When we created AwearMarket, one of our biggest goals was to make shopping for better products feel a little less overwhelming.
Because, wow, there is a lot to sort through. Clean. Natural. Organic. Non-toxic. Sustainable. Tested. Certified. Eco-friendly.
They all sound great, but what do they actually mean?
I’ve spent years turning products around, reading ingredient labels, Googling things I couldn’t pronounce and asking brands A LOT of questions. And even after doing this for a living, I know how confusing it can be.
That is one of the reasons we’re introducing badges throughout AwearMarket.
Think of them as little visual shortcuts that help you understand more about a product or the company behind it before you put it in your cart.
But I also want you to know what is behind those badges.
Because a badge shouldn’t just look reassuring. It should mean something.
So, let’s break them down.
First, a little badge transparency…
Not every AwearMarket badge represents the same type of verification.
Some, such as Certified Organic and OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, can represent formal certifications issued by outside organizations.
Third-Party Tested means independent testing has been performed outside of the company manufacturing or selling the product.
Women-Owned tells you something about the people behind the business.
And our Awear Non-Toxic Standard is exactly what the name says: an AwearMarket standard. It reflects our own review and screening process and is not a government certification.
Different badges. Different criteria.
The common thread is that we want the information attached to them to be meaningful, supportable and easy for you to understand.
🌿 Certified Organic
“Organic” may be one of the most familiar words in the wellness world, but there is an important difference between a product containing organic ingredients and a product actually being certified organic.
For foods and agricultural products in the United States, USDA organic certification is a regulated standard. Products labeled simply “Organic” generally must contain at least 95% certified organic ingredients, excluding salt and water. A product labeled “Made with Organic…” has a different threshold and cannot use the USDA Organic seal.
USDA-certified operations also undergo a formal certification process that includes an application, review by an accredited certifier, an inspection and ongoing annual review.
How a product earns the AwearMarket Certified Organic badge:
We look for recognized organic certification appropriate to that particular product category.
In other words, seeing “organic coconut oil” buried in an ingredient list does not automatically make the entire finished product certified organic.
We want the badge to reflect the product claim, not simply a marketing word.
What this badge does NOT mean:
Certified organic does not necessarily mean a product is sugar-free, allergen-free, minimally processed or the perfect choice for every person.
It tells you something specific about how qualifying agricultural ingredients were produced and handled. And that distinction matters.
🧪 Third-Party Tested
You’ll hear brands talk about testing all the time.
But there is a difference between a company testing its own product and sending that product to an independent laboratory for evaluation.
That is where third-party testing comes in.
In regulated contexts, third-party testing is specifically used to provide objective, independent testing rather than relying only on the manufacturer’s own assessment. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, for example, requires many children’s products to be tested by accepted third-party laboratories for applicable safety rules.
Of course, not every product category is tested for the same thing.
A food product, skincare product, cleaning product and textile may all undergo very different testing.
How a product earns the AwearMarket Third-Party Tested badge:
We look for documentation showing that the product has been evaluated by an independent laboratory or qualified third party for claims relevant to that product.
Depending on the category, that might include testing for things such as:
- heavy metals
- microbial contamination
- purity
- ingredient or material verification
- chemical residues
- performance or safety standards
The important part is this: “Third-party tested” tells you that testing happened. It does not tell you what was tested unless we tell you that too.
That is why we always encourage you to dig one layer deeper.
We certainly do.
🧵 OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100
Okay, first things first. It’s pronounced roughly “OH-koh tex.” Now that we have that out of the way, what is it?
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is a certification specifically focused on textiles that have been tested for harmful substances.
And this one is pretty comprehensive.
According to OEKO-TEX®, every component of a certified item is evaluated, including things like the fabric, thread, buttons and other accessories, against a list of more than 1,000 harmful substances. The requirements also become stricter depending on how closely a textile comes into contact with the skin.
For example, products intended for babies and young children fall into the strictest OEKO-TEX® product class.
How a product earns this AwearMarket badge:
The product must carry a valid OEKO-TEX® certification applicable to the item.
OEKO-TEX® even provides a Label Check system that allows certificate numbers to be verified.
Why I like this certification:
Textiles can be complicated.
We think about what something is made from, but we don’t always think about dyes, finishes, treatments, buttons, elastic and all the other pieces that go into the finished item.
OEKO-TEX® helps us look beyond the fiber itself.
🌎 Biodegradable
This is probably one of the badges that requires the most context.
“Biodegradable” sounds simple.
Something eventually breaks down in nature, right?
Not necessarily.
How, where and how quickly something breaks down matters.
The Federal Trade Commission specifically warns companies against making broad biodegradable claims without evidence. Under the FTC Green Guides, an unqualified degradable claim generally requires evidence that the entire product or package will completely break down and return to nature within a reasonably short period after customary disposal. For solid-waste products, the FTC identifies that period as one year. Products typically headed to landfills, incinerators or recycling facilities usually do not meet that standard for an unqualified claim.
That is a pretty important detail.
How a product earns the AwearMarket Biodegradable badge:
We look for substantiation behind the claim and we want to know what exactly is biodegradable.
Is it:
the actual product?
a particular material?
the packaging?
a refill pouch?
something that requires industrial composting?
The badge should never imply that an entire product magically disappears into the earth if only one small piece of its packaging is biodegradable.
Context matters.
And this is one area where I want us to continue pushing brands to give consumers better information.
💗 Women-Owned
This one is a little different, and one of my favorites.
Our Women-Owned badge celebrates the women building the businesses behind the products you see on AwearMarket. Supporting a women-owned company is not a product safety certification. It is about knowing where your dollars are going and who you are supporting with your purchase.
Formal organizations such as the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council define a certified women-owned business as one that is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated and managed by a woman or women. WBENC certification itself involves documentation review and a formal vetting process.
How a brand earns the AwearMarket Women-Owned badge:
We use this badge to identify companies whose ownership meets our women-owned criteria based on information reviewed by our team.
It is important to note that the AwearMarket Women-Owned badge does not automatically mean a company is WBENC certified unless that certification is specifically stated.
We simply want to give you another piece of information about the story behind your purchase.
Because who we choose to support matters too.
🛡️ The Awear Non-Toxic Standard
And then there is ours.
You’ll see the Awear Non-Toxic Standard badge on the products throughout AwearMarket.
This badge is different from something like USDA Organic or OEKO-TEX® because it is not an outside certification.
It is our own internal screening designation.
Why create one?
Because not every product category has a single certification that tells consumers everything they want to know.
Personal care is different from snacks. Cleaning products are different from bedding. Oral care is different from cookware. There is no one little seal that answers every question. So our team looks deeper.
How a product earns the Awear Non-Toxic Standard badge:
We review the product as a whole, including the ingredients or materials used, the purpose of the product, available supporting documentation and ingredients or substances we have chosen to avoid or flag as part of our standards.
When appropriate, we may ask brands for additional information, clarification or supporting testing.
And sometimes? We say no. Not every product submitted to AwearMarket makes the cut. That is part of the job we have chosen to take on.
The Federal Trade Commission also makes an important point about the term “non-toxic”: companies making that claim should have competent and reliable scientific evidence supporting safety for people and the environment.
So we do not use our badge to suggest that any product is completely risk-free for every person in every situation.
Allergies exist. Sensitivities exist. Dose matters. How a product is used matters.
Our standard is meant to give you another level of AwearMarket screening and transparency, not replace your own individual needs or judgment.
A badge is a starting point, not the end of the conversation.
This may be the most important part.
We don’t want AwearMarket to become another place where a pretty green leaf gets slapped on a package and everybody stops asking questions.
Quite the opposite.
I want us asking more questions.
What is it made from?
Who tested it?
What was it tested for?
Who certified it?
Does the certification apply to the whole product or one ingredient?
Who owns the company?
What does “biodegradable” actually mean in this case?
Because the more we understand, the more confidently we can make decisions for ourselves and our families.
You don’t need every item in your house to collect six badges.
And a product without a particular badge isn’t automatically a “bad” product.
These are simply tools.
Little markers designed to help you shop with more information and hopefully a lot less overwhelm.
We’ll keep doing the digging.
One thing you’ll hear me say often at AwearMarket is that better choices start with better information.
We are learning right alongside you.
Standards evolve. Science evolves. Products change. Formulas change. Certifications change. And when new information becomes available, we want our standards to evolve too.
Our job is not to scare you into shopping. It is to help you understand what you’re buying. Decide what feels right for you. That, to me, is what being Awear is all about.
With love,
Melissa Coulier
Brand + Wellness Officer
AwearMarket