Our Standard
How we choose brands
Every brand on the Approved List has been through the same process. No brand pays to be here, and no brand can ask to skip a step.
This page exists so you can judge our judgement. If our standard doesn’t match yours, you’ll know before you trust a recommendation.
The Four Steps
Ingredient review
We read the full ingredient list on every product in the range — not the marketing page. Anything we can’t identify, we look up or ask the brand about directly.
Claims check
If a brand says GOTS, EWG Verified, MADE SAFE or fair trade, we ask for the certificate. Claims we can’t substantiate don’t appear on the card.
Real use
We use the products. A brand can be immaculate on paper and still not be worth your money — the review reflects how the range actually performs.
Ongoing review
Listings are re-checked periodically. Reformulations, lapsed certifications and ownership changes all trigger an update or a removal.
What We Look For
Four things carry the most weight. A brand doesn’t need a perfect score on all four, but it can’t fail one outright.
Ingredient integrity
Full disclosure, no undisclosed fragrance blends, and no ingredients on our avoid list.
Transparency
Sourcing, manufacturing and testing information available without having to email and ask.
It actually works
Performance matters. We won’t list something that doesn’t live up to its name.
Accessible enough to use
Price and availability are part of the judgement — a product you can’t reorder isn’t a recommendation.
What Rules A Brand Out
What Doesn’t Count Against It
What “TWK Approved” does and doesn’t mean
It means we’ve read the full ingredient list, checked the claims a brand makes about itself against its own documentation, and used the product to have a nuanced opinion.
It does not mean a brand is certified, tested by a lab, or safe for you specifically. We’re not toxicologists and we don’t run our own testing. If you have an allergy or a medical condition, read the label yourself.
Formulations change. If we find out a listed brand has reformulated or lost a certification, the card is updated or pulled — and we say so.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this site may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them. It costs you nothing extra.
What that never changes: whether a brand is listed, where it ranks, or what we say about it. Plenty of brands on this list have no affiliate program at all. We’ve also removed brands we were earning from.
Think we’ve got one wrong?
Tell us what we missed. We’d rather correct a card than defend it.