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You may have noticed an EWG Verified stamp on some non-toxic household and beauty products and found yourself wondering, what does EWG verified mean?
The EWG is short for the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that’s been around for 30 years. It provides detailed information about the potential toxicity of the ingredients in all of your common, everyday household products.
The EWG reports on thousands of consumer products, and what I personally like about it is that it empowers us as consumers to choose products made from safer ingredients to keep ourselves and our families safe.
What Kinds of Products Does the EWG Rate?
The EWG evaluates and rates many different categories of products, including but not limited to the following:
- Food and beverages: The EWG assesses various food items, including fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy products, and packaged foods. They analyze pesticide residues, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), additives, and other potential contaminants in these products.
- Cosmetics and personal care products: This category covers a wide range of products, such as skincare, makeup, hair care, oral care, and fragrances. The EWG evaluates the dangers of the ingredients used in these products, including potential allergens, toxins, and hormone disruptors.
- Cleaning products: Household cleaners, detergents, and laundry products are also evaluated by the EWG. They assess the safety of ingredients, looking out for harmful chemicals, allergens, and potential respiratory and skin irritants.
- Baby and kids’ products: The EWG pays particular attention to products designed for infants and children, including baby food, formula, diapers, personal care items, and toys.
- Pet care products: Just like with many products for humans, the EWG examines ingredients in pet care items such as pet food, shampoos, flea treatments, and grooming products so you know you’re only getting the best for your furry friends.
- Home furnishings: This category includes paints, flooring, furniture, mattresses, and other home improvement products. The EWG looks into potential chemical emissions, flame retardants, and other substances used to make these products that could impact indoor air quality and overall health.
- Water filters: The EWG provides valuable information on water quality, testing different filtration systems and providing ratings based on their effectiveness in removing contaminants.
You can find ratings for pretty much any kind of household product you could name on the EWG’s site. They also provide articles about public health, consumer products, and environmental issues that many people are concerned about today.
What Does EWG Verified Mean?
Now that we have a better understanding of the EWG, let’s turn our attention to the term that is often thrown around: “EWG Verified.” Think of EWG verification as a seal of approval from the EWG. It’s basically the gold standard of certifications for products that fully meet EWG’s rigorous criteria for safety and transparency.
To earn the coveted EWG Verified status, products have to go through a comprehensive assessment by EWG’s team of experts, who review each ingredient, manufacturing process, and labeling claim. They prioritize transparency, making sure that companies provide full disclosure of a product’s ingredients, avoiding any undisclosed toxins. Products that pass this rigorous evaluation process can then display the EWG Verified seal, which shows their commitment to safer formulations and consumer health.
EWG also rates products on a scale of 1-10, with scores of EWG Verified and 1 to 2 labeled as “low hazard,” and higher scores labeled “moderate” and “high hazards.”
Note: We test and evaluate many of the non-toxic products we recommend here at The Eco Edit based on this EWG verified seal. You’ll find many of them in our guides to face washes, dish soaps, and laundry detergents, as well as many of our make-up and skin-care recommendations. That’s because for each product they rate, the EWG breaks all of its ingredients down and identifies potential hazards, from anything from possible allergic reactions or eye irritants to more serious issues like hormone disruption and links to cancer.
Products Don’t Have to Be EWG Verified to Be Safe
Many clean products that are made of natural and organic ingredients don’t earn the “EWG Verified” label as the lowest possible toxicity, due to their inclusion of natural essential oils, which could potentially irritate people’s eyes or sensitive skin. That means there are plenty of healthy natural products that score in the low hazard range on the EWG scale.
Just because a product you love isn’t EWG verified does not necessarily mean it’s unhealthy or toxic, so don’t immediately despair if your favorite shampoo scores a 2 or 3! Instead, look through the details of the EWG’s rating to see what’s behind the product’s overall score.
The Benefits of EWG Verified Products
EWG verification has a bunch of benefits that the eco-conscious consumer will find helpful in choosing healthy and environmentally-friendly products.
- Safety: EWG Verified products offer peace of mind, as they’re formulated without potentially harmful chemicals and toxins. By choosing EWG Verified items, you reduce the risk of exposing your family to potentially dangerous substances.
- Transparency: EWG Verified products come from companies committed to transparency. This means you can trust that the listed ingredients are accurate and reliable.
- Time-saving: Navigating the world of safer products can be overwhelming. The EWG Verified seal simplifies the process by narrowing down your choices to pre-vetted, trustworthy options.
- Supporting change: By purchasing EWG Verified products, you support companies that prioritize consumer health and advocate for safer formulations. These choices, when we all make them, have the power to encourage broader industry change and create a healthier future for everyone.
Criticism of the EWG
While the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has gained popularity and recognition for its work, it’s not without criticism. The criticism doesn’t necessarily negate the value of the organization’s efforts, but rather highlights areas of concern or different perspectives.
Here are a few common criticisms of the EWG:
- Methodology and interpretation: Critics argue that the EWG’s methodology for evaluating and rating products may not always align with established scientific consensus. Some question the weight assigned to certain studies or the interpretation of data, suggesting that it may lead to an overemphasis on perceived risks without considering the actual exposure levels or context.
- Simplification and fear-mongering: The EWG’s use of simple ratings to classify products can be seen as oversimplifying complex scientific issues. Critics argue that this approach can create unnecessary fear and confusion among consumers, leading to potentially excessive avoidance of certain products or ingredients that may not pose significant risks at typical exposure levels.
- Funding sources and bias: The EWG’s funding comes from various sources, including individual donations and foundations. Critics argue that certain funding sources may introduce biases or influence the organization’s priorities, potentially impacting the objectivity of their research and recommendations.
- Conflict with regulatory agencies: Critics argue that the EWG’s assessments and recommendations sometimes conflict with those of regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They believe that adhering to established regulatory standards provides a more balanced approach to evaluating product safety. (That said, the FDA doesn’t even regulate toxic metals in most baby foods, so until they step up, American consumers need somewhere else to go to evaluate the safety of common products.)
Final Thoughts
While the EWG has faced criticism, it has also played a significant role in raising awareness about potential environmental and health risks associated with certain products. It’s also one of the most thorough resources for evaluating household products that are currently available to us as consumers.
Ultimately, as consumers, it’s essential to educate ourselves and make informed decisions based on a variety of reputable sources. The EWG is one of those helpful resources, but it’s not the sole source of information when it comes to being a conscious consumer.
