Arm & Hammer trades on a century of baking soda heritage, but Church & Dwight owns a sprawling product line full of synthetic fragrances and dyes. We investigate what's actually clean.
Brand Investigations — Is It Really Clean?
We investigate popular 'clean' brands to find out who really owns them, what's in their products, and whether they live up to their marketing claims.
Burt's Bees built a beloved brand around beeswax, botanicals, and natural goodness. Then Clorox — the bleach company — bought it for $913 million. Here's what that means for your lip balm.
Dove's 'Real Beauty' campaign built trust for decades — but does that goodwill translate to clean ingredients? We investigate who owns Dove and what's really in it.
Dr. Bronner's is USDA Organic, Fair Trade certified, and still family-owned. We investigate whether it genuinely earns the clean label — and why it stands apart from corporate-owned brands.
Hu Kitchen built a cult following for its ultra-clean paleo chocolate. Then Mondelēz — the company behind Oreos and Cadbury — bought it in 2021. We investigate whether the chocolate is still worth eating.
Method built its reputation on plant-based cleaning with gorgeous design. Then SC Johnson — the company behind Windex, Raid, and Pledge — acquired it in 2017. We investigate whether Method still lives up to its 'people against dirty' promise.
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day smells like a garden and markets plant-derived ingredients — but it's owned by SC Johnson and uses synthetic fragrance. We investigate what's really inside.
Native was founded as a clean deodorant brand, then sold to Procter & Gamble in 2017 for $100M. We investigate the ingredients, ownership, and whether it still lives up to its claims.
Neutrogena leans on 'dermatologist recommended' claims while many products contain parabens and synthetic fragrance. Now a Kenvue brand after the J&J spinoff — we investigate what's inside.
Seventh Generation pioneered plant-based cleaning for decades — then Unilever bought it in 2016 for ~$700M. We investigate whether the formulas and ethics survived the acquisition.
Jessica Alba's Honest Company went public on NASDAQ in 2021, faced lawsuits over 'natural' ingredient claims, and still markets wellness. We investigate what's actually in the products.
Tom's of Maine has marketed itself as a natural personal care brand since 1970. But Colgate-Palmolive bought it in 2006. We investigate what changed — and what the 'natural' label really means on these products.