Better Goods' mission is to empower the world to understand what's in our products and make safer choices for ourselves and our families.
We're an independent organization that analyzes the ingredients in beauty and personal care for safety.
Why We Started Better Goods
Most companies don’t have our best interests in mind. They will gladly put a cheaper, less safe ingredient in their products to save a nickel and appease their investors. We’re quickly destroying our planet with single-use plastics and pollutants being pumped into our air and water.
We also cut through marketing tricks like greenwashing—the act of tricking people into believing that a company or product is more non-toxic and eco-friendly than it really is.
Better Goods exists to fight against misleading information, unsafe products and toxic chemicals and plastics being put into our environment. We use science and real studies to find out which products are truly safe to use, which are full of bad ingredients, and which are trying to trick you.
We believe that everyone has a right to know what they’re putting on their skin, and we’re committed to providing accurate, reliable information to help people make informed choices about the products they buy.
A lack of product safety regulation.
There is very little regulation when it comes to personal care and cosmetics. Contrary to popular belief, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate cosmetics or their ingredients—the responsibility lies on the manufacturers.
It gets worse: the European Union has banned over 1300+ chemicals for use in cosmetics. The US has banned only 30.
For this reason, it’s up to us to do our own research to ensure that the products we use every day are safe for us and our families.
Why we're different.
Our team of experts researches ingredient safety information and peer-reviewed studies to find out which ingredients should be avoided. Unlike other product safety organizations, every product on Better Goods is human-reviewed for ingredient safety, rather than a simple automated rating done by an algorithm.
We believe in transparency when it comes to ingredient safety. On our website, you can find detailed information on every product, including the full list of ingredients and a breakdown of which are safe and which should be avoided. We also include additional notes to help provide context for why certain ingredients may not be recommended.
How "Voting With Your Wallet" and Buying Better Products Can Make Real Change
We believe that buying safer, non-toxic products has a much bigger benefit than the obvious. The market will always follow what we—as customers—demand.
The phrase “voting with your wallet” may be cliche, but it’s true. Companies will go where the consumer interest is. Your favorite brand might not offer a line of plastic-free shampoos because they care about the environment, but because consumers demand it.
It’s no coincidence that huge brands like McDonald’s are launching plant-based burgers, or that Sephora launched their Clean at Sephora branding to easily find clean beauty prodcuts. Adidas has a line of shoes made from recycled sea plastic, and is planning on launching a 100% recyclable shoe in 2021.
You can find examples all the time of big brands launching conscious products. This stuff matters.
By purchasing from truly non-toxic, clean and conscious brands, we’re sending a clear message to the industry: we demand better products.
Meet The Experts
With a team of experts, we evaluate products based on their ingredient safety.
Dr. Alpana Mohta MD (Dermatology), DNB (DVL), MBBS
Board-certified Dermatologist
Dr. Alpana Mohta (MBBS, MD, DNB) is an award-winning dermatologist, cosmetologist, trichologist, and venereologist with countless achievements spanning her medical career. She has a keen interest in research which is evident by her 60+ research publications in noted scientific journals.
Her areas of interest include clinical dermatology, infectious diseases, leprosy, dermatopathology and dermatosurgery. Dr. Mohta has been published in more than 61 publications including 31 medical journals.
Jeanne Perrine
Master's Degree in Sustainability Science
Jeanne Perrine holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability Science from Montclair State University. Jeanne was the first Fulbright Scholar from her home island (Rodrigues) and proudly represented the island during her time in the US.
She is a sustainability consultant who provides consultancy services in the strategic planning and management of sustainability programs.
In her free time, Jeanne enjoys a good hike, listening to music, and working out.
María Gasós Cavestany
Master's Degree in Cosmetic Science
María is a cosmetic chemist with a Master’s in Cosmetic Science from the University of the Arts, London UK.
She wrote her dissertation on the topic of sustainable raw material sourcing for cosmetic formulas, with a focus on polymers. Her previous experience includes the roles of Development Chemist at Church and Dwight, and Manufacturing Assistant at Bybi. She currently works at Personal Care Regulatory as a Regulatory Officer and Project Coordinator.
She has experience in research, manufacturing of consumer cosmetics, and safety, legal and regulatory issues.
Richard Bousfield
Sustainability Consultant
Richard Bousfield graduated with honors with a Master’s in Sustainability from the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI), Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge.
Our Process
The goal of our process is to provide trustworthy, evidence-based information so consumers can make safe, educated purchases in their purchases.
We believe that researched, evidence-based product recommendations are crucial in today’s world of confusing, misleading and deceptive marketing practices. Our goal with Better Goods is to provide that information, so you can make informed choices each time you shop.
Each ingredient in an product in the Better Goods database undergoes a rigorous safety review.
We review the safety data from credible sources including:
- ECHA (European Chemicals Agency)
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review)
- CosIng (EU Inventory of Cosmetic Ingredients)
- Peer-reviewed studies (Pubmed)
We have a strict evaluation process for vetting ingredients. We focus on three core criteria to evaluate the safety of an ingredient:
I. Carcinogenicity
- Known human carcinogens
II. Developmental & Reproductive Toxicity
- Hormone disruptors
- Ingredients known as having adverse effects on male and female reproductive health
- Neurotoxins
III. Allergenicity & Immunotoxicity
- Known human allergens
- Ingredients linked to harm to the immune system
Based on our research, we assign the ingredient a rating from the following four levels:
- Good – Research has shown the ingredient to have no known link to carcinogenicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, or allergenicity/immunotoxicity.
- Iffy – Research has shown the ingredient to have a possible link to carcinogenicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, or allergenicity/immunotoxicity.
- Bad – Research has shown the ingredient to have a highly likely or definite link to carcinogenicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, or allergenicity/immunotoxicity.
In Conclusion
We hope that Better Goods is a helpful resource in your non-toxic journey. We truly believe that together, we can make real change in the industry and force companies to offer us better, cleaner, and more eco-friendly products.
If you’d like to contact us for any reason, please feel free to reach out to us using our contact form. We’ll try our best to get back to you as soon as possible.
These 22 Brands Are Lying To You
We’ve compiled a list of 22 popular brands who advertise themselves as “clean” beauty.
In reality, they’re misleading you.
Download our FREE guide and you’ll be armed with the knowledge you need to avoid these unethical brands.
