Regular, low-dose exposure to many chemicals used in mainstream personal care products may contribute to your risk for cancer, asthma, and other serious health complications. You can’t always trust what you read on a product label, because companies have gotten very good at trying to convince you that their products are as clean and green as possible.

LIAR LABELS

These marketing claims sure sound healthy–but don’t fall for their greenwashing..

Hypoallergenic

WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS: That somebody has tested the .product to make sure it wont cause any allergic reactions.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Nothing–there are no government regulations around the term “hypoallergenic,” so companies are free to define it however they like!

Natural

WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS: That a product was made with all-natural, plant-based ingredients.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: Who knows? The government doesn’t regulate the term “natural,” so it can mean just about anything.

Organic

WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS: That every ingredient in a product comes from a USDA Certified Organic farm.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: That some of the ingredients in your product are certified organic–but the rest can be anything at all. Opt for brands that tell you what percent of the product’s ingredients are USDA Certified Organic–the higher, the better.

Unscented

WHAT YOU THINK IT MEANS: Hooray! No allergy-triggering, sketchy synthetic fragrances.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: The product may contain a fragrance–you just can’t smell it because it’s formulated with masking agents that block the smell of all the other ingredients. But these masking agents can still cause allergies and other problems. Look for “fragrance free” instead.