We love talking about greenwashing, it's like pop culture gossip for sustainability nerds. The reality is it makes things confusing and frustrating for people trying to shop their values. Not every purchase should be a research project. And it shouldn't be your responsibility to have to sort through the claims that some companies try to pass off as authentic sustainability efforts.

Over the years we've seen almost every kind of greenwashing. Some attempts are obvious, some are tricky, and on rare occasions it's good intentions but a lack of expertise that result in greenwashing. Here are three things that automatically make us suspicious when it comes to ingredient safety and sustainability claims:

1. Vague language: Be wary of companies that use words like "natural", "green", "eco-friendly", and even "sustainable" on their products without any trustworthy certifications to help substantiate those terms. If brands are using these unregulated terms, they should define what they mean to the company openly on their website and in detail. You can read more about the certifications we trust here.
2. Free-from claims: Just because a company says their products are "free-from" a certain chemical (e.g. BPA) or group of chemicals (e.g. sulfates) does not mean the products are actually safer. This is one reason our ingredeint safety criteria may seem “hard” to some corporate executives. Simply banning ingredients doesn’t mean the company has a comprehensive program, policy and approach to safety. Look for credible certifications like EWG VERIFIED and Made Safe.
3. Industry-led certifications: Not all certifications are created equal. And because the trustworthy ones can be really useful, lots of organizations and even companies themselves have created "certifications" that look credible and seem trustworthy. In general, we don't trust certifications that focus on things like reporting emissions without explicit emission reductions, "limiting" emissions of hazardous chemicals, purchasing offsets, or are managed by the company themselves or a retailer (e.g. Sephora, Target, Amazon, etc.).

These tips are full-proof but can be helpful indicators that tell you more research is necessary, or when you should simply try to find another option.