Greenwashing is the practice of making a product appear more environmentally or health-conscious than it actually is. In the baby product market, where parents are especially motivated to make safe choices, it's particularly common. Research identifies it as the primary obstacle to informed purchasing in the organic baby category.[1]
The tactics have gotten more sophisticated over time. Here's how to recognize them.
Claiming a product is "free of" a chemical that was never used in that product category, or that's been legally banned for decades. This creates the impression of safety without actually differentiating the product from any other option on the shelf.[2]
Terms like "eco-friendly," "natural," "clean," "conscious," and "non-toxic" are not regulated and require no testing or certification to use. Any brand can print them on any product. Without a third-party certification backing up the claim, these words are just marketing.[1]
Using natural imagery, forests, waterfalls, green leaves, earthy colors, on packaging to create an impression of environmental responsibility, while the ingredient list remains chemically conventional.[2] The visual language of "natural" is well established, and it works on a subconscious level even when the product doesn't back it up.
Some brands create internal quality badges designed to visually mimic third-party certifications, leaf logos, checkmark seals, shield graphics with phrases like "Purity Tested" or "Clean Verified." These are internal graphics with no external verification or standards behind them.[2]
A brand that produces a single organic or non-toxic product while the rest of its lineup remains conventional. This creates a "halo" effect for the brand without any systemic change, and may actually create cross-contamination risk if the products are manufactured in the same facility as chemical-intensive products.[1]
The Practical Filter
Here's the fastest way to cut through the noise:
- Ignore the front-of-package claims entirely. Marketing language, not information.
- Look for named, verifiable third-party certifications. GOTS, OEKO-TEX 100, MADE SAFE, GREENGUARD Gold, USDA Organic.
- Search the product on the certifying organization's website to confirm it's actually listed.
- For skincare, use the EWG Skin Deep database to check specific products and ingredients.
- Quick starting points with real certs: Pipette Baby Lotion (MADE SAFE) and Badger Baby Sunscreen (MADE SAFE certified) are examples you can verify on the certification databases above.
One useful mindset shift: Instead of trying to find products with no red flags, look for products with positive signals, a real, verifiable certification from a real organization. That's a much shorter list and a much more reliable one.
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