Verifications and Certifications: What They Mean and Why They Matter
When it comes to your baby, you never want to compromise on the safety, cleanliness, or yumminess of the products that you use. But – with so many certifications and “free-from” labels out there – it can sometimes be confusing (not to mention hard to know what to focus on).
So what do all these labels really mean, and what verifications and certifications should you focus on?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Understanding Important Verifications and Certifications
First thing’s first: what are the biggest verifications and certifications to look out for, what do they mean, and why do they matter?
EWG Verified
The EWG verifications were created by the Environmental Working Group to help identify products that, according to their website, are:
- Free from chemicals, materials, and contaminants linked to health harms
- Free from added fragrances and lotions
- Made with transparency, with all ingredients and materials used publicly disclosed
Why is this so helpful? Many cosmetic and baby products contain toxic chemicals (1300 of which are banned in the E.U., though only 11 are banned in the United States). The EWG Verified mark helps you make sure, at a glance, that you’re not buying products with those chemicals.
In other words, it helps you make smart, healthy decisions for you and your baby without having to become an ingredient expert.
GMP Facility Certification
You also want to make sure that the factories and production plants are making baby products following the strictest quality and safety processes.
A Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification helps ensure you of exactly that, providing peace of mind that your finished product has the highest:
- Quality
- Purity
- Strength
- Identity standards
It’ll also provide you peace of mind that the training, equipment, and personal hygiene of staff at the production facility are all in tip-top shape.
NSF Certified
A global, independent organization, the NSF provides certifications that show that products meet the strictest standards for public health protection. Even better? This isn’t a one-and-done certification. Instead, NSF certification, “involves regular on-site inspections of manufacturing facilities and regular re-testing of products to ensure that they continue to meet the same high standards required to maintain certification over time.”
Translation? An NSF-certified company won’t be able to loosen its standards and get away with it.
Madesafe.org Approval
When companies submit products for a MADE SAFE screening and certification, those products go through a rigorous process to make sure that they’re free from:
- Behavioral toxins
- Carcinogens
- Developmental toxins
- Endocrine disruptors
- Fire retardants
- Heavy metals
- Neurotoxins
- High-risk pesticides
- Reproductive toxins
- Toxic solvents
- Harmful VOCs
And believe us – many, many products actually have this stuff in them. That’s something no mama bear or baby cub should ever be exposed to.
Other Labels that Matter (and What They Mean)
That covers all the major certifications and verifications that can help you sleep easy at night. That said, you should also look for products that are proudly:
- Hypoallergenic: This is particularly important for baby products - the last thing you want to do is encourage a rash or irritation with allergenic chemicals.
- 100% non-toxic: No hormone disruption, no cancer, no yuck.
- Cruelty-free: This can help ensure that the product you chose has not undergone any animal testing.
- Dermatologist tested: If doctors approve, your product should be generally safe.
- Eczema approved: Like hypoallergenic labels, eczema-approved labels can help ensure that a product is gentle and safe.
- Small batch-processed: As the name suggests, small-batch skincare is scaled-down, handcrafted products. The purpose here is to be able to create products mindfully and to cater to niche interests. Using small-batch processes, companies can create products that are unprocessed, sustainable, vegan, organic, gluten-free, and plant-based.
Your products should also never have:
- Sulfates
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Silicone
- Synthetic fragrances
- Petrolatum
- Phenoxyethanol
- Mineral oil
- Retinol
- Synthetic chemicals
- Talc
- Polyethylene glycol
- PEG compounds
- Oxybenzone
Stick with trusted ingredients for mama and baby with Tiger Baby.