Although trace amounts can occur naturally in green tea and chicory, the phenoxyethanol used in cosmetics is entirely synthetic and not permitted under natural or organic certification. Some “clean” or “eco-friendly” stores still allow it, claiming it’s safe in small amounts, but those small amounts can add up across multiple products. We choose to ban it completely.

Despite being marketed as natural alternatives, crystal deodorants aren’t truly aluminium-free. They’re made from potassium alum or ammonium alum, both aluminium compounds. We exclude them entirely.

Used in many popular water filters, activated alumina is made from aluminium oxide. Because it’s an aluminium-based compound, it doesn’t meet our no-aluminium standard, so we don’t sell any filters or products containing it.

Some stores offer both fluoride and fluoride-free toothpaste as a “customer choice.” We don’t. Our standard is simple: no added fluoride compounds such as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, amine fluoride or stannous fluoride. We never allow added or industrial fluoride in any toothpaste we sell.

Talc is still permitted under certified natural standards and is found in many popular natural cosmetics. We choose not to allow it. With natural alternatives like corn starch and rice powder available, there’s no reason to keep using it in modern formulations.

Many stores choose to ban only cyclic silicones (also called volatile silicones) such as cyclopentasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane and cyclomethicone. We go further, also banning non-cyclic silicones including dimethicone, amodimethicone, dimethiconol, trimethylsiloxysilicate and polysilicone-11. The only exception is nail polish, where non-cyclic silicones are used as there are no cleaner alternatives.

These compounds, known collectively as ethanolamines, are sometimes still found in natural or naturally positioned products. They’re not accepted under strict clean beauty standards, and we exclude them entirely.

These potentially microplastic-based film-forming polymers are often used to create hold, gloss or texture in makeup and hair products. They’re sometimes found in “clean” formulas, but we don’t allow any polyvinyl or PVP ingredients, including VP/eicosene copolymer.

Most known for its use in engine coolant and antifreeze, propylene glycol is still found in popular “clean” beauty products. With safer, plant-based alternatives like glycerin and propanediol available, we see no reason to include it in skincare and exclude it entirely.

Found in some “natural” supplements, drinks and oral care, we don’t believe these synthetic additives belong in clean formulations. While some stores still allow sucralose, we choose to ban all three.

Used as an anti-static or detangling agent, stearalkonium chloride can be found in some natural hair care products despite being on the EWG Unacceptable list. It’s a quaternary ammonium compound that doesn’t meet our ingredient standards.