We wanted to know what natural brands you trust to keep your families squeaky clean. Hundreds of our readers chose these winners!
Picking out natural shampoo, soap, and other personal-care products can be tricky. A lot of brands might claim to be natural, but since natural isn’t a federally regulated term, how can you be sure they are—and how can you know if the products work? Some great resources:
THE NATURAL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION
(NPA) provides certification to products that meet their stringent requirements for claiming the term natural. Their list is not exhaustive yet, but you can find out about their seal and which companies have earned it so far at npainfo.org.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP
(EWG) rates personal-care items based on the number of risky chemicals they contain. You can look up products at cosmeticsdatabase.com to see their hazard rating, from 0 (best) to 10 (worst).
THE KIWI AWARDS pulls it together for you
Our readers can vouch that these winners work well for their families. We, the editors, have determined that the brands are NPA-certified or have at least one product in the winning line with a 3 or better rating from the EWG. Some products also have the USDA Organic seal, which means they are produced using the same standards required for organic food—the USDA doesn’t currently regulate the personal care industry. The Organic Trade Association is pushing for this to change.
){kind=link}