Every fact on this site, with its evidence grade, its caveats and a link to the source.
We start you on the strong ones: findings that have been replicated or come from one large, well-controlled study. Moderate and weak facts are here too, labeled for what they are. Use “Link to this fact” to share a single card.
Hidden ingredients / Measured in people or real products
In a test of 6 best-selling US air fresheners and laundry products, researchers found 98 chemical detections (58 different chemicals) released into the air; none appeared on any product label, and only 1 (ethanol) appeared on a safety data sheet.
Moderate evidence: N=6 products, headspace only, semi-quantitative.
Source: Steinemann 2009, Environmental Impact Assessment Review Link to this fact
Hidden ingredients / Measured in people or real products
When researchers tested 25 best-selling US laundry, cleaning, personal-care and air-freshener products, they found 133 different chemicals released into the air, but only 1 of them was listed on any product label.
Moderate evidence: Single headspace sample per product; VOC counts depend on detection threshold.
Source: Steinemann 2011, Environmental Impact Assessment Review Link to this fact
Hidden ingredients / Measured in people or real products
The best-selling US laundry detergent's label and safety sheet disclosed almost none of what it released; only ethanol was listed.
Moderate evidence: Same detergent measured in 2009, 2011 and 2013 papers; count once.
Source: Steinemann 2013, Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health Link to this fact
Information, not medical advice. See also: myths we won’t tell you.