Guides & comparisons
Bleach vs hydrogen peroxide
Chlorine bleach and 3% hydrogen peroxide both disinfect. Bleach is stronger and faster; peroxide is safer, fume-free, and can't form toxic gas. When to use which, and how.
DEET vs picaridin
DEET and picaridin both work. Picaridin doesn't melt plastics or smell; DEET has 60 years of data. How they compare on mosquitoes, ticks, kids, pregnancy, and duration.
SLS vs SLES
Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate look alike on a label and clean the same way, but SLES is gentler on skin — with a 1,4-dioxane footnote. Which to choose and when to skip both.
Bug spray safety for kids
Which insect repellents are safe for babies and children, at what ages, and how to apply them. DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and what to skip.
Cleaning products that are safe around pets
Which household cleaners are dangerous for dogs and cats (phenols, quats, bleach, essential oils), which are fine, and how to clean pet messes without making things worse.
Pregnancy-safe skincare ingredients
Which skincare ingredients to stop during pregnancy (retinoids, hydroquinone, high-dose salicylic acid) and which are fine (vitamin C, azelaic acid, niacinamide, most sunscreens). A practical list.
🧴 Personal Care
Fragrance (Parfum) Use With Caution
'Fragrance' or 'parfum' on a label can stand for dozens of undisclosed chemicals. Why it's the top cause of cosmetic allergy, what the EU makes brands reveal, and how to read the label.
Methylisothiazolinone Flagged
Methylisothiazolinone (MI/MIT) is a preservative behind a wave of contact allergies. Banned in EU leave-on cosmetics since 2017. Here's what it means for your lotion, wipes, and shampoo.
Parabens Use With Caution
Parabens are the most-studied cosmetic preservatives and among the most avoided. What the research actually shows, which ones the EU has banned, and whether you need to worry.
Phenoxyethanol Generally Safe
Phenoxyethanol replaced parabens in thousands of products. It's approved up to 1% worldwide, but France advised limiting it in products for babies. What the evidence says.
Retinol Use With Caution
Retinol is the best-evidenced anti-ageing ingredient in skincare, but it's advised against in pregnancy and the EU has capped its strength from 2025. What you need to know before using it.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Use With Caution
SLS is the foaming agent in most shampoo, toothpaste, and body wash. It's an irritant, not a carcinogen. What the evidence says, how it differs from SLES, and who should switch.
Talc Use With Caution
Talc is in powders, eyeshadow, and dry shampoo. The concern is asbestos contamination and inhalation, not the mineral itself. What regulators concluded in 2024 and what it means for you.
Triethanolamine (TEA) Use With Caution
Triethanolamine adjusts pH and thickens creams and cleansers. It's restricted in the EU because of a nitrosamine contamination risk. What that means for your product.
🧹 Household
2-Butoxyethanol Use With Caution
2-Butoxyethanol is the solvent in many glass, degreaser, and multi-surface cleaners. It's absorbed through skin and irritates airways, and Canada limits it in consumer products. What to know.
Ammonia Use With Caution
Ammonia is the streak-free ingredient in glass cleaners and a strong degreaser. It's safe diluted and ventilated but produces toxic chloramine gas if mixed with bleach. What to know.
Benzalkonium Chloride Use With Caution
Benzalkonium chloride is the active ingredient in most disinfectant wipes and sprays. It kills germs well, but it's linked to asthma, skin allergy, and it's toxic to aquatic life. What to know.
Hydrogen Peroxide Generally Safe
3% hydrogen peroxide disinfects, whitens, and breaks down into water and oxygen. Safer than bleach or quats for most household jobs. Where it works, where it doesn't, and what not to do.
Optical Brighteners Use With Caution
Optical brighteners make whites look whiter by clinging to fabric and reflecting UV light. They stay on clothes against your skin and don't biodegrade well. Who should skip them.
Phthalates Use With Caution
Phthalates are plasticisers and fragrance fixatives linked to hormone disruption. Several are banned in EU cosmetics and US toys, but DEP still hides inside 'fragrance'. How to avoid them.
Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach) Use With Caution
Household bleach is sodium hypochlorite. It disinfects reliably but produces toxic gas when mixed with ammonia, vinegar, or other cleaners. Dilution, ventilation, and the mixing rules.
🌿 Outdoor & Garden
2,4-D Use With Caution
2,4-D is the active in most 'weed and feed' and broadleaf lawn herbicides. Low acute toxicity, a disputed cancer classification, and a clear rule about dogs on treated lawns. What to know.
DEET Use With Caution
DEET is the most-studied insect repellent in the world. What the evidence says about safety for children and pregnancy, which concentration to choose, and when picaridin is the better pick.
Glyphosate Use With Caution
Glyphosate is the world's most-used weedkiller and its most argued-over. Why regulators say it's safe and IARC says it's probably carcinogenic, what the lawsuits established, and what to do in your garden.
Imidacloprid Use With Caution
Imidacloprid is the neonicotinoid in many flea treatments, lawn grub killers, and garden insecticides. Low toxicity to mammals, devastating to bees. What the bans mean and how to use it, if at all.
Permethrin Use With Caution
Permethrin kills ticks and mosquitoes on treated clothing and is in many flea and lice treatments. It's safe for humans and dogs used correctly — and extremely toxic to cats and aquatic life.
Picaridin (Icaridin) Generally Safe
Picaridin (icaridin) repels mosquitoes and ticks as well as DEET without the odour or plastic damage. Safety for children and pregnancy, effective concentration, and where it falls short.
Pyrethrins Use With Caution
Pyrethrins come from chrysanthemum flowers and break down fast in sunlight, which makes them a favourite 'natural' insecticide. They're still toxic to fish, bees, and cats. What to know.