Ingredients & chemicals to avoid
One page per substance: what it actually is, what the evidence says, how regulators treat it, the exact wording to look for on a label, and what to buy instead.
PFAS ('forever chemicals')
A family of ~15,000 fluorinated chemicals used for stain, grease and water resistance that do not break down in the environment.
Also listed as: PTFE, PFOA, PFOS
Phthalates
Plasticisers and fragrance fixatives linked to endocrine disruption, most often hidden inside the word 'parfum'.
Also listed as: DEHP, DBP, DEP
Parabens
Cheap preservatives with weak oestrogenic activity; the longer-chain versions are the ones worth avoiding.
Also listed as: methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben
Microplastics & microbeads
Solid plastic particles under 5 mm added to scrubs, glitter and paints, or shed from synthetic textiles.
Also listed as: polyethylene, nylon-12, acrylates copolymer
Uncertified palm oil
The world's highest-yielding oil crop — the issue is deforestation and labour, not the plant itself.
Also listed as: elaeis guineensis, sodium lauryl sulfate (palm-derived), vegetable oil
Formaldehyde releasers
Preservatives that slowly release formaldehyde — a known human carcinogen — into the product over time.
Also listed as: DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea
VOCs in paint & cleaners
Solvents that evaporate at room temperature, driving indoor air pollution long after the smell fades.
Also listed as: volatile organic compounds, toluene, xylene
BPA & bisphenol substitutes
Hardening agents in polycarbonate plastic and can linings that leach more when heated or scratched.
Also listed as: bisphenol A, BPS, BPF
SLS, SLES & 1,4-dioxane
Powerful foaming surfactants — the real concern is the 1,4-dioxane contamination that ethoxylation creates.
Also listed as: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ethoxylated surfactants
Oxybenzone & octinoxate
UV filters banned in several reef jurisdictions and absorbed systemically at measurable levels.
Also listed as: benzophenone-3, octyl methoxycinnamate, chemical UV filters
Conventional cotton
A natural fibre with an outsized pesticide, water and forced-labour footprint unless certified.
Also listed as: non-organic cotton, BCI cotton, '100% cotton'
Virgin polyester
Petroleum-derived fibre making up over half of global textile output, shedding microfibres with every wash.
Also listed as: PET, polyethylene terephthalate, 'performance fabric'
How to check a product in two minutes
- Read the full ingredient list. Not the front of pack. The back, or the ingredients tab on the retailer page.
- Search for the flagged names. Use the 'also listed as' names on each page — most substances hide behind synonyms.
- Check the certification. GOTS, OEKO-TEX, COSMOS, EWG Verified and GREENGUARD each restrict specific chemical families.
- Pick a swap. Every page lists safer alternatives that perform the same job.
Frequently asked
Is everything on this list dangerous?+
No. Risk depends on the substance, the dose and the exposure route. Each page separates what the evidence actually supports from what is precautionary.
Why do these appear in products at all?+
They are cheap and effective. Most are legal at the concentrations used; regulation typically lags the evidence by years.
How do you decide what to include?+
We include substances with either a regulatory restriction in a major market or peer-reviewed evidence of harm, and we cite both on each page.
What this avoid hub covers
Avoid pages explain what a substance or practice is, what the evidence actually shows, how regulators treat it, and which label words hint at its presence. It exists so a shopper can act on a concern without needing a chemistry degree.
Each entry links back to the products, brands and certifications it affects, so a reference page is never a dead end — you can move straight from understanding a term to the verified products that meet it.
Everything here is written in plain language first and technical detail second. Where a claim depends on a standard, we name the standard and the body that audits it so you can check it yourself.
How to use this hub
| Goal | Where to start | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Decode a label | Find the term or certification entry | Open the linked product ranking |
| Compare two options | Read both entries side by side | Use the compare tool on shortlisted products |
| Avoid a bad buy | Check the warnings and exclusions | Filter rankings by the certification you trust |
Reference-checking essentials
- Name the standardA trustworthy claim cites a scheme, not just an adjective.
- Check who audits itThird-party accreditation beats self-declaration every time.
- Confirm the scopeCoverage is often per product line or per factory, not company-wide.
- Note the dateCertificates expire; an undated claim tells you nothing about today.