For example, Pantene Truly Natural Hair Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner is ranked 5 (a moderate hazard), but contains Fragrance and Methylisothiazolinone, both of which have high hazard scores (rated 8 and 7, respectively). And the risk based approach of allowing chemicals to be innocent until proven guilty does little to instill confidence in my book.Īlso concerning is that high scoring ingredients don’t drive a product’s composite score. The rating reflects how much scientists know – or don’t know – about an ingredient, and those that haven’t been thoroughly studied are assigned a low score. These labels are based on a combination of two factors: the scope of ingredient health, hazard, and safety data contained in Skin Deep, and the number of studies available in the open scientific literature.
This popular database relies on a dual rating system to convey information about potential hazards associated with thousands of cosmetics, personal care products and ingredients:
#EWG ORG SKIN DEEP FREE#
Today, Skin Deep rates 70,000 products and almost 11,500 ingredients.ĭownload Sharon's FREE Label Reading Guide The database’s first release rated 7,500 products and almost 7,000 ingredients. In 2004, EWG launched the Skin Deep database to inform people of what’s in their personal care products. More recently, however, EWG has become widely regarded as a pioneer in the movement to shed light on the issue of toxins in cosmetics, and has done some good work in this arena. Since its inception in 1993, EWG has provided research geared towards reforming agriculture policy, advancing conservation techniques and environmental protection. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an activist group specializing in research and advocacy in the areas of agricultural subsidies, toxic chemicals, drinking water pollutants and corporate accountability. Perhaps the most widely used resource is the EWG Skin Deep Database, and this blog will shed light and understanding on the limitations of this tool. When learning about the complex issue of harmful ingredients in everyday products, it’s natural to want to lean on a tool or tools to help cut through the clutter in order to make sound purchasing decisions.īut beware, as most come with bias and limitations.