EWG Verified™
What It Actually Means
Most beauty products contain chemicals you’ve never heard of — and the law doesn’t require brands to tell you. Here’s what the EWG Verified mark really means, the science behind why it matters, and which Shaklee products have earned it in New Zealand.
Every morning, before most of us have had our first coffee, we’ve applied an average of 9 personal care products to our skin. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturiser, deodorant, makeup — each one a chemical cocktail that the skin absorbs before breakfast. The startling part? In most countries, including New Zealand, there is no mandatory pre-market safety review for personal care product ingredients. Brands self-certify. Words like “natural”, “clean”, and “gentle” carry no legal definition — any product can use them.
This is the gap the Environmental Working Group (EWG) was built to fill. And the EWG Verified™ mark is the most rigorous, independently-assessed consumer safety certification in the personal care industry. It’s rare. It’s hard to earn. And Shaklee has earned it on a growing range of products — including products now available to New Zealand customers.
What Is the Environmental Working Group (EWG)?
The Environmental Working Group is a US-based non-profit research and advocacy organisation founded in 1993. Its original mission was analysing pesticide residues in food — but over 30 years it has expanded into one of the most trusted consumer resources for chemical safety across food, water, and personal care products.
The EWG’s flagship consumer tool is the Skin Deep® database — a publicly searchable database of more than 115,000 personal care products, each rated on a hazard scale from 1 (low concern) to 10 (high concern). Every rating is built from the scientific literature on each ingredient’s links to cancer, hormone disruption, developmental toxicity, skin sensitisation, and environmental harm.
EWG Verified™ vs. Skin Deep® — What’s the Difference?
These are two separate things that often get confused:
| Feature | Skin Deep® Rating | EWG Verified™ |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A public hazard score any brand can look up | A formal certification a brand applies for |
| Assessment type | Ingredient-by-ingredient scoring | Full product + manufacturing audit |
| Brand involvement | None required | Brand submits full formula + documentation |
| Fragrance disclosure | May be listed as “fragrance” | Full fragrance component disclosure required |
| Manufacturing practices | Not assessed | Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) required |
| Contaminant testing | Not required | Must be free of heavy metals, formaldehyde, etc. |
| Ongoing review | Updated as new data emerges | Standards reviewed every 2 years |
As one skincare researcher put it: “Think of Skin Deep as a rating anyone can look up, and EWG Verified as a formal certification a brand applies for and maintains.”
The 4 Hurdles Every EWG Verified Product Must Clear
No Unacceptable Ingredients
The product cannot contain a single ingredient on EWG’s “Unacceptable” list — chemicals flagged for links to cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive harm, or environmental toxicity.
Full Ingredient Transparency
Every ingredient must be disclosed — including all fragrance components. No “fragrance” blanket terms hiding thousands of unlisted chemicals. Full EU-standard ingredient labelling required.
Good Manufacturing Practices
The company must follow verified Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product safety and consistency from batch to batch.
Contaminant-Free
Products must be tested and verified free from contaminants that can enter during manufacturing — heavy metals, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, and other process by-products.
The Chemicals EWG Protects You From — And Why They Matter
Why does any of this matter? Because conventional personal care products are frequently formulated with chemicals that have well-documented links to hormone disruption, reproductive harm, and cancer — chemicals that regulators in many countries haven’t banned.
⚠️ Common Chemicals of Concern in Conventional Beauty Products
- Phthalates — Found in products with synthetic fragrance. Classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals; linked to hormone changes, reduced fertility, early puberty, obesity, diabetes, and learning difficulties in children. Often hidden under the word “fragrance” on labels.
- Parabens (butyl, isobutyl, isopropyl) — Preservatives that mimic oestrogen and have been linked to breast cancer development and reproductive harm. Found in blood, urine, breast milk, and even placenta.
- PFAS (“forever chemicals”) — Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances found in some cosmetics; linked to cancer and immune system damage. Persist indefinitely in the human body and the environment.
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives — Including DMDM hydantoin and quaternium-15; classified as known human carcinogens.
- Synthetic musks — Found in fragrances; some types bioaccumulate in body tissue and have been linked to hormone disruption.
- Heavy metal contaminants — Lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium can enter products through raw materials or manufacturing. EWG Verified requires contamination testing to exclude them.
EWG research found that teen girls in one study had 16 different potentially toxic chemicals — including phthalates, parabens, and synthetic musks — detectable in their blood and urine from daily use of personal care products. A follow-up intervention study showed that switching to products labelled free of these chemicals reduced urinary phthalate concentrations by 27% in just 3 days.
This is the protection EWG Verified is designed to provide.
Why “Clean” and “Natural” Labels Mean Nothing
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: “clean”, “natural”, “green”, and “non-toxic” are completely unregulated terms in New Zealand, Australia, the US, and most of the world. Any brand can print any of these words on any product regardless of ingredients. There is no independent assessment, no ingredient test, and no penalty for misleading use.
EWG Verified is fundamentally different. It requires:
- Third-party assessment of every ingredient against safety databases
- Full public disclosure of the complete ingredient list including all fragrance components
- A published Skin Deep score
- Verified Good Manufacturing Practices
- Ongoing re-certification as standards evolve
It is, as EWG describes it, “Skin Deep ratings taken one step further” — and it’s the only certification standard that provides this level of verified transparency for personal care products.
Shaklee + EWG Verified™: A Partnership Built on 70 Years of Clean Science
Shaklee and the EWG share a core philosophy: that people deserve to know exactly what’s in the products they put on their bodies — and that safety should be verified, not self-declared.
Shaklee’s partnership with EWG is a formal recognition of this shared commitment. The EWG Verified mark appears on select Shaklee and YOUTH® products — and earning it wasn’t easy. Every certified product had to clear all four EWG hurdles: no unacceptable ingredients, full fragrance disclosure, verified GMP, and contamination-free testing.
Shaklee’s EWG Verified Products Available in New Zealand
The following Shaklee products currently carry the EWG Verified mark. All are now available to New Zealand customers via Shaklee NZ:
Protect Deodorant
EWG Verified zinc-based deodorant with fermented coconut, Lactobacillus, arrowroot & charcoal. No aluminium, no parabens, no synthetic fragrance.
Shop Now →
Revitalize Body Wash
Creamy EWG Verified body wash using botanicals, antioxidants, vitamins & omega fatty acids. Supports skin’s natural nutrient balance.
Shop Now →
Reveal Body Exfoliant
Dual-action EWG Verified scrub that polishes while keeping skin hydrated with nourishing oils. Leaves skin velvety smooth.
Shop Now →
Nourish Body Lotion
Long-lasting EWG Verified moisturiser with patent-pending polyphenol blend. Supports smoother, younger-looking skin and locks in hydration for hours.
Shop Now →
YOUTH® Lash Mascara
EWG Verified 2-in-1 mascara that lengthens, volumises & lifts lashes while the Botanical Complex strengthens and defends against environmental damage.
Shop Now →
YOUTH® Radiance C+E
EWG Verified face serum clinically proven to improve wrinkles, fine lines & uneven skin tone. Powered by pomifera oil, antioxidants & omega-6.
Shop Now →Additional EWG Verified Shaklee products include: Restore Body Serum, Renew Lip Serum, YOUTH® Moisture Activating Serum, YOUTH® Purifying Clay Mask, YOUTH® Hydrating Gel Mask, and the Body Ritual Trio. Check nz.shaklee.com for current availability in New Zealand.
Is EWG Verified the Same as Being “Perfectly Safe”?
Transparency matters here. EWG Verified is the most rigorous consumer safety certification available for personal care products — but it’s worth understanding what it does and doesn’t guarantee:
- What it guarantees: No ingredients on EWG’s Unacceptable list; full ingredient disclosure; compliance with strict manufacturing standards; contamination testing.
- What it doesn’t do: EWG’s review is primarily documentation-based, not an independent lab test of every production batch. It certifies the formula and the brand’s manufacturing practices — not every individual product that comes off the line.
- The standard evolves: EWG reviews its criteria every two years. Products must re-certify to maintain the mark as science advances — this is a strength, not a weakness.
Even with those nuances, EWG Verified remains the gold standard of independent assessment for personal care product safety. No other certification comes close to its ingredient scrutiny, transparency requirements, and independent rigour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Shaklee’s EWG Verified products available in New Zealand?
Yes — all EWG Verified Shaklee products are available now in New Zealand.
Does a product without EWG Verified mean it’s unsafe?
Not necessarily. Many safe products haven’t pursued EWG Verified because the certification process involves cost and full formula disclosure that some brands prefer not to undertake. The absence of the mark doesn’t automatically mean unsafe — but the presence of the mark is a reliable positive signal.
How is EWG Verified different from “clean beauty” labelling?
“Clean beauty” has no legal definition and no independent verification. Any brand can use it on any product. EWG Verified requires third-party assessment against published safety standards, full ingredient disclosure, and ongoing re-certification. They are not comparable.
What is the EWG Skin Deep database?
Skin Deep® is a free public database at ewg.org/skindeep that rates over 115,000 personal care products on a hazard scale from 1 (low concern) to 10 (high concern). You can search any product or ingredient. Shaklee’s EWG Verified products score in the lowest hazard range.
Are Shaklee products Cruelty-Free?
Shaklee Corporation actively supports the development, use, and approval of safe alternatives to animal testing throughout the world. As a matter of policy, Shaklee Corporation is opposed to and does not conduct animal testing of any kind on any Shaklee product.
How do I get 15% off Shaklee products in NZ?
When you add NZD$49.95 of products, during checkout you’ll receive a free lifetime customer membership which gives you member prices of 15% off every order.
The Bottom Line for New Zealand Shoppers
The average New Zealander applies 9+ personal care products every day. Over a lifetime, that’s an enormous cumulative exposure to whatever ingredients those products contain — and without transparent labelling requirements, most of us have no idea what we’re really absorbing.
EWG Verified is the clearest signal available that a product has been independently assessed and found to meet the strictest safety and transparency standards. It doesn’t mean every other product is dangerous — but it does mean you don’t have to guess.
Shaklee earned it the hard way: by formulating products that could withstand independent scrutiny, disclosing every ingredient, and verifying manufacturing practices. For Shaklee customers in New Zealand, the EWG Verified mark on your deodorant, body wash, or YOUTH® serum isn’t just a logo — it’s a documented, independently-verified commitment to your health.
Shop EWG Verified Products in New Zealand
Every product independently certified — no harmful chemicals, full ingredient transparency, Shaklee’s 100% money-back guarantee.
Browse EWG Verified Products →Sources & Accuracy: All product claims sourced from Shaklee’s official materials and the Shaklee Naturally blog. EWG information sourced from ewg.org and the EWG Verified program documentation. Chemical safety information sourced from EWG research publications. No fabrication — if a claim cannot be verified from official sources, it is not included. This post was written by a Shaklee Ambassador and is intended for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical advice.
