oil, Helichrysum Italicum Flower (Helichrysum) Oil, of Citrus Aurantium Flower (Lemon Sicily) Oil, Citrus Limon Peel (Neroli) Oil.

Definitely a brand that is going above and beyond the minimal ingredients approach that many brands on my Approved Lists take. This brand truly has an apothecary feel! Reminder that I don’t weigh in on supplements, just looking at the personal care products.

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–Lovely Lady– http://lovelyladyproducts.com/
Based in: CA                     UPDATED 12/27/2023
I moved this company from my Best of Best List to my Good List on 12/27/23 due to learning they chose to give up their USDA certified organic status which I had previously noted they had earned. I wrote in to ask about it and this was their response: “After approximately 10 years of operations with the USDA certified organic program, we decided to discontinue that relationship a while back. While we do continue to source certified organic ingredients from our base of suppliers, the additional operational costs to maintain the seal compliance vs the benefit to Customers no longer made sense for us.” My personal opinion is that’s a very disappointing fact to learn. I’m working on a separate blog post on this topic (of certification being expensive), but my understanding is it’s a sliding scale based on your sales annually, so larger companies pay more. This doesn’t seem like a very large company to me. Also, there are programs that will reimburse some of your expense, as the USDA is trying to encourage more companies to get certified and will help pay for it even! Follow-up questions to them I had on this topic were ignored. So, this disappoints me. But, I do have a spot for companies like this on my list. They are definitely better than a lot of other brands out there that are using icky ingredients! Let’s look at what they do offer!

Motto: Lovely Lady Products….true, honest, organic (used to say certified in front of that word!) and natural ingredients with an emphasis on sustainable and fair trade. Products for face, body, bath, hair, women, men, treatment oils, organic scents, soaps. Minimal, safe, organic ingredients. I have not personally used anything they offer yet. Most ingredients are organic. They use Helichrysum in everything and have a post about why they believe in this superstar of an ingredient. For hair care they offer a 2-in-1 conditioning shampoo bar, which does contain some non-organic essential oils (as does the facial cleansing bar). I love that they offer super large and extremely discounted bundles! You can buy 1 bar or packs of 5, 10, 20, 25! The bigger the pack, the bigger the discount (up to 30%) off. I personally do really love stocking up on items I love, when I can. So if you discovered that you really liked these products, you could stock up for a few years. And being they’re in bar form, you don’t need to worry about them spoiling. AND they’re a plastic-free option. There are many things to love about that! Most products contain few, basic organic ingredients. This is a good example: Everlasting-Argan Immortal Rose Oil. 3 ingredients: Infusions of certified organic Rose and Helichrysum essential oil* in cold-pressed organic argan oil*.

If you’re on a gluten-free mission, this should definitely be a brand on your radar! Info from their website: The company was founded by a former model who suffered over the years with symptoms that eventually became diagnosed as celiac disease. Although this condition destroyed her career as a model, it would prove to be a blessing and a pathway to enlightenment. Through her personal journey, she learned how to restore her health and beauty by living a clean and holistic life avoiding wheat and gluten in her meals. She then took things further by eliminating wheat and gluten from her body care product regimen with a deep focus on pure, natural and organic ingredients. Water is essential to our way of life and our economy, environment and day-to-day lifestyle requires water to flourish. Unfortunately, our water supplies are limited and we must learn how to use water wisely every day. We here at Lovely Lady Products make a conscious effort to eliminate the need for water in all our products except for the natural water that comes from planets that we use to formulate our hydrosol extract toner. By doing so, we are able to concentrate nutrients for maximum results, thus creating an exquisite line of plant-based organic products with exceptional properties.

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–LuSa Organics– http://www.lusaorganics.com/
Based in: Wisconsin (located 20 min from me)! UPDATED 2/6/2024

I offered these products via my buying club for many years and they became very loved! Most popular were her bar soaps. I sold a LOT of soap from LuSa!! Everyone loved that you could order them ‘naked’, so without a box (I’d usually wrap in a piece of brown paper that came in as packing material, and write the name, especially if someone ordered multiple bars). They are a great smelling, affordable, zero-waste option that way! There are SO many fabulous options for scents and absolutely no ingredients of concern.

I really love her gift sets and that she breaks her offerings into categories for babies/kids, big kids/teens, pregnancy/postpartum, first aid/wellness. She has skin care, hair care, facial care, outdoor essentials, zero-waste home, oral care, and books & gifts!! Most of her offerings are in the form of bars (dish soap bar, shampoo bar, tooth soap bar), balms, or herbal oil infusions. She notes organic ingredients for just about everything, but is not a certified organic facility herself so cannot claim the products to be certified organic.

The entire line is made with safe, natural & organic, minimal but effective ingredients. Coupled with the fact that I see no ingredients of concern whatsoever means this is a great fit for my Approved list. If she would take the additional step to get her facility certified and the products gain the USDA certified organic seal, it would be on my Best of the Best list.

Additional fun fact: we have joint custody of a pet rabbit 🙂 Her family has him for one month, then mine takes him for a month currently. She’s a fantastic human and I’m really proud to have her as a local small business on this list!

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MamaSuds-  www.mamasuds.com/ecofriendlymama
Based in: Michigan           UPDATED 2/15/24

I have approved of, and offered this brand via my buying club, for many years. In fact, my original review of Michelle’s products goes back over a decade, to May of 2013, WOW!!! Her specialty is castile soap, and most of the products offered are formulated around that. The line has grown to include bar soap, toilet cleaning tabs, various cleaning products, and the best solid dish soap bar I’ve yet to try! II love that the dish soap bar eliminates a plastic bottle, as I am on a low waste journey like most of you. I’ve tried several other dish soap bars, and most leave my glassware (and I use almost all glass) filmy. Hers does not! It suds up very nicely, and rinses clean. You should really give it a try! I love that she offers samples of her auto dish powder. The ingredients are extremely minimal, yet effective. While not organic, there is nothing on my ingredients to avoid list, which makes this a perfect spot on my list for this brand: Approved, but not the Best of the Best.

A word from Michelle: I started Mama Suds for the exact same reasons that probably brought you here to begin with – like you, I wanted to bathe my family and clean my home with real soap. I wanted to use products on my family that wouldn’t harm their health today or in the future. Turns out, that’s a lot harder than it should be! I’ve spent a crazy amount of time tracking down exceptional ingredients so they’re not only safe for you and your family but sustainable for the planet, as well. I want to inspire you to live a smart + healthy life that makes and brings you joy + peace of mind. 💛 Here’s my review of the liquid laundry & Castile soaps, from over a decade ago. https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2013/05/14/mamasuds-castile-liquid-laundry-soap-review/

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Meloira: https://meliorameansbetter.com/

Based in: IL                  ADDED 4/17/2024

Offering a basic line of laundry products, home cleaning, and a couple personal care products. With laundry powders, and bar soaps, the need for a harsh preservative is eliminated. I see absolutely no ingredients of concern, and several ingredients that are organic (coconut oil, essential oils). I absolutely love the eco-friendliness of foaming hand soap and all-purpose cleaning tablets that you dissolve in water yourself to make a liquid at home. I really appreciate the minimal, safe, effective ingredients and the prices are very reasonable too. I’m super happy to add this brand to my good list!!

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-Primally Pure: https://primallypure.com

Based in: CA                       ADDED 12/13/2024

Categories of offerings include products for Face, Hair + Body, and Home. Ingredients are organic or wild-crafted. The brand itself is not certified organic, if it was, it would be up above on my best-of-the-best portion of this list. I see absolutely no ingredients of concern. Products feature, minimal yet effective, safe, fantastic ingredients. Definitely not cheap ($44 for a 12 oz body wash as an example), but a reminder that quality ingredients cost money. The peace of mind is well worth it! There are bundle prices, a rewards program, and I’m sure sales throughout the year to help save money.

About the brand: Founder, wife, mama bear, matcha lover, and bath taker, Bethany McDaniel is the heartbeat and hard work behind Primally Pure. When Bethany’s family spontaneously started Primal Pastures, a regenerative + organic livestock farm in Southern California, she discovered the power of eating real food. Her eyes were opened to a whole new world of wellness. Bethany purged her bathroom cabinets of anything with toxic ingredients and she got to work formulating her own replacements with ingredients straight from the farm.

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Puremedy: https://puremedy.com/
Based in: CA                        UPDATED 2/22/24

This brand offers a variety of healing salves, and has a great story about why they’re passionate about them! Offerings include: Healing Ointment, Black Drawing Ointment, Eczema & Psoriasis Relief, Acne Relief, Intensive Skin Repair Night Balm, Rosacea Relief, Feminine Moisturizer Herbal Salve, Deodorant in a Sport, Sensitive or every day blend, Baby Skin Salve, Diaper Rash Relief Ointment, Veterinary Wound Care.

Their Motto: Mother Earth’s answers for personal care. Background on the company: How did we get our start? The Original Healing Ointment has been in my family for generations – it was formulated for my great-great-grandfather by an Indigenous Medicine Man. On a mission to share it, 16 years ago I quit my day job, made my first batch, and launched Puremedy into local stores in Santa Monica, CA. Why do we love what we do? It Is incredibly rewarding to hear from customers that we have helped them recover from mild to serious ailments with an all-natural remedy. 25% of our profits also help fund the Foundation for Indigenous Medicine, which aims to preserve and protect ancient healing practices.

Looking at their ingredient labels is definitely a great experience for those that care about organic ingredients. Everything is either listed as organic or wild harvested, and they note homeopathic dilution ratios! Prices are reasonable for the quality of ingredients used. Most products available in a 3ml, 1 oz or 2 oz size, and you can save 10% by doing Subscribe and Save. If this brand was certified organic, it would be on my Best of the Best list. But it’s absolutely a great fit for my Approved list, there are 0 ingredients of concern, in my opinion.

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Radiantly You–http://www.radiantlyyou.com/
Based in: New York        UPDATED 3/8/2024

Small line with categories of offerings for: Household Cleaning Products, Outdoor Finds, Household Personal Products, Handcrafted Soaps & Bars, Lip Balms, Body Butters, Lotions & Balms, and Skincare. Not the most user-friendly website, but I do not see any ingredients of concern in the products. I didn’t see ingredients listed for hand soap or body butter so had to write in, 3 times (almost gave up) but she did forward me the labels and said she’d update the site once back from vacation. I also questioned a few ingredients that weren’t listed as organic (fragrance, that makes a big difference to me) and was told they WERE organic, it was a website error in not listing them that way. I see this with a lot of smaller brands, their websites are very so-so. All that being said: I see no ingredients of concern and many organic ingredients being used.

I feel like the products and the website, the brand in general, have a cheap feel (everything is in plastic containers) and not much effort put into them. But for me, on this project at least, it truly is about the ingredients and I like what I see! And the prices are reasonable. So for those of you less concerned about packaging and how products look, and more about your budget, you might like these products.  Another pet peeve is noting organics as certified organic, when they are not a certified facility they really should just be saying organic. But I find that is quite common in smaller brands like this who don’t fully understand what a privilege it is to have the right to claim they’re using certified ingredients. Most products are castile based, with varying essential oils.

The category that interests me the most is the skincare. The Dead Sea Whipped Face Wash, Facial Moisturizer and Exquisite serum look like a really good combo. I’m a huge fan of coffee/sugar scrubs, and think there’s looks really good actually! Bug away looks good, Witch Hazel-based with EO’s that I see in a lot of other common natural brands. Zinc oxide based sunscreen.

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salonsolids–https://salonsolids.com/?ref=ecofriendlymama
Based in: Washington                              UPDATED 2/27/24

Solid to liquid hair care- Water soluble hair care concentrates made from organic plant extracts free of synthetics to cleanse, condition, and style your hair. Granules for shampoo, conditioner, and styler, also a dry shampoo. Starter bundle with a sample size of all 3 products (minus the dry shampoo). There are several things I love about these products! There is NO plastic involved, just a very small packet containing your granules. That is great for the environment, and it is great from a shipping standpoint as liquids are heavy & messy, thus expensive to ship. Also, being this is not a liquid, there is no need for a preservative! She does advise mixing in small batches to ensure the product is being used in a relatively quick time frame.

Here are the ingredients in the shampoo, what’s not to love about this?! Made of our patented blend of organic quillaja saponaria(cleansing agent from soapbark tree), calcium bentonite clay, organic nettle root, organic moringa, organic blueberries, organic apples, organic neem, organic boswellia serrata, organic amla(depending on blend chosen), organic cocoa butter, organic guar gum, aspen bark, organic sweet orange essential oil, organic lemon essential oil, organic lavender essential oil, organic peppermint essential oil, organic rosemary essential oil, organic douglas fir essential oil, organic rose essential oil, organic clove essential oil, organic lemongrass essential oil, organic frankincense essential oil(depending on blend chosen).

I initially did a review of these products in 2016, you can read that here if you’d like. After that, I offered the products via my buying club at least once/year for the next several years. While packaging, price, and even blends have changed, what hasn’t changed is Sarah’s commitment to providing the absolute best of the best ingredients. I follow her on Facebook and she is frequently highlighting her selection of the very finest ingredients, for our hair, and our environment. I believe I saw mention of her possibly pursuing organic certification, which I would love to see happen. She would absolutely be on my Best of the Best portion of this list then. If you haven’t already tried these products, I hope you will. With a little bit of adjustment in habit (a little lead time to have it ready to go when needed), you might find your new favorite hair care solution! You can use code ECOMAMA for 10% off your order!

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—Tangie https://wastefreeproducts.com/

Based in: FL                                   ADDED 3/9/24

Affiliate code to enter at checkout: ECOFRIENDLYMAMA

There are numerous things I love about this line! The products all come as a bar of soap that you dilute to make laundry soap, hand soap. I will say, I feel there are better options for shampoo bars, hers contain Sodium Coco-Sulfate and many like to avoid sulfates. She DOES offer a sulfate-free option and those ingredients look great to me. But I can’t speak highly enough of her laundry soap concentrate. 1 bar of soap does a gallon. I cut a bar into quarters and do 1 quart of soap at a time. This is a plastic-free option, which for a liquid laundry product is a huge win! You can read my full review here.

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–Toups & Co.- https://toupsandco.com/

Based in: AL       UPDATED 2/4/24

I used to offer this brand via my buying club, when it 1^st launched it was known as Crunchy Balm, and only had a handful of tallow balm-based products. My post for her before this update stated this: “**In the process of becoming USDA Certified organic!**** This tallow balm gets rave reviews from those who’ve tried it. She has expanded her line to include lip balm & activated charcoal bar soap, all products feature the tallow balm as a main ingredient.” Not only did the brand changed names (several years ago now), it has expanded greatly and now offers a decent array of products across Face, Body, and Cosmetics categories!

The 1^st thing I did was write in to see if they were still pursuing organic certification, as I didn’t see any products carrying the seal. This was the response: “We have found the certification to be a rigorous process, however we are still working towards it with some of our products. Our entire skincare and makeup line is 100% natural and uses only organic ingredients like tallow, aloe vera and cold-pressed olive oil. We never use synthetic chemicals, GMOs, toxins, fillers, artificial colors or fragrances. We believe the ingredients make the product. Our ingredients nourish the skin and provide the essential vitamins and essential fatty acids our skin craves. Toups & Co. sources ingredients like 100% grass-fed tallow, cold-pressed organic olive oil, and organic essential oils. Each product has been formulated to maximize skin-nourishing benefits and your safety.We go above and beyond to source organic products made in the USA. We are committed to supporting small, family owned farms who grazed their cows on fresh pasture year round.” My response: “So the answer is no, but you’re working towards it, correct?” Answer: “Yes, that is correct.”

I don’t always comment on prices, but I do feel like mentioning that I think the products are on the pricey side, especially given their lack of being certified organic. There are brands offering certified organic products for less. For example, the activated charcoal bar soap is $15. Deodorant is $18. There is a Glow Serum for $85. I appreciate the simplicity of the tallow balms, and personally am a huge fan of tallow, especially for my dry, winter skin! But do think they’re overpriced at $62 for a 4oz jar. The vendor I get mine from (who has been loved by many via past buying club orders) offers hers for $64 for a 16oz jar. If you want to pay 4x as much to this vendor, great, but there are other brands offering great, similar products, for more affordable prices. I just can’t justify that myself. And affordability is definitely something that most of us need to take into account.

I am a bit perturbed about the fact that the products claim to be made with certified organic ingredients. Being they are not a certified facility, this claim should not be made! It’s one of those technicalities that bothers me, as that right should only be reserved for those brands truly going the extra mile to attain the certification. The baby wash and men’s body wash listed organic coco glucoside, to my knowledge this ingredient is not available organic. I’ve never seen it listed as organic anywhere else. I wrote about it, didn’t receive a response, wrote again and was sent an email with a certificate attached for potassium cocoate, not coco glucoside even. When I followed up to question that, this was the response: I’ve confirmed that we are indeed using potassium cocoate and not coco glucoside. That has also been corrected on the website as that is not the correct ingredient. We changed that some time ago and the correction was never properly made so it’s great you brought that to our attention.  Also, the cosmetics are not made in-house, I was told: “As for the makeups, many of our cosmetics are made at a US manufacturer.”

Overall, the ingredients for the most part look great and are certainly way better than mainstream products. I do not see ingredients on my Ingredients to Avoid list. I am a bit annoyed by their claim they’re working on getting certified organic, since they’ve been saying that for many years now, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt and continue to hope that’s the case. I also have a bit of a hard time with the labeling issues I caught, and I didn’t have to dig too deeply to find them. Once red flags go up, it’s hard for me to have faith in a brand. But, as long as everything else is as labeled, I think this brand is a good fit for this section of my list: I do recommend them, but they’re not right for the Best of the Best spot.