The Rise of “Clean” and “Green” Washed Products

With the rise of fluffy language like “safe", “clean,” and “non-toxic,” slapped all over products, it’s become really hard for consumers to know what’s actually a smart purchase.

Marketing practices, known as “Greenwashing” and “Cleanwashing” occur when product labels purposefully mislead consumers to believe that the product is environmentally friendly, reflects eco-friendly values, and/or it contains healthy ingredients when it does not. Unfortunately, this trend shows no sign of slowing down.

Sadly, the mass adoption of phrases like, "non-toxic," or “clean,” which are commonly used in packaging or advertising, has watered down the definitions and many of these claims are in fact false. It is critical that we become conscious consumers, so that we can make truly healthy choices for ourselves and our loved ones.

When shopping, keep an eye out for a few of these misleading tactics:

• Green Imagery

  • Any ads or packaging that heavily feature plants, flowers, or leaves.

    • As we know, images can speak louder than words, so many manufacturers put flowery icons or photos on their products in hopes the design will give the “green” impression.
      
      

• “Free-Of” or “No” Lists

  • Any product that lists being “free” of toxins like formaldehyde, parabens or phalates.

    • While this may be true, being free of a few chemicals out of the 10,000+ circulating inside American personal care products is not enough. I see this a lot with nail polish companies.

• Buzz Words

  • Any use of terms or phrases like "green", "non-toxic," "pure," "safe", and "plant-based"

    • These words are not supported by law and have no clear definition.⁠

Here at LTL, the products that I recommend ⁠go through a strict vetting process, using professional resources beyond EWG and ThinkDirty. If a company chooses to formulate with any ingredient on my “No-No list” than I do not believe that the consumer's health is their priority.
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Lastly, as a consumer, remember that you are powerful! Businesses are actually responding to your wants and needs through the products that they manufacture. Put your money where your values are and support the companies that care for you!

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Companies with a History of Green or Clean Washing

• Covergirl

• Natureluxe

• Neutrogena Pure and Free

• Origins

• St. Ives

• Huggies Pure and Natural

• Herbal Essences

• Tyson

• Aveno

• Tide Pure Clean

• Mrs. Myers

• Babyganics

• Johnson’s Natural

• Puracy

• Raw Sugar Living

• Blueland

• Moroccan Oil

• Love, Beauty & Planet