Claim Glossary

Biodegradable means something is capable of decomposing into elements found in nature. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides, a company can make a general (unqualified) degradable claim if the item can be expected to completely decompose within one year after customary disposal. “Customary disposal” is the key phrase here, since most things end up in landfills where biodegradation does not typically occur. When we use the term “biodegradable” we offer a qualification that defines what we mean by it as it applies to any given product.

We use the Leaping Bunny definition of “cruelty-free” which means we do not conduct or commission animal tests, and do not use any ingredient or formulation that is tested on animals.

Eco-friendly is an incredibly vague, but popular marketing claim with no standard definition. When we choose to use this term, we specify what makes the product better for the planet than comparable, conventional products.

Our “Goodbye to” (aka "Made without") lists are a brief outline of what we avoid when making specific products. Sometimes it's for health risk reasons. Sometimes it's for environmental reasons. Sometimes it's just because of consumer demand. It does not necessarily mean "100% free-of" – it means we have not intentionally added it to the product.

Hypoallergenic means that the product is less likely to cause allergic reactions. It doesn't necessarily mean it is allergy-proof (nothing truly is).

Natural fragrance means the scent profile is created with natural raw materials like essential oils and isolates (chemicals that have been isolated from a botanical).

These are synthetic ingredients created through reactive chemistry that have the same chemical structure of naturals, but do not come from botanicals.

In the EU, a nanomaterial is defined as “a natural, incidental or manufactured material containing particles, in an unbound state or as an aggregate or as an agglomerate and where, for 50% or more of the particles in the number size distribution, one or more external dimensions is in the size range 1 nanometer – 100 nanometer." The concern with nanoparticles is that we don’t fully understand the health and environmental implications. Because of this, we choose to use non-nano ingredients.

USDA certified organic foods and ingredients are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal welfare, pest and weed control, and use of additives.

pH-balanced means a product has been formulated to be compatible with the typical pH of skin and hair to prevent dryness or irritation.

A lot of common ingredients and materials are petroleum-based, which is a non-renewable, unsustainable resource. We look for alternatives derived from renewable, natural resources. When an ingredient is created using raw materials from plants, we consider it plant-based or plant-derived. We consider a product plant-based or plant-derived when the majority of the final formula is made up of plant or plant-derived ingredients.

Reef-friendly means a product will not damage or kill coral reefs.

Tear-free means the product has been formulated to be extra gentle and won’t sting if it gets into your child’s eye. It doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t irritate eyes - because even plain water can be irritating to eyes.

Vegan means a product does not contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients. This includes, but is not limited to, honey, beeswax, lanolin, gelatin, and more.