The EWG Verified markfrom the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a new tool for health- and environmentally-conscious companies, both big and small, to communicate their brand objectives to consumers. Launched on October 27, 2015 the program seeks to provide greater transparency and information to the busy consumer. Mindful Healthy Life contributor Katie Cavanaugh and founder Jessica Haney were privileged to interview EWG Acting Director of Research Nneka Leiba to learn all the details, directly from the source, on how a company can obtain theEWG Verified mark.
The EWG began work on the EWG Verified program two years ago after suggestions from consumers and companies alike. Since 2004, the EWG has operated the Skin Deep database,which evaluates products based on publicly available product information and provides a red, yellow or green score, based on EWG research. As the number of the safest products – the green products – within Skin Deep increased, a way to further differentiate products and promote transparency was required.
The EWG Verified program currently has two founding company members, Beautycounter and Mychelle, with more companies requesting product review for mark consideration each day. New companies that would like to be considered for the EWG Verifiedmark will be working with the EWG’s partner, Healthy Lifestyle Brands (HLB), which is handling new inquiries. HLB will run all product criteria through an internal database and reach back out to the company for the next round of the application if the product meets EWG Verified criteria.
To be considered for the EWG Verified mark companies pay $500 for the initial application. Further certification fees for products that meet the initial criteria are on a tiered structure based on the revenue of the product. ResearcherLeiba noted that this tiered structure is based on the EWG recognition that many interested companies are small locally owned businesses. These fees are nominal and similar to other verification programs. Revenue from the fees goes back to the organization to pay for itsresearch and education efforts. The EWG has made the Skin Deep database,which now contains upwards of 70,000 products, available for free to the public for over 11 years.
The process for becoming EWG Verified is expected to take two to three months. Once certification has been achieved, products can add the symbol to packaging and to shelf displays at the point of sale. Companies with EWG Verified products may also use the certification in marketing materials.
Leiba was quick to point out that the EWG ideal future is one where government regulations are strictly regulated and companies are required to disclose all ingredients and risks to consumers. In this ideal future programs like Skin Deep and EWG Verified would not be required. However, this type of government regulation is not expected to happen for some time and in the interim these EWG programs fill the gap to ensure products are safe for both the consumer health and the environment. An added benefit, Katie noted, is that the symbol will be understandable regardless of spoken language, so the program increases accessibility to this important body of knowledge about the safety of personal care products.
If you are interested in having your products obtain the EWG Verified mark, visit the EWG Verified site for more information. To learnmore about the program, see our interview with EWG researcher Nneka Leiba.
This post has been updated to contain an affiliate link for Beautycounter.
Katie Cavanaugh is a blogger and local mom. To learn more about Katie, visitthe Mindful Healthy Life Contributors page.
Jessica Claire Haney is the founder, publisher and editor of Mindful Healthy Life. She is a writer and editor and the founder of theArlington/Alexandria chapter of Holistic Moms Network. See theContributors pageand Jessica’s Mindful Healthy Life Q&Afor more on Jessica.
FAQs
EWG's criteria are based on a variety of health standards:
Products must score a "green" in EWG's Skin Deep® database. Products cannot contain any ingredients on EWG's "Unacceptable" list, meaning ingredients with health, ecotoxicity and/or contamination concerns.
How much does it cost to get EWG certified? ›
By submitting an application to the EWG VERIFIED™️ program, you agree to a $250 per product evaluation fee. There is an annual licensing fee for EWG VERIFIED™️ products. The fee is typically based on the number of products licensed in the program as well as the applicant company's annual revenue.
How do you get verified by EWG? ›
To achieve verification, products must score below our threshold for hazard concerns, and companies must demonstrate that their ingredients and products meet all of EWG's strict criteria.
Do companies pay to be EWG certified? ›
To fund EWG Verified and EWG Reviewed for Science, companies pay a fee to participate. Q: What is the cost of EWG Reviewed for Science? A: The cost depends on the size of the company, the number of products being assessed and the timeline. Our consultancy engagements range from one month to a year in duration.
What are the criticisms of the EWG? ›
According to Kavin Senapathy of Science Moms, the EWG "frightens consumers about chemicals and their safety, cloaking fear mongering in a clever disguise of caring and empowerment." His main criticisms are its use of "fundamentally flawed" methodologies for evaluating food, cosmetics, children's products, and more, and ...
How trustworthy is EWG? ›
The EWG is considered trustworthy insofar as they do good, transparent research on the most important ingredients in public health. There have been claims online by various sources that the EWG tends to slightly overstate the danger of an ingredient, but they do not ever understate danger.
What do dermatologists think of EWG? ›
Zoe Draelos, a consulting professor at the Duke University School of Medicine and spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology, who also tests sunscreen products in her laboratory, applauds the EWG for looking at the safety and effectiveness of sunscreens, but feels the group is making unfair “sweeping ...
How does EWG make money? ›
EWG is an independent nonprofit organization largely funded by individual donations and grants from charitable foundations.
Is EWG verified better than a rating? ›
The EWG Verified: For Your Health® mark means the product goes above and beyond its green rating from EWG, disclosing more about its formulations and manufacturing processes, and ingredients that are seldom listed on product labels.
Who runs EWG? ›
Ken Cook, president and co-founder of Environmental Working Group, is widely recognized as one of the environmental community's most prominent and influential critics of industrial agriculture, U.S. food and farm policy and the nation's broken approach to protecting families and children from toxic substances.
Donors
- 11th Hour Project.
- • Anonymous.
- • The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
- • Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund.
- • The McKnight Foundation.
- • Popplestone Foundation.
- • Alice & Fred Stanback.
- • The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
The EWG Verified® mark does the work for you. When you see the EWG Verified® mark on a product, you can be sure it's free from EWG's chemicals of concern and meets our strictest standards for your health.
How much does EWG certification cost? ›
To be considered for the EWG Verified mark companies pay $500 for the initial application. Further certification fees for products that meet the initial criteria are on a tiered structure based on the revenue of the product.
What does it mean to be EWG certified? ›
EWG Verified® recognizes products that meet EWG's strictest standards for your health. This means none of EWG's chemicals of concern. This means full transparency. This means a mark you can trust. It means EWG approved.
Is the EWG Healthy Living app reliable? ›
The EWG's Healthy Living App, stands out as a comprehensive and user-friendly tool for anyone looking for safer products. It goes beyond just providing information to consumers. Through its robust rating system and the “EWG Verified” category, the app actively encourages industries to adopt higher safety standards.
Does EWG verified mean non-toxic? ›
A cleaning product with the EWG Verified® mark means it has met the highest standards created in the interest of public health. At EWG, we believe all cleaning products should: Be free of EWG's ingredients of concern that harm health and the environment. Disclose their ingredients to consumers.
Where does EWG get its funding? ›
EWG is an independent nonprofit organization largely funded by individual donations and grants from charitable foundations.
