Hey ,

The ‘Safer Choice’ logo on the products will in general guide you to healthier cleaning products. Reducing toxic exposure by avoiding a lot of materials is already a wonderful gift you can give yourself! But yes, you are right. In these products, you will still find some synthetic compounds that could be of influence.

Methylisothiazolinone and Benzisothiazolinone
For example, Methylisothiazolinone (found in the dishwashing liquid from the brand ‘Seventh Generation’) is a synthetic compound that can cause some irritation and allergic reactions on the skin in some people. Benzisothiazolinone is another synthetic ingredient in the same product. It is used to chelate metals from water often to make them softer or to conserve products when they lose effectiveness if they get in touch with metals. Benzisothiazolinone has caused in some people some skin reactions as well (you can find a detailed scientific opinion of this agent here).

Phenoxyethanol
In the dish soap from Ecos you will find a synthetic chemical called Phenoxyethanol which is used as a substitute for parabens. You can find more information (and it is easy to read!) about Phenoxyethanol on this website here.

Natural Flavors
Ingredients like ‘Natural Fragrances’ like on the last product are hard to decipher. According to the FDA this is what the term means:

“a substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, yeast, etc.) or animals (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.) via a method of heating, with its primary function in food being flavoring not nutritional”

To translate that: Natural flavors are complex mixtures and are created by specially trained food chemists known as flavorists.

Potassium Sorbate
Potassium sorbate (an ingredient in the last product) prevents the formation of fungi and has mild antibacterial properties. It doesn’t differentiate between good and bad bacteria. Cleaning with such types of ingredients can influence the microbiome of the skin. If you like to avoid contact with this all purpose cleaner, you could avoid contact by using gloves.

Hi  – so from the photos you shared, you’re looking to replace your liquid dish soap and an all-purpose cleaner?

As Daniel mentioned above, while these are better options than most commercial varieties, there are still some questionable ingredients in them.

If you don’t have other options available to you, of the two products, ECOS is the better one.

Here are other brands of cleaning products you can look at to see if they’re available in your area:

Laundry detergents:
-Branch Basics (I know you’re waiting for yours to arrive but listing it here again for anyone reading)
-Molly Suds
-Whole Foods Organic (Unscented)
-Pure Haven (this is through an MLM company – I can connect you with a colleague who has an account)
-ECOS Packs – Free & Clear

Dish soap & Cleaning Products:
-Puracy
-Young Living Thieves
-Pure Haven
-Humble Suds All Purpose cleaner
-Meliora

Hope this helps!