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

So-So Lines– not the best, not the worst

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/

**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.

MURKY MIDDLE GROUND: The lines on this list often aren’t terrible, but they’re not the best-of-the-best so I decided to break the overall project into 3 lists. Some of these brands might offer some decent, or even great options, while others I definitely can’t recommend. Therefore, it’s a So-So line. NUMEROUS lines on this list claim to be paraben-free, but use Japanese Honeysuckle extract which mimic parabens on a cellular level. You can read up on the issue here, and I try to note the lines using that ingredient. If you’re trying to avoid parabens, I would avoid that ingredient also. This is the single best article I’ve read summarizing the concerns: —https://bubbleandbee.com/the-honey/?p=japanese-honeysuckle-extract

NOTE 2/1/2024: I’m in the process of looking at each entry on all my lists and renewing them. It’s a work in progress. But in general, I’ve found not a lot changes with most of these companies over the years. It’s unlikely a brand from my So-So lists moves up to my best of the best list, but the other has happened (brands move down). Also, some brands have gone out of business, especially during the Covid years. So, stay tuned for updates, they’re happening daily in 2024!! Tune in to my Fb page if you want to see the updates as I post them: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064560254825

SO-SO BRANDS

**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.

*100% Pure–    UPDATED 3/16/24

This line raises so many red flags for me. In my decade+ of reading labels, it’s just really hard to wrap my head around the fact that they are using tomato, blueberry, cherry, etc pigments for lush, vibrant lipstick shades, and tea leaf extracts for long-lasting, smudge-proof, water-resistant all day wear liquid eyeliner. THAT coupled with the fact that you see very few traditional preservatives, but instead they claim: “We use natural preservatives such as thyme, oregano, goldenseal, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, Japanese honeysuckle, and a super high concentration of antioxidants to keep our products fresh, long-lasting, and free of bacteria.”

However, I have to trust that they have figured out a way to make products unlike any others currently available on the market, and preserve them with preservatives no one else is using as well. All that being said, there are several ingredients that I prefer to avoid so I will leave them on my So-So list. I see Potassium Sorbate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Japanese Honeysuckle Extract.

Some products contain mostly organic ingredients, others just a few. I do see certified organic lip balm but not seeing anything else that carries the seal (but I could have missed it, they do have a lot of products!). Some products look pretty good, like the overnight balm, but you should research retinol to make sure you’re comfortable with it. The greatest concerns I see with it come from sun exposure while wearing it, and in an overnight balm that concern would be mitigated.

I do see lots of items out of stock, and read numerous reviews about it being a common problem. I read quite a bit of chatter about terrible customer service experiences, never getting their products, their order taking a month or more to arrive and only partially arriving. Most of these are recent, from the past 6 months, stating horrible customer experiences. 

I have a really hard time wrapping my head around this lipstick ingredient label, and all their cosmetics are more of the same. COMPLETE LIST OF INGREDIENTS: Theobroma Cacao (Organic Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Extracts of Prunus Cerasus (Cherry) Fruit, Prunus Domestica (Plum) Fruit, Vitis Vinifera (Cabernet Grape) Fruit, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate), Cacao (Chocolate), Rosa Centifolia (Rose Petals) Flower, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem, Oryza Sativa (Rice Starch), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Silica, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract.

I’ve always lived by the mantra: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And that ingredient list raises serious red flags in my label-reading basic comprehension. But again, I will go with what is in front of us and leave it up to you all to decide if you want to use this brand.

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*Acure Organics–   UPDATED 3/16/2024

As always I go to shampoo first and these are the ingredients of concern that jump out at me right away: Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Benzaldehyde. When I look at several of the lotions/creams, I see Potassium Sorbate as an immediate red flag, but for several of them, I think they look pretty decent otherwise (although lacking organic ingredients which would be my preference). Their prices are quite reasonable. For my So-So List, this brand would probably be near the top of my recommendations if I had to choose. It’s definitely not good enough for my Best of the Best, but the list of icky ingredients is minimal overall in *some* products. If you ever want me to look at any specific products for my feedback, I’d be happy to, because some definitely aren’t terrible.

As of 2/2022 I had this info via email. Below is a list of the certified organic products we currently offer:

• The Essentials Argan Oil- USDA certified organic by QAI
• The Essentials Rosehip Oil- USDA certified organic by QAI
• The Essentials Marula Oil- USDA certified organic by QAI
• Radically Rejuvenating Witch Hazel Facial Toner- USDA certified organic by CCOF
• Brightening Glowing Serum- USDA certified organic by CCOF

Our deodorants are also NSF certified “Made with Organic Ingredients”, but are not certified organic in their entirety.

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*Alaffia/Everyday Shea–     UPDATED 3/19/2024

I used to use, love, and sell their bubble bath via my buying club. It was super loved! Then they added Phenoxyethanol to it and I quit using it. Clicking through their website for this update, I see some bubble baths list it, some don’t. Some shampoo lists it, some list Cocamidopropyl Betaine, some list Coco Betaine. Other shampoo lists Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-81, Phenoxyethanol. Some products list Fragrance (parfum), but then in the product description it states no artificial fragrance. Potassium Sorbate is in most of the conditioners/lotiony products. Basically, every product has at least 1 ingredient I prefer to avoid and I feel like their ingredient lists online might not match the products as every one of their bubble bath/shampoos I’ve ever picked up when I’ve seen them contain Phenoxyethanol.

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*Andalou Naturals–    UPDATED 3/16/24

A mix of organic & non-organic ingredients. The products contain a mix of ingredients such as: Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Sorbate & Sodium BenzoateSodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate with a bunch of decent and organic ingredients in-between. Much like Acure, if I HAD to pick top recommendations from the So-So list, this would be near the top. They have very reasonable prices, and are definitely better than a whole lot of the brands I cannot recommend, and on the decent end of the So-So spectrum.

This is a LOT of ingredients, but overall not terrible (mainly the sodium benzoate/potassium sorbate combo, which is common in the brands on my So-So list). At $17.99 for a 1.7fl oz jar, I think it’s really reasonable compared to other brands charging many times that for their creams. And I know price is a factor for most of us when choosing products. Age Defying Sleeping Mask Ingredients as an example of what their products look like: Bakuchiol + Fruit Stem Cells Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Sodium Phytate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Bakuchiol, Malus Domestica (Apple) Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Cell Extract, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract*, Lycium Barbarum (Goji) Fruit Extract*, Aronia Melanocarpa (Aronia) Fruit Extract*, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum*, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Citric Acid, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Camelia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract*†, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Isomalt, Lecithin, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum) * Certified Organic Ingredient, † Fair Trade Ingredient

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*Attitude-    UPDATED  2/29/2024

It is a very large line, lots of products. Shampoo is always the 1st thing I look at when checking out a new-to-me brand. I see several ingredients that I prefer to avoid (and are present in all of the line, not just shampoo). Also, no organic ingredients and the brand is made in Canda so it also doesn’t meet my mission on that level. It’s perfect for the So-So list, as there are definitely worse options out there, but I do see several ingredients that are on my Ingredients to Avoid list, including: sodium coco-sulfate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, phenoxyethanol and fragrance/parfum (wrote them for more info as they claim to use only natural ingredients). I will say, I do love that they have a bulk size refill option, like a box of wine! Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it due to the ingredients though. I do wish more companies offered refills like this!

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*Avalon Organics-  UPDATED 3/18/24

I would list this brand near the top of my So-So list as a safer option for sure. Shampoo contains a mix of organic ingredients. Sodium Benzoate is used as a preservative. I had to look up: Brassicyl Isoleucinate Esylate (a synthetic surfactant), Diheptyl Succinate (derived from castor oil), Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer (a polymer and film-forming agent) via Google as they all scored a 1 in EWG but with no data. None of them seemed overly concerning, but personally, I’ll stick with shampoos that contain ingredients I’m familiar with. The lotions, creams, cleansers generally contain Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate. I see Sodium Coco-Sulfate in face wash. Benzyl Alcohol gets a 4-6 via EWG (depending on usage). All that being said, their prices are quite reasonable, the products are available on Amazon, and while definitely not the best-of-the-best, they are certainly better than anything on my Not Recommended List. Meaning my So-So list remains a perfect spot for this brand.

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*Babo Botanicals– UPDATED 3/18/2024

I absolutely love that they offer their shampoo and conditioner in a water-resistant carton instead of a plastic-bottle! I do have to wonder what kinds of chemicals are used to make the carton water-resistant though? As with most brands on my So-So List, you’ll find Sodium Benzoate & Potassium Sorbate in most products. Shampoo contains Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Ethylhexylglycerin (suspected to be an irritant and allergenic). They do note quite a few organic ingredients, and note which ones are plant-based as well. I do see that they note Fragrance and it does not claim to be natural, so that’s a concern. Lotions contain Polysorbate 60 but the Sensitive Baby Fragrance-Free lotion really doesn’t look too bad otherwise! Like the other brands on this list, they are definitely better choices than those on my Not Recommended List.

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*Babytime by Episcencial–   UPDATED 3/19/2024

These products list several organic ingredients. They also note blueberry fruit extract, peach fruit extract, and surprisingly no traditional preservative I would expect to find. They list Caprylyl Glycol as their preservative, which does purport to have some antimicrobial properties. The bubble bath/shampoo lists Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine which has similar concerns to Cocamidopropyl Betaine, you can read about them here. Soothing cream contains a mix of organic ingredients, but also some I’m not a fan of like: Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate.

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*BaeBlu–   ADDED 3/5/2024

Overall, most items look pretty good, several of the cosmetics are worthy of being on my Approved List, but there are a few red flags that make this brand a perfect fit for my So-So list, I can’t recommend everything. Ingredients of concern are Phenoxyethanol and sodium benzoate in a few products, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 (synthetic skin conditioning agent) in lip products, and dihydroxy acetone in sunless tanning. They also tout therapeutic grade essential oils, and there is no such thing. Some items say things like: certified 60% organic ingredients, some say 90%. They state: “Why is BaeBlu better than every other organic company?” If you’re going to make that assertion, then you should be better than every other company, and they are not. Good, yes? Best of the Best, no? That being said, for select items, especially the foundation, they have almost identical, safe, organic ingredients as a brand on my Approved list, and BaeBlu’s version is almost 1/2 the price. So do check out this brand!

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*Biokleen-  UPDATED 3/18/2024

Dish soap liquids contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Phenoxyethanol. The auto dish powder isn’t terrible. Since it’s not something that’s coming into contact with skin I’m a little less concerned about the ingredients vs something like a lotion. I did try it on my search for something with decent ingredients and also works well, and it did NOT work for me at all. Liquid laundry soap contains numerous ingredients I prefer to avoid (same ones I listed for liquid dish soap). Again, the powder does not contain those ingredients, but does have laureth-7, and sodium sulfate. Overall, I feel this is a very So-So brand. Not terrible enough to be on my Not Recommended List, but there is nothing from this brand that sticks out to me as great. I realize it can commonly be found on the shelves of health food-type stores, so if you had to pick something from a shelf in front of you, this might be an okay choice.

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*Burt’s Bees–  UPDATED 3/18/2024

Owned by Clorox, a fact many don’t know, and I feel if the label said Clorox instead of Burt’s many wouldn’t buy it. But that’s up to you. As far as ingredients, I see Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate quite a bit (common in the So-So brands), and fragrance which on some products states *natural fragrance, but on some it does not. A few products I looked at looked pretty decent, like the Coconut Oil & Soap Bark Foot Cream, it looks pretty decent! Lip tints, not terrible, many natural ingredients although not organic which would be ideal. For a brand that’s readily available (I’ve seen it in Walmart even), this could be among the better choices if you’re okay with Chlorox getting your money.

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*Cara B Naturally–  UPDATED 3/18/2024

Very small line with basic offerings. Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate are the main ingredients of concern, otherwise there are minimal, basic ingredients. They aren’t noted as organic ingredients.

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*Carina Organics-   ADDED 4/1/2024

Made in Canada, which is the only reason I cannot bring myself to put this brand on my Approved (good, not best of the best portion). Otherwise, I do not see any ingredients of concern. They do have $7.99 flat rate shipping within the U.S. But a huge part of my mission is to support made in USA brands, in addition to the products being safe. But since I’ve been asked about this brand, I will share that I see no ingredients of concern.

And the prices are very reasonable, especially considering this info I was provided when I asked about what they were using for a preservative. I find this very interesting: “We use pine sap as our natural preservative as this offers both antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. We currently harvest our pine sap that naturally seep from the tree trunks in our pristine forests in the Pacific Northwest. This type of ‘harvest’ is done by locals who do not harm the trees in any way. This is why this ingredient is not certified as organic, however, is as natural and toxin free as possible.”

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*Celadon  Road-  UPDATED 03/18/2024

Quite a few organic ingredients are noted. Several products contain Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol and/or Ethylhexylglycerin, Grapefruit Seed Extract. However, several products contain no ingredients of concern, like the Shower Gel, I would use this: Saponified Organic Oils of Coconut, Olive and Jojoba, Natural Lavender Essential Oil Blend, Organic Lavender Oil, Vegetable Gum / Glycerin Extract, Organic Aloe Vera, Rosemary Extract. Bar soaps look good. All room Cleanswer contains 3 ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), vinegar and lime essential oil. Obviously something very easy to make yourself, but if you’re not one to do that, this is certainly a safe option for a cleaner. Citrus All-purpose Cleaner looks great. This line is perfect for the So-So List, as there are products that look really good, and some that are so-so.

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*Clean Kids Naturally (Gabriel Cosmetics Inc)        UPDATED 3/18/2024

Small line offering shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bubble bath. This line baffles me slightly. Shampoo and Conditioner start off listing: Aqua (Infusion Of Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice) as the main ingredient.  I’m a bit perplexed by what is the foaming agent in their shampoo, there are no typical glucosides. The bubble bath claims it’s the soapwort extract that is responsible for the bubbles. I don’t see a typical emulsifier in the conditioner or lotion (emulsifiers help turn liquids into lotiony textures because as we know, oil & water don’t mix typically). Potassium Sorbate, Laminaria Japonica Extract (Japanese Honeysuckle) are the main ingredients of concern I see. But truly, I’m a bit leery of these ingredient lists….

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*Crunchi-    UPDATED 3/18/2024

Charcoal face bar looks good, but $26 for a 4 oz bar of soap is insane (Gentle Facial Bar is same price). You can get bars with very similar ingredients for a fraction of the price. $98 for this 1 oz Goldenlight Multi-Peptide Facial Serum. There is 1 organic ingredient in the middle of the formula (green tea extract), the rest of the ingredients are very so-so in my opinion: Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract*, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phytate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alcohol. I see Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate and Dimethicone in most of the cosmetics. The products are definitely very middle of the road in terms of ingredients, they are not terrible, but they are not organic, and the prices are very steep.

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*Curlsmith-    ADDED 4/10/2024

I looked at numerous products and didn’t see 1 that I could recommend fully, but I didn’t feel the products were bad enough to be on the Not Recommended List entirely. Some products are better than others of course. They contain quite a few natural ingredients but also most contain multiple ingredients from the following list (this is a collection from various products) which I prefer to avoid: Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-10, VP/VA Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120, Polysorbate 60, Laureth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin. Again, that’s a compilation from multiple products, but most products have several of those. This is a so-so line, at best, and I’d put it at the lower end of my recommendations for so-so products even.

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*Daisy Blue Naturals:    UPDATED 3/18/2024

Quite a selection of lotions and other than Potassium Sorbate I see no ingredients of concern. Nothing noted as organic. Lotion bars, shampoo bar, hair elixir look totally fine, again, just no organic ingredients noted. Most of the cosmetics look quite good, with ingredients similar to the brands on my Approved list. I’m curious if they are making these themselves or getting them white-labeled. Foundation ingredients are interesting, can’t say I’ve seen this combo of ingredients in a foundation before: Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxide, Sericite, Rose Powder, Kosher Grade Rice Powder, Mica, and Kaolin Clay. Mainly just the inclusion of Potassium Sorbate and lack of organic ingredients land this brand on my So-So list. Prices are reasonable.

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*Dessert Essence:   UPDATED 3/18/2024

They have a LOT of shampoo and lotion and it is very reasonably priced. All shampoo is Sodium Coco-sulfate based and contain Potassium sorbate, Fragrance (Parfum) not noted as from natural sources on some lists, but it does say state that on some. They also note quite a lot of great, organic ingredients too. Really long ingredient lists, some with more so-so ingredients than others, and some note essential oils vs parfum as their scent, so those would definitely be better choices if you’re okay with the other ingredients I noted (or they have fragrance-free options too). Overall, for a brand more on the mainstream spectrum of availability in health food-type stores, this isn’t a terrible option.

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*Dr. Woods:   UPDATED 3/18/2024 (waiting on email response re: fragrances they use)

Small line of liquid black soaps, liquid castile + shea, liquid castile, bar soaps, facial cleansers. Dr. Woods Castile Soaps are available plain or with added fair-trade raw shea butter to condition and moisturize your skin. Sustainably harvested from the nut of the Karite Shea Tree, indigenous to Ghana, our Shea Butter is a bountiful source of Vitamins A and E, as well as essential fatty acids to soothe and balance your skin. We use Shea Butter in its purest form – Raw and Organic – in order to retain its highest level of therapeutic and healing properties.  natural healing powers of our proprietary blend of olive, hemp and coconut oil. I see no ingredients of concern and a mix of some organic, some not, some listed as fair trade. Prices are quite reasonable. There is just 1 product with a couple ingredients that I’m not super familiar with and I would advise to research further yourself if interested in this product: Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent, used to sequester and decrease the reactivity of metal ions that may be present in a product, and EWG gives it a 2. Also, Etidronic Acid EWG gives a 1-4 depending on usage. There are other brands offering Activated Charcoal bars for very reasonably priced that contain no iffy ingredients (Poofy and LuSa come to mind), so I would probably avoid that. Clarify English Rose Fragrance?

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*Earthpaste (made by Redmond):  Moved from Approved List on 2/5/24

I used Earthpaste and other Redmond products, and even offered them via my buying club, for many years. Until they added nano silver to their toothpaste…. Bentonite clay, which their toothpaste contains, is controversial enough. I did a lot of research on it, and have a couple of blog posts dedicated to it. Ultimately, I decided the oral benefits outweighed the risks and feel comfortable enough using it on my family that I include it in my own homemade toothpaste. I don’t recommend anything to you that I wouldn’t use on my own family, that’s my basic rule.

Silver in personal care products is quite controversial in the natural world. There are plenty of people who feel it’s wonderful, and just as many who won’t touch products that contain it. I personally am in the camp that keeps colloidal silver on hand for use when we are quite ill, ill enough that we are heading down the road we could possibly need an antibiotic. Then I turn to silver. My personal opinion is that it should not be in products I’m using daily, such as my oral care, lotion (not this brand, but others include it), etc. They have added it to their mud mask and other hydrated clay products now too. Therefore, I feel my So-So list is an appropriate spot for them. If you have researched the silver issue and are comfortable with it being in products for your family, then this could be a brand for you! All that being said, I absolutely love their seasoning salt and use it daily! My thoughts on bentonite, if interested. While this is a decade old, my position has not changed. https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2014/05/15/lead-in-bentonite-clay-based-toothpaste-is-any-amount-safe/

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*Ecover- Waiting for email response to questions as of 3/19/24

UPDATE 4/7/16: Laundry detergent still contains both forms of SLS as well as methylisothiazolinone AND benzisothiazolinone (tempted to put them on the Greenwashers list for those ingredients, but some products are slightly better). Powder dish detergent isn’t awful, liquid contains SLS. All-purpose contains phenoxyethanol & fragrance (with note that it’s plant based & synthetic). I cannot recommend any of the products….

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*evanhealy   ADDED 4/2/2024

I love the packaging, almost all glass! Right off the bat I see several products that are USDA certified organic, which makes me super happy and really excited to see what they have to offer. You can filter by USDA organic and they list 44 products, which is fantastic! In addition they list several perfumes that are all in a base of organic jojoba seed oil + essential oils, and they sound lovely! I’m not seeing the USDA certified organic seal on those though, and I wonder why as they ingredients listed state organic. Everything is reasonably priced as well (that always makes me happy!).

I absolutely LOVE that they are a USDA certified organic facility, and able to make their own products. They 100% nail a huge pet peeve of mine in the following statements. I cannot stress enough how important this is to me and how much it bothers me when brands do the following: “Organic certification requires that we document our processes and are inspected every year. Organic on-site inspections cover every aspect of our manufacturing from the particular sources of our plants, including the soil conditions of our farm partners, to the water systems, contamination and record-keeping at our facility in Carlsbad, California. In fact, tracing every single ingredient that goes into our products from start to finish is integral to our organic promise.

Other products may use some, or even many, certified organic ingredients, but those brands do not go through the rigorous demands of the process described here. Using certified organic ingredients in beauty products is quite different than being the maker of products that are themselves certified. It’s a completely different standard. And that is why those brands cannot use the USDA certified organic logo on their products as we do. In fact, because of the credibility of the USDA certification, some brands in the absence of true organic product certification create their own ‘organic-looking’ logos as a marketing tool.”

I was really excited to add this brand to my Best of the Best List, however there are a couple reasons I need to put them on my So-So list. Their use of Sodium Benzoate in several moisturizers and cleansers, as well as Japanese Honeysuckle Extract {Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium) Flower Extract, Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) Flower Extract}, you can read about those concerns here. However, in working on this project, I recently saw organic Japanese Honeysuckle extract show up in a USDA certified organic laundry product. I wrote to Stephanie of Bubble and Bee to get her take on it (she wrote the blog post I shared expressing the concerns). And she is working to get to the bottom of any potential new developments. If the contamination issues are possibly linked to the factory in Singapore where the conventional version of this ingredient is produced, the concerns might be alleviated. However, I do not see this ingredient listed as organic with this brand. So there’s that caveat. For me, the jury is still out, and I prefer to err on the side of caution if in doubt and products exist that work well without it, which they do.

Additionally, their cleanser contains a base of various surfactants that are NOT terrible my any means, but there are multiple that I feel meh about: Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, and the formula also contains Sodium Benzoate so personally, I’d rather use something even milder. But again, not terrible, there are much, much worse options out there.

Otherwise, minus those few caveats, I love just about everything I see from this brand as the majority of products contain nothing but fantastic, (mostly) organic, wholesome ingredients.

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*Green Shield Organics-     UPDATED 2/28/2024

Moved from my Approved to my So-So list due to its inclusion of Japanese Honeysuckle Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Benzisothiazolinone, proprietary fragrance, and a few other red flags.  Even in the USDA certified organic products, their use of Japanese Honeysuckle concerns me. I’ve never seen a USDA certified organic product I cannot recommend, until now…..This is a very complex ingredient that, while sounds harmless, does carry concerns. I am not a chemist, and this is pretty scientific. But the creed I live by is that if I have more than a shred of doubt that an ingredient is safe, and there are alternatives that do not contain it, I will go with the alternative. There are several articles pointing to the concerns associated with this ingredient, this is the best summary I’ve found.

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*Honeybee Gardens-   ADDED 4/10/2024

Some products look great, with no ingredients of concern, just not organic which is of course my preference. The Facial Serum is a great example of that: grape seed oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, evening primrose oil, carrot seed essential oil, helichrysum essential oil, frankincense essential oil, geranium essential oil, lavender essential oil, german chamomile. Several of the facial products are similar, nothing concerning.

But then I look at the gel cleanser and see base ingredients such as: disodium cocoamphodiacetate, cocamidopropyl betaine , sodium cocoyl alaninate, glycerin, acrylates copolymer, 1,2-hexanediol, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, hydroxyacetophenone, ethylhexylglycerin. I see PEG-40, Phenoxyethanol in some products.The cosmetics are quite so-so as well in my opinion. Definitely not the worst, but as an example here’s the mascara. There are plenty options on the market with better ingredients that this: Aqua (Water), Iron Oxide CI 77499, Propanediol, Myrica Pubescens Fruit Cera, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Cera, Pullulan, Acacia Senegal Gum, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Cera, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Cellulose, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentaisostearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Undecyl Alcohol, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Tocopherol, Sodium Phosphate.

As always, if you want me to give my opinion on any specific product, I’d be happy to. I feel the So-So list is a perfect spot for this brand overall.

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*Innersense-    ADDED 3/23/2024

“Innersense- Organic beauty” is their logo. They only offer hair products: shampoo, conditioner, styling, treatment. I don’t see the USDA certified organic seal on anything. The ingredient labels note several certified organic ingredients, a common pet peeve of mine that a LOT of companies do. If they themselves are not a certified facility, even if they bring in ingredients they purchase as certified organic, there is more to that certification than just the ingredients. Being a certified facility ensures you’re following appropriate cleaning practices, pest control, etc. However, what they are doing is very, very common. And again, a huge pet peeve of mine. Also, another huge pet peeve, they state: ALWAYS CHECK PRODUCT PACKAGING FOR CURRENT INGREDIENT LIST.” That is unacceptable to me. They need to update their online ingredient labels if they change their formula.

I see 2 common ingredients that most every brand on my So-So List contain: Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate. In general, definitely not terrible, with many organic ingredients noted and if you’re okay with those ingredients I listed, which I prefer to avoid, this might be a good brand for you.

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*John Masters Organics-   UPDATED 3/20/2024

“Organic hair care” is the 1st thing I see when I go to their home page. So, I therefore expect to see organic shampoo, with as many organic ingredients as possible. What I see in the ingredient lists is disappointing. In ~30 ingredients, ~8 are listed as organic. And numerous ingredients ARE available organic such as Lavender Oill, White Tea Extract, Linseed Oill, Chamomile flower extract, etc. Additionally, the shampoos contain Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate. I was considering moving this brand to my Not Recommended/Greenwashers list based on the shampoos because I absolutely feel that’s Greenwashing. Don’t claim your hair care is organic unless it IS. However, with some more clicking around I see they do offer some USDA certified organic products. The Facial Oil with Pomegranate looks fantastic and is not insanely priced. The Hydrating Face Cream is not certified organic, but does contain a very large selection of organic ingredients, but also Potassium Sorbate. The body lotions contain Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate. Overall, I think this is a great example of a So-So brand. I would avoid the shampoo, recommend the USDA certified products, and if you’re okay with Potassium Sorbate and/or Sodium Benzoate, there might be more products you’d be comfortable with too.

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*Juice Beauty Products-   UPDATED 3/20/2024

Numerous organic ingredients which is fantastic, but also Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin in just about every moisturizer and hair product I looked at. A couple products do carry the USDA certified organic seal, there is a Treatment Oil that looks great! Prices are quite reasonable, and they even note PFAS Tested and Non-Detectable for some of their products, which is great to see companies doing. The cosmetics don’t look terrible, but they are using several so-so ingredients such as: methyl dihydroabietate, riisostearoyl polyglyceryl-3 dimer dilinoleate, polyglyceryl-10 heptahydroxystearate which they note are plant derived, but it’s the processing those natural ingredients undergo to synthesize them into the final product that leaves them with some concerns. The Lip Moisturizers look great concealer looks great too! Like numerous other brands on my So-So list, if you’re okay with Sodium Benzoate and/or Potassium Sorbate, you may find several products from this brand that you could use. And I love that they do offer some USDA certified organic products, those look great. Another perfect fit for my So-So list.

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*Kiss My Face-      UPDATED 3/20/2024

1st source of frustration: I go to Personal Care Tab, I see Organics listed under Sun Care, I click it, and it says: Sorry, there are no products in this collection… I see Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Benzoate and Phenoxyethanol in the shampoo. Phenoxyethanol in pretty much everything I looked at, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate, in many products as well. Prices are very reasonably priced, as they should be considering ingredients are not noted as organic.

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*Lafe’s Naturals–   UPDATED 3/20/2024

Shampoo appears to be a very mild formula using Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate to create lather, and many plant extracts. I guess they’re using Rosemary Leaf extract as a preservative, as none of the traditional ones are listed. Minimal ingredients in the formulas overall, some products like shampoo do not list any organic ingredients. And other products like the mosquito repellent carry the USDA certified organic seal. The baby line has 4 products, 3 of them are certified organic. The 4th is baby lotion which contains Poysorbate 60 and Phenoxyethanol, althought the rest of the ingredients look great and are mostly noted as certified organic. The Deodorant notes Geogard Ultra as a preservative, which is a blend of Gluconolactone and Sodium Benzoate, it also contains Polysorbate 20. Prices are very reasonably priced, even the certified organic ones.

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*Lavanila–       UPDATED 3/24/24

Body butters and lotiony products contain Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol, Ceteareth-20, Honeysuckle Flower Extract (a controversial preservative). They claim this about their scents:  “This is LAVANlLA‘s signature blend of pure essential oils, nature identical oils. and botanically derived aromas that create a long-lasting and authentically clean scent.” The deodorants don’t look terrible. They contain quite a few ingredients, but I don’t see any huge red flags, other than Japanese Honeysuckle Extract, which again, is controversial and until that controversy is settled without a doubt (it may mimic a paraben on a cellular level), I avoid products that contain it. But otherwise, the deo does contain many natural ingredients. 1 concern I see though is many corn-derived ingredients and if not organic, potentially from GMO sources. Overall, definitely not terrible!

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*Lemongrass Spa-    UPDATED 3/13/24

They use some organic ingredients and most products look pretty good EXCEPT just about all of them have 1 ingredient from my Ingredients to Avoid list. If you’re okay with the following, this might be a line for you. I’ve found alternatives for products that do not contain the following, so I’ll stick with those.  In my opinion: Shampoo looks pretty good except for the cocamidopropyl betaine. Sodium benzoate in face products. Phenoxyethanol in shaving cream. Grapefruit Seed Extract in Body Polish. I did not look at every, single product they offer, but every product I did look at had 1 of those previously listed ingredients that I prefer to avoid.

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*Little Twig-      UPDATED 4/1/2024

They note a lot of certified organic ingredients, but also just about everything I looked at contains 1or more of the following: Sodium benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20. Prices are very reasonable, so if you’re okay with the ingredients I just listed, this might be an okay line for you!

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*Live Clean baby–   UPDATED 4/1/2024

I do not see ingredients listed anywhere, I need to zoom in to the back of the bottle in the picture, which is always a frustrating experience. Looking at the baby wash and lotion, I see several ingredients noted as certified organic, but also Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, and Polyquaternium-7. However, the non-petroleum jelly looks quite good, I can recommend that! I’m not positive I’m seeing all of the diaper cream in the tube, because the ingredient label wraps around the tube a bit, but from what I can see, that looks good too. This is a Canadian brand, so doesn’t meet my mission on that level. 

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*Mineral Fusion-   ADDED 3/22/2024

I feel this brand is a good fit for my So-So list because some products do look decent, while others maybe not so much. And also a lot of the ingredients are so-so, and not terrible. For example, this Eye Pencil looks pretty decent! Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Glyceryl Caprylate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Silica, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate.

Ingredients I prefer to avoid that I see while clicking on several other products such as foundations, concealers, etc: Polysorbate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Japanese Honeysuckle Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol. If you want my opinion on any specific product from them, I’m happy to share my thoughts. Overall, I think it’s a So-So brand, there are worse, there are better.

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*Molly’s Suds-     UPDATED 2/3/2024

I moved Molly’s Suds from my approved list in 2020 due to the new formulas. When I 1st reviewed the line way back in 2013 there were a handful of products. The line has grown a lot, and it’s just not up to my standards for the best of the best list.  For the record, I am still comfortable with Molly’s original formula, and her oxygen whitener. However, the line has grown a LOT and the majority of the new formulations I am not comfortable with using myself, thus don’t recommend them to you. You’ll see ingredients such as Polysorbate 20, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Di-(Palm Carboxyethyl) Hydroxyethyl Methylammonium, Methyl Sulfates. Also, nothing is organic, which is also something I value. There are definitely worse products out there, but also better, so the line is a perfect fit for this So-So list.

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*Nature’s Pearl-     UPDATED 4/1/2024

Mainly a supplement line, but have some personal care products under their Youngevity line. I see Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Polysorbate 20 in the cleanser, all of which I consider so-so ingredients. However, the rest of the (long) list looks quite good and notes Organic, Ecocert, NOP- NSF compliant ingredients. I see a lotion with a Trinity name, it looks much less appealing than the couple of products I looked at wtih the Youngevity label. I would avoid it (dimethicone, ceteareth-20, methyparaben). I don’t evaluate supplements, turn to a trusted source for medical advice on those please.

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*Nubian Heritage–     UPDATED 4/1/2024

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl lsethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Benzoic Acid in most products, along with a mix of certified organic and fair trade ingredients. A face wash notes just the shea butter is organic, nothing else is and ingredients such as aloe leaf juice could be, but aren’t which is always disappointing to me. Stick 1 organic ingredient in the middle and take the space to note it. I guess better than nothing, especially if you’re a shea butter farmer. Again, this drives me mad: Nubian Heritage is dedicated to maintaining the accuracy of the ingredient lists on this website. However, because raw ingredients listings are subject to change due to INCI, we cannot guarantee that these lists are complete, up-to-date and/or error-free. For an accurate listing of ingredients in each product, please refer to your product packaging.

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*Nature’s Baby Organics–   UPDATED 4/2/2024

They divide their ingredient list into 2 sections, certified organic ingredients, then additional ingredients. No issue with the certified ones of course. In additional ingredients, looking at shampoo, body wash, face wash, I see several that are on my so-so list: Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Polysorbate 80, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Benzoate, PEG-150 Distearate.

They do have a handful of USDA certified organic products though, which look fantastic: Massage oil, Diaper Ointment, Chest Rub, Powder, and they’re very reasonably priced! I love that they offer subscribe and save and discounts for purchasing multiple units! So, like a lot of other lines on my So-So list, just be sure to read individual labels and look for that USDA certified organic seal to know you’re getting a great product, I’d avoid the non-certified ones.

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*Nurture My Body- moved from my Approved list on 2/21/24.

The main reason is because of the use of Grapefruit Seed Extract in just about every product I looked at, including the baby line. It has been on my radar for many years that this ingredient is not as benign as it sounds. Stephanie of Bubble & Bee does an amazing job explaining why this is an ingredient to avoid (link below). I see no mention of anything being organic. Personally, I feel there are so many great, safe options that are more affordable as well, that I really just cannot recommend this brand and feel good about it.

Info on GSE: https://bubbleandbee.com/the-honey/?p=grapefruit-seed-extract

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701433-CITRUS_GRANDIS_(GRAPEFRUIT)_SEED_EXTRACT/

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*NYR- Neal’s Yard Remedies-    UPDATED 4/2/2024

Not made in the USA, very much an international brand which is fine, but doesn’t match my mission whatsoever. Shampoo and conditioner all contain at least Potassium Sorbate, I also see: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Benzoate, and then a mix of several ingredients noted as organic, and many that are natural but not organic. Many products do look quite good, with Potassium Sorbate being 1 of the only on my Ingredients to Avoid to Avoid list in products like lotion (which notes 91.5% organic ingredients). Definitely not terrible, but my advice is to find a made in USA brand with even more organic ingredients.

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*Ogee– ADDED 4/1/2024

1st thing I notice is they state Certified Organic, I don’t see the USDA seal anywhere. Looking at a few products quickly, I see they note 74% organic ingredients. They are not USDA certified organic, they are NSF certified. Here’s what they said about it: “our entire collection has obtained Organic Certification to the NSF Personal Care Standard to ensure only the highest quality and safest ingredients are used within our formulations. Our NSF Organic Certification signifies that each product contains a minimum of 70% organic content and limits the remaining 30% to natural materials that were formulated in a manner that complies with our organic values.” I am not in agreement that these are the most stringent standards in personal care products, as they state on their website. Better than conventional products though? Absolutely!

I was really, really close to putting this brand on my Approved List (the good, not best of the best portion). But a few factors led me to place it here. I see Sodium Benzoate in multiple products, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol in a few (a relatively novel synthetic ingredient). However, for the most part, the ingredients do look fantastic, organic, and natural.

Luxury Organics is their subtitle, and the prices definitely indicate that sales pitch. Mascara is $48. Double Mask set of Clay Detox mask & a Renewal Cream is $184 (marked down from $246) and is listed as sold out. The Glow Trio is $246 (marked down from $324). $400 for a set of 5 products. These products are absolutely much, much better than anything mainstream. But at prices like this, I would want 100%, or 95%+ organic at least, not 70%. But, if you can afford these prices, know that the ingredients for most products look great.

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*Onesta–   UPDATED 4/2/2024

I was not able to find a link directly to their site, but to 3rd party beauty sites selling it, and to Amazon, and only a couple products were listed. Here are some ingredients that aren’t great which stand out to me when I glance at the shampoo & conditioner: Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose, Quaternium-17, Phenethyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Trideceth-12.

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*Original Sprout-    UPDATED 4/2/2024

Hair & Body Wash has the following ingredients I prefer to avoid: Cocamidopropyl Betaine,  Di-steareth- 100 IPDI, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide, followed by some ingredients listed as organic. Conditioner lists: PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Quaternium-91 Ethylhexyl Olivate, Potassium Sorbate. Baby cream contains Dimethicone and Polysorbate 60. Some products look better than others. I don’t see anything overly concerning in the hair gel, however the Styling Balm has PEG in 3 forms.

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*Osmia-    ADDED 4/2/2024

They use some ingredients they claim to be certified organic, although they have no actually certified organic final products. Only ingredients I see that I prefer to avoid are Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Levulinate (a synthetic with mixed reviews and concerns, I prefer to avoid it). Other than those 2 ingredients I just noted, I see nothing else of concern. It’s unfortunate they are not a certified organic brand, as many of the products look certifiable. I do find it interesting in something like their body mouse, they use non-organic lavender essential oil, when the other oils and ingredients are organic (except the tocopherols). Some products note organic aloe very leaf juice, the next one doesn’t. For example, the 3-step facial package (which is $199), the cleanser notes organic aloe, the face cream also has it as the 1st ingredient, but not noted as organic, which I find interesting (maybe a typo?).

Overall, many products look great and I could recommend several without hesitation. But there are a few I would not be able to recommend, so they’re another perfect brand for my So-So list.

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*Pangea Organics-   UPDATED 4/2/2024

Numerous wonderful, organic ingredients noted. This is a new one for me: Babassuamidopropyl Betaine. EWG gives it a 1-4 depending on usage, higher for products that will not be immediately rinsed off, it is in a face wash, so does get washed off, but still. Other ingredients that led me to put this on my So-So list include: Sodium Levulinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate HCl. I had noted in my original listing for them from years ago that they used Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate, and I’m not seeing those listed currently. While they ingredients that aren’t organic are NOT terrible by any means, I don’t feel this brand is quite good enough for my Approved list. I would place it in the upper 1/2 of my So-So list though, if I had to rank them (which maybe I’ll do someday).

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*Purple Prairie Botanicals–     UPDATED 4/2/2024

Cleansers and shampoo are all bar soaps, and very reasonably priced at $6. Lotions, body butters and balms, face & body oils, all look great. Honestly, my only concern is Polysorbate 20 or 60 in several of the products. This ingredient carries contamination concerns with Ethylene Oxide, and 1,4-Dioxane. Otherwise, if it weren’t for that ingredient, I would have this brand on my Approved (good, not best) portion of this list. There are several products that do not contain it, and I can recommend without hesitation.

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*Real Purity-   UPDATED 4/3/2024

I see a few organic ingredients noted, with several I like to avoid: Potassium Sorbate, Polysorbate 60, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Japanese Honeysuckle Flower Extract in shampoos, body washes, lotion. Toothpaste looks pretty good, I would try it if I saw it in front of me! Foundation, concealers, lipstick/gloss look pretty decent, mascara and eye shadows so-so. Prices are reasonable. Like the rest of the brands on this list, there are definitely some decent choices offered by this brand!

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*Rose of Sharon Acres–    UPDATED 4/2/2024

1st red flag I see immediately= “Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils”. There is no 3rd party that certifies such a thing. They use Optiphen as a preservative which gets a 3-5 via EWG, I don’t see many brands use it and I wouldn’t want to use it personally. It is classified as an irritant, has use restrictions and other concerns. There are several products that contain basic, organic ingredients such as their oral care options, salves, bar soaps, that I see nothing concerning in whatsoever. But this brand does concern me a bit with their use of essential oils in every, single product. I see links to Doterra info on their site as well. I do believe there is potential for overuse of EO’s if they’re in every, single product you’re using throughout the day. And I dislike the false claims being made that they are “certified” pure.

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*Rowe Casa Organics-    UPDATED 4/1/2024

A couple red flags: 1st red flag I see if “therapeutic grade” EO’s, it is my understanding there is no such thing, no governing body to affirm this claim. Also, there is colloidal silver in numerous products, which not everyone wants. I urge you to research that ingredient on your own to decide what you’re comfortable with. Also, several of the products are aloe vera based, and I do not see a traditional preservative listed. This is their response to that question: “Our products, including our lotions, do not contain any additive preservatives, but rather natural preservatives! We have found an all-natural preservative (Lactobillus ferment), which is a good type of bacteria that is found in our body! It is created by the ferment of lactobacillus and is plant based”

Many of the products do look great however. It looks like just about everything is in glass, which I love (although some have noted they do not like in their shower, for fear of dropping and breaking). I appreciate minimal ingredients that are also effective. This body butter looks lovely: RAW SHEA BUTTER, ORGANIC SAFFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC ARROWROOT POWDER, ORGANIC BAKUCHIOL OIL, 100% PURE THERAPEUTIC GRADE ESSENTIAL OIL: FRANKINCENSE.

Baby Wash/Shampoo also looks great, it’s castile soap based, with minimal ingredients. I wrote to ask what the “plant sugar (derived from coconut) actually is, I don’t feel they’re listing that properly and are trying to hide something!? Also: Glycols (derived from coconut and palm), WHICH glycols??? Coconut fruit extract…. The thing is, many ingredients do COME from natural sources, but are highly processed into not-so natural ingredients in the end. Here is their response to my email. “I’ll just leave it at this, but again, this is a frustration of mine: “Our Plant Sugars derived from Palm and Coconut are plant sugars derived from those specific sources. These are naturally fatty acids, glucose, and alcohols. The INCI name is cetearyl glucoside. The main component is glucose as this is what makes it emulsify and is great for the skin!”

Shampoo bars finally list some actual ingredients, that are derived from coconut, and a great example of what I just mentioned above. SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE (DERIVED FROM COCONUT), SODIUM LAURYL SULFOACETATE (DERIVED FROM COCONUT), COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE (DERIVED FROM COCONUT). I have a feeling many of the other ingredient lists should be stating the same, but they are being vague.

In addition to what I noted above as a few concerns, every product contains numerous essential oils. That’s fine if you’re using 1 product here & there. But if you were to use multiple products from this line daily, I feel you’re overusing EO’s. That’s my opinion of course. But that’s what you’re here to read 🙂 I feel the So-So list is the perfect spot for this brand.

*Suzanne Organics (as in Suzanne Somers)   ADDED ON 3/1/2024:

This brand is perfect for my So-So list because I see several ingredients that are on my To Be Avoided list (among many other so-so ingredients listed) such as: Cocamidopropyl Betaine, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate. What REALLY irks me is the greenwashing, of the shampoos at least! 1st you have the brand name: Suzanne Organics. The website claims: More than natural, more than organic. The shampoo specifically says this: “Free of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and All Toxins. Packed with Organic, Botanically Active Nourishing Ingredients.” Let’s look at the shampoo. One of the volumizing shampoo lists 1 organic ingredient (aloe leaf juice) out of 20 total ingredients, the other lists 2 organic out of 23. THAT IS GREENWASHING! An 8 oz bottle is $35. Do yourself a favor and find a brand on my Approved, or even So-So list that is using MORE organic ingredients and charging less, it’s a win-win.

I was tempted to put this brand on my Not Recommended List due to that, but I will say that the cosmetics look pretty good actually! That was a pleasant surprise. Foundation is not an easy category to use all organic ingredients in, this brand does use many, and overall it’s a surprisingly “clean” label! Only ~5 shades in most of the cosmetics options, but states that they can be blended (always an option). Lipstick has potassium sorbate, otherwise looks pretty good as well, with lots of organic ingredients noted. Lip Balms look good. For the body products like lotion, etc, many of them are so-so. A few organic ingredients sprinkled into a bunch of other mediocre, although mostly not terrible ingredients. While there are certainly worse options out there, for most categories offered you’ll find better ones, at more affordable prices.

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*Tom’s of Maine-   UPDATED    4/3/2024

1st thing I have to say is this company is owned by Colgate, if the packaging read Colgate instead of Tom’s of Maine, would you still purchase them? That is up to you, I do my best to keep this project objective and about the ingredients. And I’ll admit, the ingredients on some products are not terrible. They are not organic, but for the most part they are natural, and I appreciate that they offer a fluoride-free toothpaste, for those who prefer to avoid that. They are using Benzyl Alcohol, which is a preservative that gets a 4-6 in EWG. Carrageenan raises concern for some, but I’m not super worried about it in a spit out product like toothpaste. Some of the toothpaste contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which I avoid, some of them don’t contain it. The Sea Salt Mouthwash looks decent. I dislike that several deodorants have Propylene Glycol as a 1st ingredient, that is on my Ingredients to Avoid list, some also contain Butylene Glycol and Methylheptylglycerin. However, all that being said, for a very mainstream brand, that is readily available at places like Wal-Mart, this honestly is a decent choice comparatively.

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*Trillium Herbal Company-      UPDATED (and moved from Approved list) 1/12/2024

This company moved from my Best of the Best List, to my So-So list in 2024. This was not an easy decision, and this is the 1^st time I’ve done this so far in my updating process. Especially being this company is based in my home state of Wisco, I really hate to do this, but I do not think they deserve to be on my Approved list any longer, due to a few factors. Mainly, the fact they are no longer USDA certified organic, as they were when I put them on my Best of the Best list. At that time they were named Trillium Organics, and now they have rebranded to drop the organic part even! I wrote in to inquire and this was the response: “We held the USDA organic certification from 1999 to 2020 We let it go during the chaos of Covid So no we are no longer certified. But we have not lowered our sourcing standards or production practices. So it’s really just a matter of whether you trust trillium. We sure hope you do!!”

That is extremely disappointing to me. I know the Covid years were hard on small businesses, but it is no excuse to turn your back on certifying your products as organic. It’s either important to you, or it’s not. My trust is earned, not given, and I am certainly not the type of consumer that is going to put my faith in any company telling me to trust them. And of course, while they can say they haven’t lowered sourcing or production standards, they certainly didn’t lower prices when they dropped certification either…. Prices are very expensive. I was debating whether they should go on the lower portion of my Approved list (good but not best of best), until I saw they had potassium sorbate in a body polish and that sealed the deal for me, they belong on my So-So List.

Very small line (reduced from what I noted they offered in the past) of: Body Polish, Body Solutions, Facial Solutions, Remedies, Gifts & Sets. Body polish comes in sizes of 2 oz to 96 oz ($132)!! Here is an example of why I feel the line is So-So: Body butter, .5oz to 8oz ($66!): Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Phosphatidylcholine, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Ester C), Tocopherol (Soy Vit E), Tocobiol (Sunflower Vit E), Essential Oils, ORGANIC  is BOLD. When I see ingredients derived from soy, that are not organic, that concerns me. Essential oils are also not noted as organic. For them to ask $66 for an 8 oz jar, and it’s not certified organic, I really have a hard time justifying it and cannot support it myself. Body Wash: Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Jojoba Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Aloe Vera Juice, Guar Gum, Rosemary Extract, Essential Oils, ORGANIC is BOLD. 8oz= $33, 64oz= $165. In my opinion, this is just not acceptable. You can find brands with similar, organic ingredients for less. Most of the products in the Remedy category are made from all organic ingredients, there is a Barrier balm, Aroma Rub, Stretch Salve, Bruise Balm, EXCEPT the Oil free polish has potassium sorbate (on my ingredients to avoid list).

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*True Botanicals-  ADDED 3/17/24

I see just a couple of ingredients that are less than ideal, otherwise this line uses a lot of great ingredients. Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Ethylhexylglycerin are the main ingredients that stand out to me as ones I prefer to avoid.  But I did look at some products that have none of these ingredients of concern and look quite good, with many organic ingredients. So, like other lines on this list, just read each label if you’re steering clear of those ingredients I mentioned too.

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*TruKid-    UPDATED 4/3/2024

Another one of those frustrating website experiences for me, the only tab is for Description, and it does not include ingredients. I have to go to a pic of the back of the product and zoom in on the label, I hate that! Thankfully I’m doing this on a huge, widescreen monitor, otherwise this would be more difficult! I see several ingredients in the wash & creams that are so-so at best: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionoate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide. Their Soothing Skin Therapy Balm looks quite good! The Bubble Podz don’t look awful, SLSA is deemed safe by many, but I’m still on the fence about it being great. Personally, I wouldn’t use these, but would consider them better than most conventional bath bomb type products.

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*Viori-     UPDATED 2/29/24:

Shampoo and conditioner bars. They’re not terrible, but not good enough for the best list. In addition to listing only 1 organic ingredient (cacao butter) among a pretty long list, I see a few ingredients that I’m not a fan of: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, Fragrance. *This fragrance is made with natural and/or natural-equivalent compounds. When I wrote in to ask “Natural equivalent means that it wasn’t naturally made, but at a molecular level they are identical to the natural source.” $18 for a shampoo bar that contains 1 organic ingredient is a bit astounding to me. That being said, there are certainly much worse options for haircare, but there are “cleaner” options too. Making my So-So List a perfect spot for this brand.

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*Weleda–     UPDATED 4/3/2024

Made in Switzerland, so doesn’t meet my mission on that level, but I do see this brand offered in my food coop so know it’s readily available here. I don’t see anything awful, main concerns are: Benzyl Benzoate, Pentylene Glycol, honestly, there is not a whole lot of concerning ingredients!  I don’t see any ingredients listed as organic. Certainly better than most conventional products, perfect for my So-So list!

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Well People-   ADDED 4/1/2024

1^st product I went to was a Fresh Dew Snow Mushroom Gel- Cream Moisturizer. Moisturizers give me a good glimpse into what types of base ingredients, and preservatives, a brand uses. My immediate impression was that this is a So-So brand. I see the usuals such as: butylene glycol, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, ethylhexylglycerin. From there I click on a cleanser and other facial care products and see: cocamidopropyl betaine, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, butylene glycol, laurate tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, hydroxyacetophenone. Lip tint oil has several SO-SO ingredients: glyceryl behenate/eicosadioate ,diethylhexyl syringylidenemalonate, dimer dilinoleyl dimer dilinoleate. Otherwise, most cosmetics don’t look awful, mainly the usual potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, which I prefer to avoid. I don’t see any of the ingredients noted as organic, which is something I value greatly in selecting the best possible products. In general, definitely worse products out there, but also better, thus my So-So list is a perfect spot for this brand I feel.

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Young Living–   UPDATED 4/3/2024

I do NOT evaluate Essential Oils, or supplements, I’m strictly commenting on personal care. I’m happy to say that several products look decent, there is nothing absolutely terrible. I see so-so ingredients such as: Diheptyl Succinate, Capryloyl glycerin/sebacic acid copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Coco Betaine. Every product has very, very long ingredient lists, I counted 40 ingredients in 1 shampoo, which has a base of so-so ingredients plus a LOT of eo’s. Being this is primarily an essential oil company, I’m not surprised to find numerous eo’s in every product I look at. But there are many people who are concerned with the overuse of EO’s, and if that’s you, you would probably want to avoid this line for that reason alone. Line in general is quite pricey, lotions selling at retail for over $100 for less than 2oz, they do have loyalty discounts. Overall, I feel the So-So list is perfect for this brand, as there are much worse options out there, but also better, and this brand in particular is very, very heavy on it’s use of eo’s.

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*Zum-   UPDATED 3/19/2024

Several organic ingredients noted in ingredient lists, many plant-based extracts in lotions. Only thing I see that I prefer to avoid is Potassium Sorbate. The body oil lists Fragrance Oil, but then says it’s a mix of EO’s up in the description with this note *Frankincense products contain phthalate-free, paraben-free fragrance oil. The body oils look quite good actually, other than not being 100% organic: Sweet almond oil, shea butter and meadowfoam seed oil extract, certified organic sunflower oil, avocado, fractionated coconut and hemp oils, essential oils, tocopherol (vitamin E), and rosemary extract. The body balm’s also look quite good: Certified organic sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, beeswax (natural, not refined or bleached), carnauba wax, certified organic shea butter, goat’s milk, essential oil, & vitamin E. Laundry soap has just a handful of ingredients. I’d be very curious how well this works: water, potassium cocoate (saponified 100% coconut oil), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), fragrance (essential oil) and glycerin (vegetable glycerin). Hand soaps look good! If it weren’t for the inclusion of Potassium Sorbate in several products (the lotions), this brand would be good enough for my Approved List. For my So-So list, this would be near the top of my choices for sure. Most of the products look quite good and are very reasonably priced!

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