How We Score Products: The True Essentials Methodology

Every product in the True Essentials directory has a Non-Toxic Score from 1 to 10. This is how that score is calculated, what it accounts for, and where its limits are.

Why a Score Exists

Product safety information is scattered across regulatory databases, certification registries, manufacturer disclosures, and published research. Pulling that together into a single number creates a navigational shortcut that makes the directory useful. A score by itself is a starting point, not a final answer — the goal is to surface the products worth looking at more closely, not to replace your own judgment.

What the Score Evaluates

The score is built from four categories:

1. Chemical Avoidance (40 points)

This is the heaviest-weighted category because it’s the most directly connected to health considerations. Points are awarded based on how many of the following the product avoids:

• PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
• BPA and structural analogs (BPS, BPF)
• Parabens (all forms)
• Phthalates
• Synthetic fragrance / undisclosed fragrance ingredients
• Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
• Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury) above established thresholds
• Chlorine bleach and chlorinated compounds in product formulation
• Oxybenzone and octinoxate (for sunscreens)
• Triclosan and triclocarban

A product that avoids all ten earns full points in this category. A product with three flagged chemicals earns proportionally less. The chemicals on this list were selected because they have the strongest combination of documented hazard evidence and realistic avoidance potential — meaning there are accessible alternatives, not just theoretical ones.

2. Certifications (30 points)

Third-party certifications are the strongest signal available that a product’s claims have been externally verified. Points are awarded by certification and weighted by rigor:

• MADE SAFE: 30 points (most rigorous, covers full hazard screen)
• EWG Verified: 25 points
• GOTS: 25 points (textiles)
• OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100: 20 points (textiles)
• EPA Safer Choice: 20 points (cleaning)
• NSF/ANSI 58 or 61: 20 points (water contact)
• GOLS: 20 points (latex)
• B Corp: 10 points (company-level, not product-level)
• Leaping Bunny: 10 points

A product can earn points from multiple certifications, but the category is capped at 30 points total. This prevents a product with many minor certifications from scoring higher than a product with one rigorous one.

3. Material Safety (20 points)

For products where the base material is as relevant as the formulation — cookware, water bottles, food storage, bedding, flooring — this category evaluates the primary material:

• Glass: 20 points
• Stainless steel (18/8 or 18/10): 20 points
• Cast iron: 18 points
• Carbon steel: 18 points
• GOTS-certified organic cotton: 18 points
• Food-grade silicone: 16 points
• Verified PFAS-free ceramic coating: 14 points
• HDPE or PP plastic (verified free of phthalates and bisphenols): 12 points
• PTFE non-stick (no PFAS in coating process): 8 points
• PVC: 2 points

For personal care and cleaning products where the material category doesn’t apply directly, these points are redistributed proportionally to the chemical avoidance and certification categories.

4. Transparency (10 points)

This category rewards ingredient and material disclosure regardless of what’s disclosed. A company that publishes its full fragrance ingredient list, discloses manufacturing processes, maintains a publicly available safety data sheet, or provides third-party testing documentation earns points here. A product with a complete ingredient list scores higher than one that discloses only partial information.

Full ingredient disclosure: 6 points Safety testing documentation available: 2 points Fragrance ingredient disclosure (if fragrance is used): 2 points

What the Score Doesn’t Capture

Price and accessibility: A score of 9 on a $300 cookware set and a score of 9 on a $45 set are the same score. The score evaluates what the product is, not whether it’s accessible to everyone. Practical, accessible options exist at most score levels.

Efficacy: A cleaning product that scores 8 but doesn’t clean effectively isn’t a good recommendation. We include only products that have sufficient reviews and evidence of performing their stated function. But product performance is evaluated separately from the non-toxic score.

Environmental impact beyond chemistry: Carbon footprint, supply chain labor practices, packaging waste, and end-of-life product disposal are real considerations that the non-toxic score doesn’t weight. B Corp certification partially addresses the company-level version of this, but the score is focused on human health exposure rather than broader sustainability.

Reformulation: Brands reformulate products. A score reflects the formulation at the time of review. Products are reviewed periodically, but if you notice a significant ingredient change, the feedback button on any product page helps flag it for re-evaluation.

Self-reported claims we can’t verify: Some chemical avoidance points are awarded based on manufacturer claims that haven’t been independently tested. Where third-party testing or certification exists, we rely on that. Where it doesn’t, we note the basis for the claim on the product page. A score supported entirely by certification is more reliable than one supported by manufacturer disclosure alone.

Score Ranges in Practice

8 to 10: Meets the highest standards we evaluate. Typically carries one or more rigorous certifications, avoids all or nearly all chemicals on the avoidance list, and uses verified safe materials. This is the range we actively recommend.

6 to 7: Better than average, avoids the most concerning chemicals, may have one or two flags worth noting. Acceptable for most uses, particularly when higher-scoring alternatives aren’t accessible.

4 to 5: Mixed. Avoids some concerns but carries others. Included in the directory for reference and comparison, not as active recommendations.

Below 4: Included when it’s useful to show what a lower-scoring conventional option looks like in comparison. Not recommended for purchase.

A Note on Confidence

We’re transparent when a score is uncertain. Some products have robust third-party verification behind every data point. Others are scored based on available information that may be incomplete. Product pages note the confidence level where relevant. If a product has a score of 7 and a note that it’s based on manufacturer disclosure without third-party verification, that’s meaningfully different from a 7 backed by EWG Verified and OEKO-TEX certification.

Recommended Products

Browse all scored products at Products

Highest-scoring products across all categories: Products 8 – 10

Summary

The True Essentials Non-Toxic Score is built from four weighted categories: chemical avoidance (40%), third-party certifications (30%), material safety (20%), and transparency (10%). It’s designed as a navigation tool to surface the products most worth considering, not as a substitute for reading a product page. Scores above 8 reflect the highest standard we evaluate. The score doesn’t capture price, environmental impact beyond chemistry, or efficacy — those are evaluated separately. When the basis for a score is manufacturer disclosure rather than third-party verification, we note it.