Every brand in the directory is evaluated against the criteria below. Not every brand meets every point perfectly -- we use judgment, not a rigid checklist -- but these are the standards we hold.

Ownership

The brand must be independently owned. We do not list brands owned by major conglomerates (Nestle, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, etc.), even if the product itself is good. Ownership matters because it determines where profits go, who controls formulations, and how long quality standards will last.

We make exceptions for cooperatives, employee-owned companies, and B Corps where ownership structure genuinely serves the mission.

Ingredients

Products should contain ingredients that are minimally processed, clearly labeled, and recognizable. What this means varies by category:

  • Food: No seed oils, artificial preservatives, natural flavors hiding MSG or other additives, high-fructose corn syrup, or synthetic colorings. Ingredients should be things you could buy individually.
  • Personal care: No parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, or ingredients with known safety concerns. We reference EWG and other databases but use our own judgment.
  • Household: No undisclosed fragrance blends, chlorine bleach marketed as "natural," or greenwashed formulas that are functionally identical to conventional products.
  • Supplements: Transparent labeling of all ingredients including fillers, binders, and capsule materials. No proprietary blends that hide individual dosages.

Sourcing transparency

The brand should be willing to tell you where their ingredients come from. Vague claims like "sourced from the finest farms" without specifics are a red flag. We look for:

  • Named farms, regions, or suppliers
  • Information about farming or production practices
  • Third-party certifications where relevant (organic, regenerative, fair trade, etc.)
  • Honest acknowledgment of trade-offs rather than pure marketing language

Certifications

We note certifications but don't require them. Certification is expensive, and many small producers do excellent work without the paperwork. Conversely, some certified products are the bare minimum of compliance.

Certifications we find meaningful:

  • USDA Organic -- a baseline, not a ceiling
  • Regenerative Organic Certified -- goes beyond organic
  • Certified Humane / Animal Welfare Approved -- for animal products
  • American Grassfed Association -- for beef and dairy
  • B Corp -- for overall business practices
  • Fair Trade -- for sourced ingredients

Pricing honesty

We don't exclude brands for being expensive -- quality costs money. But we do note price ranges so you can make informed decisions, and we favor brands that are honest about why they charge what they do.

We are skeptical of brands that charge premium prices for products with cheap ingredients, relying on branding and marketing rather than actual product quality.

What gets a brand removed

  • Acquisition by a major conglomerate
  • Reformulation that significantly degrades ingredient quality
  • Deceptive marketing or sourcing practices we become aware of
  • Credible reports of labor or animal welfare violations

We don't expect perfection. We expect honesty, effort, and a genuine commitment to doing better than the industrial default.