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Personal care: what the labels actually prove

Personal care hides most of its impact behind the word "fragrance", which can legally stand in for dozens of undisclosed ingredients. Full ingredient disclosure is the signal worth paying for here.

Personal care graded
29
Brands covered
25
Median GreenSpecs score
42/100
Grade A or B
12 of 29
Highest scoring
Raw Elements Eco Formula Face & Body SPF 30 — A+ 89/100
Assessments updated
16 July 2026

Source: GreenSpecs label assessments, 16 July 2026. Figures cover the 29 personal care items graded to date, one entry per product.

Where this number comes from. GreenSpecs scores the evidence a product puts in front of you: the wording of the claim, what the packaging discloses, and whether an independent certifier stands behind any of it. Each score is a GreenSpecs assessment generated by our scoring model from the product label and public claim text on the date shown. It is not a laboratory test, not a lifecycle assessment, and not a safety rating. The full method is published here.

How do personal care compare on GreenSpecs?

12 of 29 graded personal care reach a B or better, and the median score is 42 out of 100. The table below is every one we have assessed, strongest first.

Every personal care item GreenSpecs has graded, highest score first.
ProductBrandGradeScoreWhat the label proves
Raw Elements Eco Formula Face & Body SPF 30 Raw Elements A+ 89/100 A category leader. This is the one you grab and move on.
Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (Peppermint) Dr. Bronner's A 88/100 A genuine leader. This is the one.
Alaffia Good Soap Coconut Ultra Hydrating Triple Milled Bar Soap Alaffia A 78/100 Fair Trade sourcing is a real win. Packaging is still conventional.
Babo Botanicals Clear Zinc Sunscreen SPF 30 Babo Botanicals B+ 69/100 A solid mineral choice. Packaging is the next step.
Shelliour The Refillable Mascara Shelliour B+ 68/100 Refillable design is a real win. Ingredients are the next step.
One With Nature Lemon Sage Dead Sea Mineral Soap One With Nature B+ 68/100 Good ingredients, conventional packaging. A solid everyday choice.
Method Hand Soap Method B+ 68/100 Better than most. Not yet leading the category.
8 Days Botanicals Body Wash 8 Days Botanicals B+ 68/100 Clean ingredients, transparent sourcing. Packaging still conventional.
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Hand Soap Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day B- 58/100 Better packaging. Ingredients still conventional for the category.
Method Hand Soap, Green Tea + Aloe Method B- 58/100 A good start with clean ingredients, conventional packaging.
Everyone 3in1 Soap Lavender + Aloe Everyone B- 58/100 Plant-based ingredients, conventional packaging. A good start.
Eminence Organic Skin Care Charcoal Exfoliating Gel Cleanser Eminence Organic Skin Care B- 58/100 Organic ingredients are a start. Packaging and supply chain need more.
Caribbean Sol Natural Sun & Skin Care Sport SPF 30 Sunscreen Caribbean Sol C 45/100 Mineral filter is a good start. Certifications are the next step.
Siri Toothbrush Siri C- 42/100 A step toward better. Details are still missing.
Arm & Hammer Essentials Liquid Hand Soap Fresh Rain Water Arm & Hammer C- 42/100 Better ingredients, conventional packaging. Still developing.
Open Nature Mineral Sunscreen Lotion Open Nature C- 40/100 A better active ingredient. The rest is conventional.
Shibui Conscious Color Care Everything Spray Leave-In Conditioner Shibui C- 38/100 Honest ingredients, conventional packaging — a good start.
OM Bye Bye BACK-NE Detoxifying Soak OM C- 38/100 Conventional packaging, no ingredient details. Still developing.
Equate Beauty Apricot Scrub Facial Cleanser Equate Beauty C- 38/100 Paraben-free is a start. Ingredient transparency is still missing.
8 DAYS Botanical Body Wash JOY Grapefruit + Neroli 8 DAYS C- 38/100 A botanical start, but the details are still missing.
Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50 Supergoop! D+ 34/100 A conventional chemical sunscreen. Transparency is a start.
Caribbean Sol Natural Sun Sunscreen Caribbean Sol D+ 34/100 Good active ingredient. Transparency is still developing.
Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Banana Boat D 31/100 Better chemistry, conventional packaging. Still a long way to go.
Open Nature Children's Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 Open Nature D 30/100 Mineral filter is a start. Transparency is still missing.
Caribbean Sol Sunscreen SPF 30 Caribbean Sol D 26/100 Mineral base is a start. Verification is the next step.
Sun Bum Premium Moisturizing Sunscreen Spray SPF 70 Sun Bum D- 22/100 Conventional for its category. Ingredient transparency is the next step.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 30 Neutrogena D- 22/100 Conventional chemistry. Not designed for aquatic life.
Caribbean Solsport Natural Sunscreen Mist SPF 30 Caribbean Solsport D- 21/100 Vague claims, undisclosed ingredients — a real blind spot.
Generic Brand Eco Soap Generic Brand F 12/100 It's wonderful that this brand wants to be seen as eco-friendly, and the intention is a good starting point! However, without any specific details or numbers, it's really tough to understand what makes this soap truly 'green' or 'natural.' We're left guessing about the real efforts behind the words.

What separates a strong personal care label from a weak one?

Personal care hides most of its impact behind the word "fragrance", which can legally stand in for dozens of undisclosed ingredients. Full ingredient disclosure is the signal worth paying for here. A claim scores well here when it is specific, when the packaging discloses enough to check it, and when an independent body has verified it. It scores badly when it is a mood rather than a measurement.

Brands graded in this category

Standing in this aisle right now? Scan the label and see the inside story before it goes in the trolley.

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