MADE SAFE Certified

1. Review the MADE SAFE standard: Visit madesafe.org to understand the certification criteria, banned substances list, and eligible product categories. Confirm your product type qualifies (personal care, baby, household, textiles, etc.).

1. Conduct an internal ingredient audit: Compile a complete ingredient list for each product you intend to certify, including processing aids, carriers, and incidental additives. Cross-reference against MADE SAFE's publicly available list of harmful chemicals to identify any potential disqualifying ingredients.

1. Reformulate if necessary: If any ingredients raise concerns, work with your formulation team or suppliers to identify safer alternatives before submitting. MADE SAFE's team can provide guidance on problematic substances.

1. Submit your application: Complete the brand and product application on madesafe.org. Submit full ingredient documentation, supplier safety data sheets, and any required sourcing information for each product.

1. Scientific review: MADE SAFE's scientific team screens every submitted ingredient against their database of 6,500+ harmful chemicals. This process typically takes several weeks depending on product complexity and application volume.

1. Address any flagged ingredients: If the review identifies concerns, you will be notified and given the opportunity to reformulate and resubmit before a final decision is made.

1. Earn the MADE SAFE seal: Once all products pass the full ingredient screening, you receive authorization to display the MADE SAFE® seal on product packaging and marketing materials, and your products are listed in the MADE SAFE brand directory.

1. Maintain certification: Notify MADE SAFE of any formulation changes, and renew certification annually to retain the right to use the seal.

MADE SAFE evaluates products through a comprehensive ingredient-level screening process rather than finished-product testing. Every ingredient in a submitted product — including primary actives, excipients, processing aids, carriers, and incidental additives — is individually assessed against a proprietary database of over 6,500 chemicals known or suspected to cause harm.

The screening covers multiple hazard categories: carcinogens and probable carcinogens, reproductive and developmental toxicants, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, high-concern pesticides, harmful flame retardants, heavy metals, and chemicals toxic to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. MADE SAFE does not simply check a short "banned list" — it applies a precautionary approach, flagging ingredients with credible evidence of harm even if not yet formally regulated.

Beyond human health, MADE SAFE also evaluates ecosystem impact. Ingredients that are persistent, bioaccumulative, or acutely toxic to wildlife and aquatic organisms are disqualifying. This dual focus on human health and ecological safety is what distinguishes MADE SAFE from many competing certifications that focus solely on human toxicology.

The program does not evaluate manufacturing processes, carbon footprint, packaging sustainability, or labor practices — its scope is strictly ingredient safety. Products must pass 100% of the screening criteria; there is no partial certification or scoring system. It is a binary pass/fail determination based on the full ingredient profile of each individual product SKU.

MADE SAFE occupies a distinctive niche in the consumer product certification landscape as the only program that simultaneously addresses both human health and ecosystem safety at the ingredient level. Founded in 2015, it has grown to cover over 2,500 products from more than 200 brands, with particular strength in personal care, baby products, and home goods. While this is modest compared to mass-market certifications, its influence is disproportionate given the high-trust, health-conscious consumer segment it serves.

The certification competes most directly with EWG Verified, which has broader consumer recognition due to the Environmental Working Group's high public profile, and with COSMOS Organic, which dominates the European natural cosmetics market. MADE SAFE differentiates itself by applying a broader hazard framework that goes beyond organic ingredient sourcing to screen all ingredients — including synthetic ones — for toxicological risk. This makes it more stringent in some respects but also more accessible to brands that use non-organic but genuinely safe ingredients.

Demand for non-toxic product certifications is growing steadily, driven by increasing consumer awareness of "clean beauty," "clean home," and "clean baby" product categories. Retailers like Whole Foods, Target's clean beauty section, and specialty natural retailers increasingly use third-party certifications as a merchandising filter. MADE SAFE's relatively small but loyal brand community, combined with its scientifically rigorous approach, positions it well for continued growth — though it faces ongoing competition from retailer-proprietary "clean" standards and the broader EWG ecosystem. Its nonprofit governance model and transparent methodology are key credibility assets.

MADE SAFE was founded in 2015 by Amy Ziff, a consumer advocate and mother motivated by the lack of a comprehensive, science-based safety standard for everyday consumer products. At the time, no single certification evaluated products for the full spectrum of chemical hazards — including carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, and ecosystem toxins — across multiple product categories. MADE SAFE was created to fill that gap, offering brands a credible third-party seal and giving consumers a reliable shorthand for ingredient safety.

The program launched under the nonprofit Nontoxic Certified and quickly gained traction in the natural products industry, attracting early partners like Dr. Bronner's and Naturepedic. Over the following years, MADE SAFE expanded its certified product database, refined its hazard screening methodology, and broadened its product category coverage to include textiles, baby products, and household cleaners alongside personal care. By the early 2020s, the program had certified over 2,500 products from more than 200 brands, establishing itself as one of the most rigorous ingredient-safety certifications available to consumer product companies in North America.