MAMAVATION https://mamavation.com/ Mamavation | Healthy Living | Lifestyle | Detoxify Home | Product Recommendations Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:36:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://mamavation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/MV_FaviconBlack_1-01-80x80.png MAMAVATION https://mamavation.com/ 32 32 Basmati Rice Tested for Toxic Arsenic & Lead — Guide (DUPLICATE) https://mamavation.com/food/basmati-rice-tested-for-toxic-arsenic-lead-guide-duplicate.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:44:42 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=49306 What basmati rice products can you safely feed your family that have been tested for toxic arsenic, the most common contaminant? Mamavation accepted rice donations from women across the United States and sent them to an independent EPA-certified laboratory to test for arsenic, lead, cadmium & mercury. This consumer study will report how the basmati rice …

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]]> What basmati rice products can you safely feed your family that have been tested for toxic arsenic, the most common contaminant? Mamavation accepted rice donations from women across the United States and sent them to an independent EPA-certified laboratory to test for arsenic, lead, cadmium & mercury. This consumer study will report how the basmati rice brands we sent to the laboratory performed, as shown at the bottom of this post. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you investigations like (1) safest jasmine rice for arsenic & lead,  (2) safest coffee from pesticides & PFAS, (3) safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, and (4) best water filters to capture PFAS “forever chemicals.” Now join us for our latest consumer study on rice and see which basmati rice brands are the safest from arsenic.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Basmati Rice with a wooden spoon sitting on top

Mamavation Found Arsenic, Lead, & Cadmium in Rice

How much arsenic is in a typical cup of rice? Let’s find out. Previous studies found high levels of arsenic in most rice products, so we created a rice consumer study based on the exact needs of Mamavation community members. Mamavation sent 57 rice & rice noodle products to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for total arsenic, lead, cadmium, & mercury. Because rice is the most significant source of arsenic (other than drinking water) most Americans have daily, we relied on donations from our audience to test exactly what they were already using.

Jasmine rice, basmati rice, brown rice, long-grain rice, parboiled rice, sushi rice, heirloom rice, forbidden rice, & ramen rice noodles were all sent to the laboratory and had various levels of arsenic and other heavy metals present. Here are some of the main findings:

  • 98% of rice samples contained detectable total arsenic. That’s 56 out of 57 rice products. And, 100% of Basmati rice had detectable total arsenic.
  • Basmati rice arsenic levels ranged from 0.04 ug/g to 0.115 ug/g total arsenic. This can also be described as 40 to 115 parts per billion (ppb).
  • The average Basmati rice product contamination was 75 ppb total arsenic; however, the average rice product contamination from the entire rice group was 113 ppb total arsenic.
  • Highest Arsenic Products: Mamavation sent two products with over 10 mcg of total arsenic for every 45 mg of rice for more testing of inorganic arsenic. Neither of those products were Basmati rice, but they came back with concerning levels of inorganic arsenic– 175 ppb and 222 ppb total inorganic arsenic. These samples were from China, Heilongjiang Province, and Louisiana.
  • Geography of Highest Arsenic: Rice products with the highest total arsenic were from China, Thailand, Louisiana, Texas, & South Carolina.
  • Geography of Lowest Arsenic: Rice products with the lowest total arsenic were from California, India, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, & China.

Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University had this to say after she reviewed this consumer study: “Pay close attention to how much arsenic is in your rice if you are raising young children or are pregnant. Mamavation has made this easy for you to navigate with their rice testing. Overall, this is a big problem for women who are pregnant, feeding small children, and people who consume lots of rice. So if you eat lots of rice, it’s best to opt for safer brands or types of rice lower in arsenic.”

Basmati Rice sitting in a wooden bowl

Health-Related Impacts Linked to Overconsumption of Arsenic

Arsenic is a carcinogen that, in chronic exposure, is linked to bladder, lung, and skin cancers. Its most toxic form, inorganic arsenic, is found in the environment and around industrial processes. Early-life exposures to inorganic arsenic in utero are especially dangerous. Here are some additional health-related impacts linked to overconsumption of arsenic.

For most of the world, exposure to arsenic is through contaminated groundwater. Inorganic arsenic is naturally present at high levels in the groundwater in regions of Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chile, China, India, Mexico, Pakistan, the United States of America, and Vietnam.  Acute poisoning results in vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping, and even death, in extreme cases. Children are especially vulnerable to arsenic, and in such rare cases, they are referred to a medical toxicologist, Poison Control Center, or Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit for possible chelation therapy. You can check to see the arsenic levels in your public water district here through the Environmental Working Group Tapwater Database.

Children's Multivitamins -- Tested for Pesticides, PFAS, Phthalates, & Heavy Metals 1

How to Lower Asenic Exposure for Children

If you are pregnant or caring for small children, lowering your exposure to arsenic is important. There are many things you can do, and we would love to help you get started!

Jasmine Rice Tested for Arsenic-- Low Arsenic Rice Guide 3

Types of Rice — What We Tested

There are two main types of rice: Indica and Japonica. Indica rice, better known as long-grain rice, such as Basmati and Jasmine rice, is long and slim. Japonica rice is a medium to short-grain rice and is stickier, shorter, or rounder. Wild rice is not true rice because it comes from a grass family, but we know you eat it so we won’t be splitting hairs here. Here are the types of rice we tested, broken into categories:

  • Basmati Rice — Basmati rice is a long-grained rice with a nutty flavor and aroma. This type of rice becomes very fluffy when cooked and used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
  • Jasmine Rice — Jasmine rice is another long-grained rice with a floral scent and slightly sweet flavor, native to Southeast Asia. Jasmine rice from Thailand is also known as “Thai Horn Mali”.
  • Brown Rice — Brown rice is a whole grain rice containing the rice kernel, including the germ and the endosperm. This rice is higher in fiber. Technically, any other rice that maintains its structure can be a brown rice. Brown rice typically has more arsenic than white rice because of the hull.
  • Black “Forbidden” Rice is considered a whole grain because it has retained its bran, germ, and endosperm. It’s very dark in color and not as popular in the US as other rice categories.
  • Wild Rice — This rice has more fiber and protein than other rice. The colors can vary.
  • Rice Noodles — We included this category as noodles made from rice. Some products are transparent about what type of rice they use, while others are not.
  • Parboiled — This rice is partially cooked in the husk, and then the husk is removed. This is also referred to as “easy cook” rice.
  • Sushi & Other Short-Grain Rice — This category is a general section where we have to stuff many additional types of rice, like sushi rice and sticky rice.

Basmati Rice dish

How Arsenic Finds Its Way Into Rice & Rice Cereals

How does arsenic contaminate rice? The answer to that question is both complicated and straightforward. Rice is the number one source of arsenic for most Americans, but if you eat lots of chicken, mushrooms, or seafood, your arsenic levels may be even higher. Here are the main exposure pathways for arsenic in rice:

  • Geographic locations and farming practices in that area can impact the arsenic in rice. For instance, rice from California may have less arsenic than rice from Texas or Louisiana.
  • Rice paddies take up more arsenic than other plants, so the naturally present arsenic will increase in rice in a way that doesn’t happen in other plants.
  • The local water supply could have higher arsenic levels, and if used for irrigation, it will increase the amounts in rice. Certain areas like Los Angeles, Houston, & Spokane have higher levels of arsenic in the water.
  • Legacy Pesticide Use: Rice farms that used to be other types, like cotton or tobacco farms, could already have arsenic contamination in the soil from previous pesticide use.
  • Most rice paddy farms are irrigated heavily with water, turning them into mud patches that never dry and, over time, concentrate arsenic.
  • Arsenic-containing drugs: Sometimes arsenic-containing drugs and feed additives are fed to chickens to keep them from getting sick, but this also increases arsenic in their feces. This arsenic-filled chicken poop can be used in composting, which can get into the general food supply and can be taken up by plants or eaten by farm animals.

Basmati Rice tested for arsenic and lead inside a wooden bowl

Best Rice Cookers

We’ve been researching the safest cookware and small kitchen appliances for years, so we wanted to share with you the safest rice cookers free from PFAS “forever chemical” coatings. Most rice cookers are coated with PFAS “forever chemicals” or different coatings containing nanoparticles. The safest options for rice cookers are either made from stainless steel, cladding materials, or uncoated ceramic, and can make perfect rice with fluffy textures. The stainless steel inner rice bowl should be safe for the dishwasher, not the entire machine. Not all accessories are approved if they are made of plastic, such as a plastic steamer basket or plastic rice paddle. Most of these machines have a tempered glass lid and a safe heating element, but they can also be placed in warm mode to keep warm. Increasing the water ratio in the rice cooker and later tossing the excess water helps reduce the arsenic in each rice bowl.

Interested in other small kitchen appliances and cookware investigations? Here are some additional studies we have done you may be interested in:

Cookware & Bakeware

Other Kitchen Accessories

Small Kitchen Appliances

Food Packaging

Serving & Plating

Jasmine rice tested for arsenic sitting in a wooden bowl

Mamavation’s Investigation on Basmati Rice Tested for Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, & Mercury

To recap, Mamavation sent 57 rice products to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing for arsenic, cadmium, mercury & lead. 98% of rice products had detectable amounts of total arsenic. However, 100% of the rice products contained some detectable heavy metal.

Mamavation accepted rice donations from women across the United States in the following categories: jasmine rice, basmati rice, sushi rice, long grain rice, brown rice, rice noodles, forbidden rice, wild rice, and parboiled rice. After receiving the rice, we recorded the information, took pictures, and sent the products to an EPA-certified laboratory for analysis. Rice that was above 0.22 mcg/g (10 mcg of arsenic per 45-gram serving), was sent back for more inorganic arsenic testing. We then estimated inorganic arsenic in other products by using a summary assessment of inorganic arsenic in rice published in 2024. Based on that study, we estimated that inorganic arsenic accounts for 72.7% of the total arsenic found. We included those estimations with all the products in the raw data below.

We are releasing the raw data in different categories:

  • jasmine rice,
  • basmati rice,
  • long grain rice,
  • brown rice,
  • rice ramen and rice noodles,
  • sushi & short-grain rice
  • all rice products together

The final rice-related investigation that will be posted will be a compilation of all rice products together. The raw data released in this investigation will focus on Basmati Rice. We divided the rice products into 3 categories according to contamination levels. These levels reflect the overall levels of heavy metal contamination in each product but do not follow specific government recommendations.

  • ug/g = 1 ppm = 1000 ppb
  • ug/kg = 1 ppb
  • <MRL means less than “maximum residue limit,” which means it can be found, but it’s so small it can’t be quantified.
  • ND = non-detect

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, had this to say after his scientific review of this consumer study.

“Thanks to Mamavation for providing this excellent view into the relative purity with respect to arsenic of spot-checked basmati rice across many brands.  The more moms decide to act through their buying habits based on this guidance, the more rice is likely to become free of arsenic contamination for the protection of families.”

dry Basmati Rice in a pile on the table

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of popular jasmine rice to our EPA-certified laboratory for heavy metal testing.

Below is the complete list of basmati rice included in our investigation. Sign into MAMAGATE below to view all results.

  • Azure Market Organic Brown Basmati Rice Imported
  • Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, White
  • Azure Market Organic Heirloom Rice Basmati, Brown
  • Azure Market Organic White Basmati Rice Imported
  • Bowl & Basket Basmati Rice Extra Long Grain
  • Lotus Foods Organic White Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
  • Lotus Foods Organic Brown Basmati Rice Regenerative Organic Certified
  • Lotus Food Heirloom Kalijira Rice Organic White Quick Cook Rice “Baby Basmati”
  • Lundberg Family Farms Organic California Brown Gourmet Rice BASMATI
  • Lundberg Family Farms Sustainable California White Basmati Gourmet Rice
  • Lundberg Family Farms Organic Sprouted Brown Basmati Gourmet Rice
  • Royal Authentic Basmati Rice
  • Royal Organic Basmati Rice
  • The Fresh Market Organic Basmati Long Grain Rice
  • Trader Joe’s Organic Basmati Rice

 

Basmati Rice on a wooden table spread out

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]]> Best Non-Toxic Natural Deodorants Sans Nasty Chemicals https://mamavation.com/beauty/toxic-deodorants.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:20:23 +0000 https://dev.mamavation.com/?p=21112 Deodorant is something you want to do once a day and forget about. It better work. And hopefully, it doesn’t have ingredients linked to cancer. The deodorant industry has come a long way and the number of green beauty options is vast compared to just a couple of years ago. Whether you want conventional, middle-of-the-road, …

The post Best Non-Toxic Natural Deodorants Sans Nasty Chemicals appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Deodorant is something you want to do once a day and forget about. It better work. And hopefully, it doesn’t have ingredients linked to cancer. The deodorant industry has come a long way and the number of green beauty options is vast compared to just a couple of years ago. Whether you want conventional, middle-of-the-road, or non-toxic deodorant, there’s a deodorant brand for you. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you investigations like shampoo, cookware, & sunscreen, now join us as we explore the best natural deodorants and best aluminum-free deodorants.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon and was medically reviewed by Rebecca Elizabeth Sherrick Harks, Registered Nurse. 

Woman sniffing her armpits and she needs deodorant

The Deodorants We Grew Up With Were Kinda Toxic

Let’s just get through this real quick. Years ago, most deodorants were full of toxic & hormone-disrupting chemicals. If your preference is to avoid this cancerous mess, nontoxic deodorant options are available. The good news is they are getting sophisticated, smell good, and actually work (provided you do the armpit detox to get the gunk out of your pits first!) and are paraben-free.

Chemicals within products that can disrupt hormones are suspect when considering the cocktails building in bodies over time. These hormone-disrupting chemicals building up within our bodies are linked to various conditions such as obesity, diabetes, infertility, hyperactivity & behavioral problems in children, reduction in IQ, loss of memory, organ failure, and then, of course, cancer. More on this soon!

Woman with sweat on her brow exposes her armpits

The Cosmetic Industry Polices Itself. That’s Bad For Consumers Wanting to Avoid Breast Cancer.

Body-care products seem to be more and more dangerous, especially for women, and that’s unfortunate because It’s estimated that 1 in 3 women will get cancer within their lifetimes, breast cancer being the most prevalent. Globally, breast cancer affects more women than any other type of cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women.

One thing of note about the cosmetic industry in the United States is that it’s willfully flawed and downright dangerous at times. Ingredients inside products on the shelves are not independently tested nor are they evaluated by the FDA for safety before they are sold. And that’s because the cosmetic industry effectively polices itself. They determine what chemicals are safe and which are not, leaving us dangerously behind Europe in terms of safety.

To put things into perspective, Europe has restricted or banned 1,328 ingredients in cosmetics and the United States has banned and restricted approximately 30+–most recently to restrict the number of plastic microbeads and triclosan within our water supply. But 30 compared to 1,328? That’s a huge discrepancy that underscores the danger inherent in the American cosmetic industry.

So why do we need to watch out for deodorants? Well, basically they can be a clusterf*ck of chemicals that disrupt hormones. We get it, no one wants to deal with BO and the idea of a natural deodorant can cause some to literally turn up their noses. But it’s still important to find a safer deodorant that works for you in order to reduce your toxic load.

So if natural deodorant doesn’t work on you, do an armpit cleanse and get on with it. When you do an armpit cleanse, you’ll be shocked by how natural deodorant works afterward.

So What Stinks About Deodorant? Nasty Ingredients to Avoid

Most deodorants are a chemical concoction of unholy body burden. In other words, there are a ton of problematic chemicals inside that are linked with a chronic disease you would rather avoid. So let’s get down to brass tacks. Deodorant fights odor by killing bacteria and providing a covering scent while antiperspirants use an aluminum compound to stop up sweat glands temporarily. The controversial gland-plugger aluminum has constantly been under attack for breast cancer and other risks but it is of concern, especially to those with kidney disease since the aluminum is cleaned out through the kidneys.

  • Parabens: Another problematic ingredient inside deodorant is parabens. Parabens are those sneaky little ingredients linked to cancer, and developmental and reproductive toxicity. In fact, they are typically found inside breast cancer tumors. Parabens are used in cosmetics to prevent mold, yeast, and odor-causing bacteria from forming. And they are used in cosmetics to give the product a longer shelf life. Are there alternatives? Yes. But parabens are cheaper to use and allow the product to stay on the shelves for years and years and years…until it’s sold. So this is why cosmetic companies use them.

Paraben Ingredients Hide as: Methylparaben, propylparaben, methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate and propyl 4-hydroxylbenzoate

  • Triclosan: Triclosan is another very common ingredient that has been banned for use in other personal care products in the United States. But for some reason, the Feds didn’t ban triclosan from things like deodorant or toothpaste. Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent that is added to products to prevent bacterial and fungal growth. Its chemical structure is very similar to thyroid hormones but the frightful part is It’s been linked to decreasing levels of thyroid hormones. It’s also been linked to making antibiotics ineffective by spreading and encouraging the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Over millions are infected and over 23,000 people die each year in the United States from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections that are not treatable with antibiotics. And it’s also causing skin cancer during animal testing. So it would not be beneficial to put on a product that contains triclosan and then expose your skin to ultraviolet rays.

Triclosan Ingredients Hide as: Triclosan & triclocarbon. But anytime you see the words “antibacterial” or “antimicrobial” make sure to look at the ingredient label. If you see alcohol as the active ingredient instead, that’s okay.

  • Phthalates: Phthalates are another class of ingredient that is also hormone-disrupting and found in most conventional deodorants. And when I say hormone-disrupting, I’m meaning links to things like obesity, hyperactivity in children, and the kicker is infertility in men by degrading sperm quality. In fact, phthalates are so problematic to male fertility, they are being restricted in places like China. Phthalates, although worse for men, is also problematic to women.

Phthalates Hide as: “Fragrance,” “perfume” or “parfum”

toxic deodorant

Shortlist of Ingredients in Deodorant to Avoid Like the Plague

This list includes endocrine disruptors, undeclared chemicals, possible and known carcinogens, petroleum-derived synthetic colors, antifreeze agents, and ingredients declared unsafe by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) but not by the FDA. Funny how that happens…

  • Propylene glycol
  • Triclosan (or triclocarban)
  • Aluminum
  • Parabens
  • Formaldehyde releasers like quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal
  • Fragrance (can contain any of thousands of chemicals and ingredients are not listed individually)
  • Triethanolamine and diethanolamine (TEA and DEA)
  • Talc (can contain asbestos)
  • Petroleum
  • Isobutane
  • FD & C colors (dyes)
  • Zinc oxide (nano-based)

Solutions: What To Do If Natural Deodorant Brands Don’t Work On You

When you pick natural deodorant and find that it doesn’t work on you, don’t fret! Consider an armpit cleanse to clear out the pores under your arms and release build-up and toxins. (Mamavation’s armpit cleanse is one of our most popular posts!)

Then after all of the sweat-clogging gunk is out of your body, check out an aluminum-free deodorant from the better or best category for healthy protection from body odor.  Look for ingredients like baking soda, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, magnesium hydroxide, mineral salts, coconut oil, and essential oils like sage oil or tea tree oil.

If you find that you are sensitive to baking soda, red spots or irritation may develop on your armpits. Don’t worry, just pick up another type that doesn’t have baking soda. Once you stop using it, those spots should go away.

 

Featured Deodorant: Primally Pure Deodorant

Primally Pure has been one of my favorite deodorants for many years now. The ingredients are pure, simple, and effective yet have major odor protection. It’s the kind of deodorant that can carry me into the next day if I forget to put it on in the morning too. (It does contain some baking soda, so if baking soda causes you skin irritations, there are plenty of the other deodorants we have recommended that do not contain baking soda inside our investigation.)

This is what I mean by simple ingredients. Primally Pure Lavender Deodorant Ingredients: Organic Arrowroot Powder, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Tallow from Grass-Fed Cows, Organic Beeswax, Baking Soda, Non-nano Zinc Oxide, White Kaolin Clay, Organic Lavender Essential Oil

If you would like to try Primally Pure, they are offering Mamavation community members 10% off by using coupon code “MAMAVATION” at checkout. Discover all the different Primally Pure Deodorants and here they are linked individually below.

Red hair woman buying deodorant in a cosmetics department

Not Our Favorite Deodorants

These have high amounts of chemical fragrances, possible carcinogens, aluminum, petroleum, polyethylene glycol compounds (PEGs), and allergenic ingredients that will affect sensitive skin. Mamavation doesn’t recommend brands from this list, but please note that as we have updated this post over the years brands and products have shifted around due to changing their ingredients.

  • Alvera All Natural Roll-on Deodorant Aloe and Almonds
  • Arbonne Deodorant #4112
  • Arm & Hammer Essentials Unscented
  • Arrid
  • Attitude Leaves bar Deodorant Herbal Musk (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Axe
  • Ban Purely Gentle Roll-On Unscented Deodorant
  • Ban Unscented Solid Deodorant
  • Bee Maternal Clean Bergamot Deodorant
  • Corpus Three Roses
  • Degree Dial Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, Crystal Breeze
  • Deonat Mineral Deodorant Roll-On (Natural, Aloe, or Papaya)
  • Deonat Mineral Deodorant Spray (Natural, Aloe, or Papaya)
  • Doterra Natural Deodorant Infused with Doterra Balance Grounding Blend Essential Oil (Mamavation’s independent testing found indication of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more about it here.)
  • Dove
  • Dove Men
  • Dr. Teals Aluminum Free Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indication of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more about it here.)
  • Each & Every Citrus & Vetiver Aluminum Free Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indication of PFAS inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Each & Every Unscented & Fragrance-Free Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Equate Beauty Deodorant, Aluminum-free, Lavender
  • Gillette
  • Godesana Clay & Tea Tree Clean Safe Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Harry’s Odor Control Deodorant Stone
  • hello® clean + fresh deodorant with charcoal (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • hello® fragrance-free deodorant with shea butter (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Hey Humans Lavender Vanilla Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Humble Brands Essential Lavender Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Just Ingredients Eucalyptus Mint Magnesium Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Kiss My Face Active Life Fragrance-Free Stick Deodorant
  • Kiss My Face Sport Stick Deodorant
  • Kopari Fragrance-Free Deodorant
  • Kopari Deodorant Beach Scent (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside one product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Lady Speed Stick
  • Lume Lavender Sage (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Lume Scented Deodorant Tube (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Lume Unscented Deodorant Stick (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Magsol Magnesium Deodorant Smooth Glide Format Jasmine 100% Natural Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Melaleuca Sheer Confidence Antiperspirant & Deodorant perfect powder
  • milk + honey Baking Soda-free Deodorant Lavender Tea Tree (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Mitchum Clinical Powder Fresh Solid
  • Mitchum Unscented Gel
  • Modere Deodorant
  • Myro
  • Right Guard
  • Rustic Maka Naughty Butter Natural Fragrance-Free (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Oars and Alps Natural Deodorant
  • Old Spice
  • Pittie Pop Midnight Vanilla Raw Honey Magnesium Zinc Argan Oil Vitamin E Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Rustic Maka Fresh Active Luna Bliss Natural Deodorant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Salt & Stone Eucalyptus Sensitive Skin
  • Secret Lavender 48 HR Invisible solid Antiperspirant (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)
  • Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel Deodorant
  • Soft & Dri
  • Suave
  • Teen Spirit
  • Tom’s Of Maine Creamy Coconut Plastic Free Deodorant
  • Tom’s of Maine Original Care Deodorant Unscented
  • Zebra The Deodorant Wild Lavender Lemon (Mamavation’s independent testing found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside a product made by this brand. Read more here.)

african american woman putting on deodorant

Better Deodorants

This section is lightyears better than the “not our favorite” category, but it still has some issues. These brands may have some of the following issues: undisclosed “natural” fragrances, undisclosed probiotic strains, too many preservatives, nano-based zinc oxide, or just too much junk. Lots of brands have shifted around since our last update and some may have products in different categories. Note: may need to do an armpit cleanse if they do not work for you.

african american female holding non-toxic deodorant

Best Deodorants

These contain mostly simple ingredients, antibacterials like coconut oil, baking soda, and/or and salts to control odor, essential oils, and more. These products use 100% fragrance transparency and do not rely heavily on preservatives. Lots of brands have shifted around since our last update and some may have products in different categories. Note: may need to do an armpit cleanse if they do not work on you.

Green enough book by Leah Segedie

Want More? Pick Up a Copy of Green Enough

If you pick up a copy of Green Enough: Eat Better, Live Cleaner, Be Healthier (All Without Driving Your Family Crazy!), I’ll take you through all the challenges in personal care products to be aware of when shopping for your family.

If you would like to try my special deodorant recipe, it’s inside the book! It only has 4 ingredients and will keep you smelling fresh all day provided you do an armpit cleanse to unclog your armpit pores.

But don’t miss out! Sign up for our FREE newsletter here and you’ll never miss another investigation of brands and products ever again.

The post Best Non-Toxic Natural Deodorants Sans Nasty Chemicals appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Deodorants — Guide https://mamavation.com/beauty/pfas-forever-chemicals-in-deodorants.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:09:38 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=42906 Does your favorite deodorant contain indications of PFAS “forever chemicals?” PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. These chemicals are very useful, but also incredibly persistent and toxic. Mamavation was asked if any deodorants contained indications of PFAS and we were not sure unless they …

The post Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Deodorants — Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Does your favorite deodorant contain indications of PFAS “forever chemicals?” PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. These chemicals are very useful, but also incredibly persistent and toxic. Mamavation was asked if any deodorants contained indications of PFAS and we were not sure unless they were tested. So we sent several off to an EPA-certified laboratory to find out. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest period underwear without PFAS “forever chemicals,” safest green beauty makeup sans PFAS, or safest laundry detergent sheets without PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for our latest consumer study on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” in some popular deodorants.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, (2) Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, & Yale University, & (3) Scott Belcher, Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University. This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  [Additional labs were added in 2024 and 2025]

Women shopping for PFAS free deodorant at the grocery store

Mamavation’s Lab Finds Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” In Deodorants

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” after analyzing 15 popular deodorants. PFAS is found in many other areas of our homes with some examples being cookware, makeup, drinking water, contact lenses & dental floss. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later. Because PFAS are so toxic, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on indications of PFAS in products to make recommendations for deodorants using PFAS-free materials. Read Mamavation’s articles on these products to find which brands are organic-fluorine-free.

For this consumer study, Mamavation sent 15 deodorants from 14 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.”  Here’s what we found:

  • 40% of total deodorants tested had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” 6 detections from 15 deodorants had organic fluorine above 10 parts per million (ppm) according to our lab,
  • Ranges of organic fluorine, a marker of PFAS, were from 11 ppm to 32 ppm. 
  • Both “natural” and conventional deodorants had some issues, however, we believe these levels are unintentional contamination.
  • (Please note this investigation has been updated with additional lab results since this consumer study was originally posted to give our audience more variety, but we have not changed anything else. Therefore, this will not be reflected in the talking points above. Please note that updated highest amount of organic fluorine is now 103 ppm.)

Linda Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program & Scholar in Residence at Duke University, and Adjunct Professor at both University of North Carolina, & Yale University had this to say: “Because deodorants are applied every day to our bodies, it’s imperative the deodorant industry needs to find this contamination and address it immediately to ensure that women (& men) are no longer exposed when using their deodorants.”

Closeup on woman applying roller deodorant on underarm

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. In fact, many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. The health effects from exposure to PFAS on the armpit areas right next to breast tissue are unknown. It’s also unknown what happens when it is absorbed into our tissues and travels around in our bodies. However, we do know that these areas can be vulnerable to toxic chemicals like PFAS “forever chemicals” because of the proximity to breast tissue and the lymphatic system. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and consumer products like deodorant. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for deodorant.

Here are some of the health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University said,  “Can we learn to put the seductive technical and cost performances of PFAS compounds into a perspective that appropriately accounts for the horrible health, environmental and fairness performances? The answer, simply put, is “Yes!” In 2021, Maine became the first state to enact a PFAS ban in all products (by 2030), unless the use is deemed “currently unavoidable”. Hopefully more states and the entire Union will follow suit. In the meantime, each deodorant company could protect its customers by investing in finding out how much PFAS is in their products and disclosing this on their product labels. They should look well below the 10 parts per million limit that Mamavation can afford. Some PFAS compounds are endocrine disruptors. Wherever endocrine disruption operates, serious toxicity can be elicited at parts per trillion or at even lower doses.”

beauty, hygiene, morning and people concept - young woman applying antiperspirant or stick deodorant and looking to mirror at home bathroom

Additional Key Ingredients in Deodorants You’ll Also Want to Avoid

Many deodorants claim to be formulated by board-certified dermatologists or other types of doctors for the best odor protection, but how can ingredients that interact with hormones be recommended? Should you trade body odor for endocrine disruption, especially around tissue that is very close to your breasts? Many conventional deodorants or roll-on deodorants, contain a formula with ingredients that can be problematic to human health. So what types of chemicals should you avoid in deodorants? Here are some of the most problematic.

  • Parabens: Parabens are those sneaky little ingredients linked to cancer, and developmental and reproductive toxicity. In fact, they are typically found inside breast cancer tumors. Parabens are used in cosmetics to prevent mold, yeast, and odor-causing bacteria from forming. And they are used in cosmetics to give the product a longer shelf life. Are there alternatives? Yes. But parabens are cheaper to use and allow the product to stay on the shelves for years and years and years…until it’s sold. So this is why cosmetic companies use them and why we do investigations on shampoo and conditioner brands to avoid.
  • Formaldehyde Releasers: These ingredients are known to release formaldehyde in trace amounts. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen.
  • Undisclosed fragrance (can contain any of thousands of chemicals and ingredients are not listed individually): “Fragrance” or scents are either made from petroleum (synthetic fragrances) or botanical raw materials (natural fragrance) or both. It can also contain ingredients like solvents, stabilizers, UV absorbers, preservatives, phthalates, and dyes. These types of chemicals vary in toxicity. But there is lots of mystery surrounding “fragrance” in personal care products. Companies that make perfume buy chemicals from other companies called “fragrance houses.” This means it is possible for a brand to not even know the fragrance chemicals inside their own product. However, as companies and states are moving toward fragrance ingredient disclosure, this is slowly starting to change. (You can make a difference here by only purchasing from brands that are doing 100% ingredient disclosure to help!) The biggest problem is the mystery because no one has any idea what is inside the word “fragrance.”
  • Aluminum salts: Some concerns have been raised about aluminum salts that are concerning. However, more studies need to be done to link them directly to health effects like breast cancer or Alzheimer’s.
  • Phthalates: Phthalates are another class of ingredient that is also hormone-disrupting and found in most conventional deodorants. And when I say hormone-disrupting, I’m meaning links to things like obesity, hyperactivity in children, and the kicker is infertility in men by degrading sperm quality. In fact, phthalates are so problematic to male fertility, they are being restricted in places like China. Phthalates, although worse for men, are also problematic to women.
  • Propylene glycol (PEGs): According to the Center for Disease Control “Propylene glycol breaks down in the body in about 48 hours. However, studies of people and animals show that if you have repeated eye, skin, nasal, or oral exposures to propylene glycol for a short time, you may develop some irritation.” This chemicals is considered “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS by the Food & Drug Administration, yet is not recommended as a precaution because of how irritating it can become and how often people are allergic to it.
  • Cyclopentasiloxane: This is a silicon-based cyclic compound that may be associated with environmental toxicity.
  • BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole ) & BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): These ingredients are known hormone disruptors that are linked to liver damage. They are another example of harsh preservatives.
  • Ethoxylated Ingredients — Ethoxylated ingredients are generally of low concern on their own. However, they can be contaminated with ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen, and 1,4-dioxane, reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. They may also be linked to organ toxicity and reproduction toxicity.

Many PFAS free deodorants

Solutions: What To Do If Natural Deodorant Brands Don’t Work On You

When you pick a more “natural” deodorant without petroleum-based ingredients and find that it doesn’t work on you, don’t fret! There are things you can do to train your underarms to respond better to natural deodorant. You may not be able to control how much you sweat or moisture that comes from your sweat glands, but you can cut down on the bacteria and unpleasant smell that comes from your armpits with natural deodorants by doing an armpit cleanse.

Mamavation’s Armpit Cleanse Routine

There are a few simple steps you need to take to detox and safely switch to a natural deodorant. The following four steps make up Leah Segedie’s recommended cleanse:

  1. After you stop using your current deodorant, use a loofah when showering to remove dead skin and from under your armpit;
  2. Apply aluminum-free baking soda to armpits when wet, then apply your natural deodorant.
    • Sensitive Option: If you are sensitive to baking soda, as some people are, you can mix bentonite clay with apple cider vinegar and water to create a yogurt type of consistency for your armpit detox mask recipe instead. Mix it in a bowl with a metal spoon and apply an even layer.
  3. Go about your normal day and when you smell an odor coming from your armpits, wash them with a wet washcloth or rinse them in the shower, and then apply aluminum-free baking soda again. After that, apply the natural deodorant again. Or if you are sensitive to baking soda, use the bentonite clay mixture again.
  4. Repeat this process for up to two weeks or until your natural deodorant works for up to 6 hours.

Note that the first day you start this armpit cleanse, you may be repeating these steps 5 to 10 times in the first day, but with each application you should be able to go longer and longer. You may want to start this cleanse when you have time to spend indoors at home, like on the weekends. My own cleanse ended after the 4th day, and the average person takes 4-7 days to complete this cleanse. After this cleanse, your natural deodorant should work better and last longer.

If you find that you are sensitive to baking soda, red spots or irritation may develop on your armpits. Don’t worry, just pick up another type of deodorant that doesn’t have baking soda. Once you stop using it, those spots should go away.

Deodorants on display

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food and consumer products you may bring inside your home. Each one of these studies were done in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the lab and raw data of those labs at the bottom of the post.

Portrait of beautiful young woman using a deodorant without PFAS, looking at camera and smiling

Mamavation’s Investigation of Deodorants & Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Deodorants were purchased between February 2023 and February 2024. (Updated: Additional labs were added in August 2024 and March of 2025) For this consumer study, all products were purchased by Mamavation either at Walmart or from Amazon. Each product was recorded in our database and then sent directly to the lab within its original packaging.

Testing: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory uses marker testing to identify the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in deodorants. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine. The specific lab method used to test for total fluorine was the Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode. If total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10 ppm or greater, the lab did the Determination of free Fluoride Ion in the product by Ion-Selective Electrode and then subtracted that from the Total Fluorine to determine the amount of organic fluorine. This marker testing is likely to show the presence of PFAS. Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals, and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf), which are all also PFAS.  None of which you want around your food, or personal care products like deodorants!

Scott Belcher, Ph.D. & Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University says “fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),  are extremely common forms of PFAS that could be contributing to the organic fluorine found in deodorants. Methods used for detecting individual PFAS, such as PFOA or GenX, cannot directly identify PTFE. However, the analysis of total organic fluorine (TOF) does account for all PFAS contaminants in deodorants, including PTFE. Therefore, this method of testing serves as a good ‘spot-check’ of consumer products.”

Close up of happy young woman showing her smooth armpit

Product Brands We Tested
To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent a wide range of deodorant and antiperspirant products to an EPA-certified laboratory for organic fluorine testing, a marker for PFAS “forever chemicals.” Below is the complete list of deodorant products included in our investigation.

Deodorant Brands Tested by Mamavation

Want full access to the raw data, PFAS findings, and Mamavation’s recommendations for the safest deodorants? Join Mamagate in the sign-in box below and get Free Access to the complete buying guide with detailed lab results for every product. Make sure to use Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Safari for best viewing experience. Avoid using the Meta browser for access to this site. 

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]]> Vitamin D Supplements Tested for Pesticides, Lead, PFAS, & Phthalates https://mamavation.com/supplements/vitamin-d.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 22:45:35 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=46346 Which Vitamin D supplements (primarily D3 K2 combos) contain the lowest levels of potentially harmful contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and phthalates? We asked our audience which Vitamin D supplements they were using, and then sent the top 11 products to different EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. The results provide consumers with …

The post Vitamin D Supplements Tested for Pesticides, Lead, PFAS, & Phthalates appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Which Vitamin D supplements (primarily D3 K2 combos) contain the lowest levels of potentially harmful contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and phthalates? We asked our audience which Vitamin D supplements they were using, and then sent the top 11 products to different EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. The results provide consumers with data-driven information to help evaluate and compare Vitamin D supplement brands based on contaminant levels. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you consumer studies like safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, safest water filters to filter PFAS, and safest women’s multivitamins; now join us for a consumer study testing Vitamin D for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” phthalates, & heavy metals.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Closeup the yellow soft gelatin supplement fish oil capsule on wooden plate

Mamavation’s EPA-Certified Laboratory Finds Heavy Metals, PFAS, Pesticides, & Phthalates in Popular Vitamin D Supplements

Mamavation sent eleven popular vitamin D supplements to two EPA-certified laboratories testing for PFAS analytes, including PFOA/PFOS, phthalates, heavy metals, glyphosate, and 500+ additional pesticides. The contamination results were surprising considering how expensive most of these products were. Here’s the outcome of contaminants that were found according to our labs:

  • 100% of Vitamin D supplements contained ortho-phthalates. That’s 11 out of 11 products.
  • No Vitamin D supplements had levels of heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium & mercury) that would require a Prop. 65 warning in California. 10 products had lower levels of heavy metals. However, 1 product had zero detectable heavy metals.
  • None of the Vitamin D supplements we tested had detectable levels of glyphosate at the lowest standardized level.
  • 64% of the Vitamin D supplements contained other detectable pesticides. That’s 7 out of 11 products.
  • 9% of Vitamin D supplements contained specific PFAS chemicals. That’s 1 out of 11 products.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, had some additional points he wanted to make about the testing.

“As a chemist deeply interested in all things chemical that matter to sustainability, my first question is not which brands scored well or poorly. Rather, it is: how are these contaminants getting into Vitamin D products in the first place? If brand owners have good insight into the origins of contamination, they can do a better job of keeping harmful contaminants out.

I take a daily Vitamin D supplement powder capsule and have done so for years. I have generally assumed that higher-priced brands with strong reputations would also exhibit superior contaminant control. The Mamavation findings suggest that this assumption may not always be warranted.

Vitamin D is manufactured primarily from lanolin, a greasy substance produced by sheep and other mammals to coat their wool for waterproofing and thermal insulation. Vegan products can be manufactured from lichen and algae. The synthesis from “wool oil” is relatively straightforward and involves photochemical conversion of lanolin-derived precursors into Vitamin D. One would expect modern purification procedures to remove most contaminants effectively. Yet the analytical findings suggest that contamination is entering some products at some point along the supply chain.

Observation 1: Anthraquinone appears in multiple brands at nearly identical concentrations.

A few vitamin brands contain anthraquinone at approximately 0.01 mg/kg (10 ppb). This raises the possibility of a common supplier, common processing aid, common capsule source, common contract manufacturer, or another shared supply-chain input. The quality-control teams at these brands should investigate whether they have a common upstream source.

Anthraquinone is carcinogenic in certain animal studies, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified it as Group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Observation 2: The phthalate fingerprints do not suggest a single contamination source.

Mamavation has done a superb job of quantifying individual phthalates. There are many phthalates used in commerce, and different phthalates tend to be associated with different applications. The identity and quantity of each detected phthalate provide clues about possible contamination pathways.

The spread of phthalate profiles does not look like a single contaminant source affecting all brands equally. Rather, it suggests multiple contamination pathways rather than anything intrinsic to the Vitamin D source itself. At the same time, subgroups of brands exhibit similarities that could indicate common sources.

The first step for any manufacturer interested in eliminating these contaminants should be straightforward: analyze capsules separately from the fill material. Mamavation analyzed finished products, not the individual components. Without separate analyses of capsules, active ingredients, carrier oils, excipients, and packaging materials, it is difficult to determine where contamination is entering the system.

Observation 3: Several phthalate profiles are consistent with contact with flexible PVC materials.

The strongest signal, in my view, is possible contact with flexible PVC materials somewhere in processing or packaging. Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) are commonly used as PVC plasticizers. Their recurring appearance across multiple brands is notable because one of their primary commercial functions is to soften PVC and impart flexibility.

Possible sources include:

  • Flexible transfer hoses
  •  Other tubing
  • PVC-lined processing equipment
  • Vinyl gloves
  • Packaging components
  • Other PVC-containing contact materials

This interpretation is, of course, a hypothesis rather than a conclusion. However, the contaminant fingerprints are broadly consistent with such sources.

In my view, PVC is a plastic with significant sustainability and human-health concerns. Phthalate exposure has repeatedly been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes in both laboratory animals and human studies and is considered one plausible contributor to declining male reproductive health.

Observation 4: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) deserves particular attention.

DBP appears in numerous samples. Historically, its uses have included coatings, adhesives, printing inks, pharmaceutical excipients, and capsule-related processing materials.

The repeated appearance of DBP concerns me more than some of the other phthalates because human evidence exists demonstrating biological effects under real-world exposure conditions.

One of the strongest examples comes from work led by Russ Hauser and colleagues involving DBP-containing mesalamine formulations. Their findings included:

  • Changes in semen quality measures when men switched between DBP-containing and non-DBP-containing formulations.
  • Alterations in reproductive hormones, including LH, FSH, inhibin B, and testosterone-related signaling.
  • Changes in sperm RNA and transcriptomic profiles.
  • Associations between phthalate metabolites and sperm DNA damage or poorer semen parameters.

The mesalamine findings do not prove that the much lower DBP levels found in vitamin supplements produce similar effects. However, they demonstrate that DBP is not merely a theoretical concern and can affect human male reproductive biomarkers under real-world exposure conditions.

Several large analyses have reported declines in mean sperm counts exceeding 1% per year over recent decades. Approximately 10–15% of couples experience infertility, and male factors contribute to roughly half of those cases. Chemical contamination is a leading hypothesis for observed declines in male reproductive health and is supported by a growing body of mechanistic and epidemiological evidence, although the relative contribution of chemical exposures versus other factors remains uncertain.

Observation 5: Vegan and non-vegan products do not separate cleanly.

The contaminant profiles do not suggest that vegan products are systematically cleaner than non-vegan products. Manufacturers in both categories appear to have work to do.

Observation 6: One sample deserves immediate investigation.

The extreme outlier at 12,407 ppb total phthalates deserves special attention. This sample contains overwhelmingly DINP-dominated contamination and stands nearly an order of magnitude above most of the others tested.

Its contaminant profile is consistent with contact from a DINP-containing material somewhere in the manufacturing or packaging chain. Potential sources include transfer tubing, flexible PVC components, packaging materials, or another supplier-specific contact material.

If I were responsible for quality control at that company, identifying the source of that DINP contamination would be my first priority.

The broader lesson from these findings is that contaminant fingerprints often contain clues about where contamination enters a manufacturing system. Rather than treating the results merely as a ranking of good and bad brands, manufacturers should view them as diagnostic information. The patterns reported by Mamavation provide several testable hypotheses that quality-control teams could investigate immediately.”

 

Closeup the yellow soft gelatin supplement fish oil capsule

Contaminants Included in Mamavation’s EPA Certified Laboratory Testing

Mamavation sent eleven Vitamin D supplements to two different EPA-certified laboratories looking for specific problematic contaminants that would not be listed on an ingredient panel. These ingredients are never found on an ingredient label because they are not considered “intentionally added” and would instead be considered more of a contaminant from manufacturing, transportation, storage, and/or agricultural practices. However, just because these contaminants are not “intentionally added” doesn’t mean they won’t impact your health over time and usage. With regular, long-term use, even low-level contaminants can matter for health. That’s why independent testing and transparent sourcing practices are important for both consumers and the companies they trust.

Our labs tested for the following contaminants and found some of them present in the Vitamin D we tested to varying degrees:

  • 40 specific PFAS “forever” chemicals
  • Glyphosate
  • 500+ additional Pesticides
  • Phthalates
  • Lead — heavy metal
  • Arsenic — metaloid
  • Cadmium — heavy metal
  • Mercury — heavy metal

Vitamin D Supplements on a blue table

PFAS “Forever Chemical” Analytes Tested, Including PFOA & PFOS

PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. They have been used for decades in consumer products, manufacturing, and building materials. Here are some of the health effects associated with different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in virtually all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

For this investigation, we elected to test for forty specific PFAS analytes listed below using EPA method 1633:

  • Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
  • Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
  • Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTriA)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeA)
  • Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic Acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
  • Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
  • Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
  • Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA)
  • NMeFOSAA
  • NEtFOSAA
  • 4:2 FTS
  • 6:2 FTS
  • 8:2 FTS
  • NEtFOSA
  • NMeFOSA
  • NMeFOSE
  • NEtFOSE
  • 9Cl-PF3ONS
  • HFPO-DA (GenX)
  • 11Cl-PF3OUdS
  • ADONA
  • 3:3 FTCA
  • 5:3 FTCA
  • 7:3 FTCA
  • NFDHA
  • PFMBA
  • PFMPA
  • PFEESA

Vitamin D dropper

Glyphosate — Testing Details

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is the active ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) and is the most popular herbicide in the world. Its environmental presence increased sharply after the introduction of “Roundup Ready” crops in 1996, which allowed glyphosate to be sprayed onto crops such as soy, corn, and cotton without killing them. Beyond agriculture, glyphosate is extensively used in landscaping, roadside maintenance, golf courses, and vegetation control in fire-prone areas.

Glyphosate was originally patented as a chelator and an antibiotic, which means it binds minerals and interferes with microbial systems. These properties have fueled concern that long-term exposure may disrupt nutrient absorption, alter the gut microbiota, and increase antibiotic resistance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, and California lists it under Proposition 65 for cancer and reproductive harm.

Because glyphosate is not an intentionally added ingredient, it does not appear on supplement labels. However, its absence from ingredient panels does not guarantee absence from the product itself. Contamination can occur through agricultural practices, raw material sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, or storage—making independent testing a critical safeguard.

To evaluate potential exposure, Mamavation sent eleven Vitamin D supplements to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing. Samples were analyzed for glyphosate, glufosinate, and AMPA using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a detection limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb), which is the lowest level routinely achievable through standardized commercial testing. While some academic laboratories may reach lower limits, those methods are not widely available or standardized for consumer product screening.

Vitamin D Supplements sitting on a white background

500+ Additional Pesticide Laboratory Tests for Vitamin D Supplements — Testing Details

Eleven Vitamin D supplements were sent to our EPA-certified lab and analyzed using two different methods, which totaled testing for 587 pesticides down to the lowest standardized level, which was mostly 10 ppb. However, there are a few chemicals where the detection limit was between 18 and 25 ppb. The first method looked at the following pesticides:

  • 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole
  • 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
  • 2-phenylphenol (SP)
  • 8-hydroxyquinoline (SP)
  • Acetochlor
  • Acrinathrin
  • Alachlor
  • Aldrin
  • Alpha Endosulfan
  • Alpha-HCH
  • Ametryn
  • Anthraquinone
  • Atrazine
  • Beflubutamid
  • Benalaxyl
  • Benfluralin
  • Beta Endosulfan
  • Beta-HCH
  • Bifenazate-Bifenazate Diazene
  • Bifenox
  • Bifenthrin
  • Biphenyl
  • Bitertanol
  • Bromophos-ethyl
  • Bromophos-methyl
  • Bromopropylate
  • Bupirimate
  • Captan
  • Captan (Sum)
  • Carbophenothion
  • Chinomethionat
  • Chlordane (Sum)
  • Chlorfenapyr
  • Chlorfenson
  • Chlorfenvinphos
  • Chlormephos
  • Chlorobenzilate+Chloro propylate
  • Chlorothalonil
  • Chlorotoluron
  • Chlorpropham
  • Chlorpyrifos
  • Chlorpyrifos-methyl
  • Chlorthal-dimethyl
  • Chlorthion
  • Cinidon-ethyl
  • Cis-Chlordane
  • Cyfluthrin
  • Cyproconazole
  • Cyprodinil
  • DDD-pp+DDT-0p
  • DDT (Sum)
  • DEET
  • delta-HCH
  • Deltamethrin
  • Desethyl atrazine
  • Diafenthiuron
  • Diazinon
  • Dichlobenil
  • Dichlofenthion
  • Diclobutrazol
  • Dicloran
  • Dicofol (Sum)
  • Dicofol 0,p
  • Dicofol p,p
  • Dicrotophos
  • Dieldrin
  • Dieldrin (Sum)
  • Dicofol o,p
  • Dicofol p,p
  • Dicrotophos
  • Dieldrin
  • Dieldrin (Sum)
  • Difenoconazole
  • Diflufenican
  • Dimefox
  • Dimoxystrobin
  • Diniconazole
  •  Dinobuton
  • Diphenylamine
  • Disulfoton (SP)
  • Disulfoton (Sum)
  • Disulfoton Sulfone
  • Disulfoton Sulfoxide
  • Ditalimfos
  • Endosulfan (Sum)
  • Endosulfan-Sulphate
  • Endrin
  • EPN
  • Epsilon-HCH
  • EPTC
  • Ethalfuralin
  • Ethion
  • Ethofumesate (SP)
  • Ethoprophos
  • Etridiazole
  • Etrimfos
  • Fenarimol
  • Fenazaquin
  • Fenchlorphos (SP)
  • Fenchlorphos (Sum)
  • Fenchlorphos Oxon
  • Fenitrothion
  • Fenpropathrin
  • Fenson
  • Fenthion (SP)
  • Fenthion Oxon
  • Fenvalerate
  • Flucythrinate
  • Flumetralin
  • Fluopicolide
  • Fluopyram
  • Fluotrimazole
  • Flutamone
  • Fluvalinate
  • Folpet
  • Folpet (Sum)
  • Fonofos
  • Furalaxyl
  • Heptachlor (SP)
  • Heptachlor (Sum)
  • Heptachlor Epoxide A
  • Heptachlor Epoxide B
  • Heptenophos
  • Hexachlorobenzene
  • Hexaclorobutadiene
  • Hexacanazole
  • Iodofenphos
  • Iprobenfos
  • Iprodione
  • Iprovalicarb
  • Isazofos
  • Isofenphos
  • Isophenfos-methyl
  • Kresoxim-methyl
  • Lambda-Cyhalothrin
  • Lindane
  • Malaoxon
  • Malathion (SP)
  • Mefenpyr Diethyl
  • Mepronil
  • Metalaxyl-M (Mefenoxam)
  • Methacrifos
  • Methidathion
  • Methacrifos
  • Methidathion
  • Methoxychlor
  • Metribuzin
  • Mevinphos
  • Mirex
  • Molinate
  • Myclobutanil
  • Naled
  • Naled (Sum)
  • Napropamide
  • Nitrofen
  • Nitrothal Isopropyl
  • Nuarimol
  • o,p-DDD
  • o,p-DDE
  • Ofurace
  • Oxadixyl
  • Oxychlordan
  • Oxyfluorfen
  • p,p-DDT
  • p,p-DDE
  • Paraoxon Methyl
  • Paraoxon-ethyl
  • Parathion Methyl (SP)
  • Parathion Methyl (Sum)
  • Parathion-ethyl
  • Parathion-ethyl (Sum)
  • Penconazole
  • Pendimethalin
  • Pentachloroaniline
  • Pentachloroanisole
  • Pentachlorobenzene
  • Pentachlorobenzonitrile
  • Pentachlorophenol
  • Permethrin
  • Phenthoate
  • Phorate
  • Phosalone
  • Phthalimide
  • Piperonyl butoxide
  • Pirimiphos-ethyl
  • Pirimiphos-methyl
  • Procymidone
  • Profenofos
  • Profluralin
  • Prometryn
  • Propazine
  • Propetamphos
  • Propyzamide
  • Prothiofos
  • Pyrazophos
  • Pyridaben
  • Pyridaphenthion
  • Pyrifenox
  • Pyrimethanil
  • Pyriproxyfen
  • Quinalphos
  • Quintozene
  • Quintozene (Sum)
  • Silthiofam
  • Simazine
  • Tebuconazole
  • Tebufenpyrad
  • Tecnazene
  • Tefluthrin
  • Terbacil
  • Terbumeton
  • Terbuthylazine
  • Terbuthylazine Desethyl
  • Terbutryn
  • Tetrachlorvinphos
  • Tetracanazole
  • Tetradifon
  • Tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI)
  • Tetramethrin
  • Tetrasul
  • Thiometon
  • Tolclofos-methyl
  • Trans-Chlordane
  • Transfluthrin
  • Triadimefon
  • Triadimenol
  • Tri-allate
  • Triamiphos
  • Trifluralin
  • Uniconazole
  • Vinclozolin
  • Zeta-cypermethrin

The second group was analyzed using the LC-MS/MS technique for 360 pesticides and included the following:

  • 3-OH carbofuran (SQ)
  • Abamectin
  • Acephate
  • Acequinocyl
  • Acetamiprid
  • Acibenzolar-S-methyl (SP)
  • Alcarb (SP)
  • Aldicarb (Sum)
  • Aldicarb Sulfone
  • Aldicarb Sulfoxide
  • Ametroctradin
  • Aminocarb
  • Amitraz (SP)
  • Atrizine Desisopropyl
  • Azaconazole
  • Azadirachtin
  • Azamethiphos
  • Azimsulfuron
  • Azinphos-ethyl
  • Azinphos-methyl
  • Azocyclotin and Cyhexatin (SQ)
  • Azoxystrobin
  • Ben-Carb-TPN (Sum)
  • Bendiocarb
  • Bentazone (SP)
  • Bentazones-methyl
  • Benthiavalicarb
  • Bioallethrin
  • Bixafen
  • Boscalid
  • Bromacil
  • Bromoxynil (SP)
  • Bromuconazole
  • BTS 44595
  • BTS 44596
  • Buprofezin
  • Butachlor
  • Butocarboxim
  • Butoxicarboxim Sulfoxide
  • Butralin
  • Buturon
  • Cadusafos
  • Carbaryl
  • Carbendazim and Benomyl
  • Carbetamide
  • Carboxin (SP)
  • Carfentazone-ethyl (SP)
  • Chloratraniliprole
  • chlorbromuron
  • Chlorfluazuron
  • Chloridazon
  • Chloroxuron
  • Chlorsulfuron
  • Chlorthiophos
  • Clethodim (SP)
  • Clethodim Sulfoxide
  • Clofentezine
  • Clomazone
  • Clopyralid
  • Clothianidine
  • Coumaphos
  • Crimidine
  • Cyanazine
  • Cyantraniliprole
  • Cyazofamid
  • Cyclanilide
  • Cycloate
  • Cycloxydim (SP)
  • Cyenopyrafen
  • Cyflufenamid
  • Cyflumetofen
  • Cyhalofop-butyl
  • Cymoxanil
  • Cyromazine
  • Demeton S
  • Demeton-S-methyl
  • Demeton-S-Methylsulfone
  • Demeton-S-sulfoxide
  • Desmedipham
  • Desmetryn
  • Dialifos
  • Dichiofluanid
  • Dichlormid
  • Dichloroprop
  • Dichlorvos
  • Diclofop (SP/SQ)
  • Diclofop (Sum)
  • Diclofo-methyl (SP/SQ)
  • Diethofencarb
  • Diflubenzuron
  • Dimefuron
  • Dimethachlor
  • Dimethenamid-P
  • Dimethoate
  • Dimethoate (Sum)
  • Dimethomorph
  • Dimethylaminosulfotoluidide (DMST)
  • Dinotefuran
  • Diuron
  • DNOC
  • Dodemorph
  • Dodine
  • Edifenphos
  • Emamectin B1a
  • Epoxiconazole
  • Ethaboxam
  • Ethiofencarb
  • Ethiofencarb sulfone
  • Ethiofencarb sulfoxide
  • Ethiprole
  • Ethirimol
  • Ethoxyquin (SQ)
  • Etofenprox
  • Etoxazole
  • Famoxadone
  • Fenamidone
  • Fenamiphos (SP)
  • Fenamiphos (Sum)
  • Fenamiphos Sulphone
  • Fenamiphos Sulphoxide
  • Febnuconazole
  • Fenbutatin oxide
  • Fenhexamid
  • Fenobucarb
  • Fenoxycarb
  • Fenpiclonil
  • Fenpropidin (SP)
  • Fenpropimorph
  • Fenpyrazamine
  • Fenpyroximate
  • Fensulfothion
  • Fensulfothion Oxon
  • Fensulfothion Oxon Sulfone
  • Fensulfothion Sulfone
  • Fenthion (Sum)
  • Fenthion Oxon Sulfone
  • Fenthion Oxon Sulfoxide
  • Fentin (SP/SQ)
  • Fenuron
  • Fipronil (SP)
  • Fipronil (Sum)
  • Fipronil Sulfide
  • Fipronil Sulfone
  • Flamprop
  • Flazasulfuron
  • Flonicamid (SP)
  • Flonicamid (Sum)
  • Florasulam
  • Fluazifop-methyl (SP)
  • Fluazifop-P (SP)
  • Fluazifop-P-butyl (SP)
  • Fluazinam
  • Flubendiamide
  • Fludioxonil
  • Flufenacet
  • Flufenacet (Sum)
  • Flufenacet ESA
  • Flufenacet OA
  • Flufenoxuron
  • Flumioxazin
  • Fluometuron
  • Fluoxastrobin
  • Flupyradifurone
  • Fluquinconazole
  • Fluoxypyr (SP)
  • Fluroxypyr-meptyl
  • Fluroxypyr-meptyl
  • Flusilazole
  • Flutolanil
  • Flutriafol
  • Fluxapyroxad
  • Foramsulfuron
  • Forchlorfenuron
  • Formetanate (SP)
  • Formothion
  • Fosthiazate
  • Fuberidazole
  • Halosulfuron methyl
  • Haloxyfop (Sum)
  • Haloxyfop-2-ethoxyethyl
  • Haloxyfop-methyl (SP)
  • Haloxyfop-R (SP)
  • Hexaflumuron
  • Hexazinone
  • Hexythiazox
  • Imazalil
  • Imazapic
  • Imazappic
  • Imazapyr
  • Imidacloprid
  • Indaziflam
  • Indoxacarb
  • Iodosulfuron-methyl (SP)
  • Ioxynil (SP)
  • Isocarbophos
  • Isoprocarb
  • Isoprothiolane
  • Isoproturon
  • Isopyrazam
  • Isoxaben
  • Isoxathion
  • Ivermectin
  • Lenacil
  • Linuron
  • Lufenuron
  • Mandipropamid
  • Matrine
  • MCPA (SP)
  • Mecarbam
  • Mepanipyrim
  • Meptyldinocap
  • Mesosulfuron-methyl
  • Mesotrione
  • Metaflumizone
  • Metamitron
  • Metazachlor (SP)
  • Methiocarb (Sum)
  • Methoprotyne
  • Methoxyfenozide
  • Metobromuron
  • Metolachlor and S-Metolachlor
  • Metolcarb
  • Metoxuron
  • Metrafenone
  • Metsulfuron-methyl
  • Milbemectin SQ (Sum)
  • Milbemycin A3 (SQ)
  • Milbemycin A4 (SQ)
  • Monocrotophos
  • Monolinuron
  • monuron
  • Neburon
  • Nicosulfuron
  • Nitenpyram
  • Norflurazon
  • Novaluron
  • Omethoate
  • Oxadiargyl
  • Oxydiazon
  • Oxamyl
  • Oxasulfuron
  • Oxathiapiprolin
  • Oxycarboxin
  • Paclobutrazol
  • Pencycuron
  • Penthiopyrad
  • Phenmedipham
  • Phorate (Sum)
  • Phorate Oxon
  • Phorate Oxon Sulfone
  • Phorate Oxon Sulfoxide
  • Phorate Sulfone
  • Phorate Sulfoxide
  • Phosmet (SP)
  • Phosmet (Sum)
  • Phosmet oxon
  • Phosphamidon
  • Phoxim
  • Picolinafen
  • Picoxystrobin
  • Pinoxaden
  • Pirimicarb
  • Pirimicarb Desmethyl
  • Pirimicarb Desmethyl Formamide
  • Prochloraz (SP)
  • Prochloraz (Sum)
  • Promecarb
  • Propachlor
  • Propamocarb (SP)
  • Propanil
  • Propaquizafob
  • Propargite
  • Propham
  • Propiconazole
  • Propoxur
  • Proquinazid
  • Prosulfocarb
  • Prosulfuron
  • Prothiocaonazole
  • Pydiflumetofen
  • Pymetrozine
  • Pyracarbolid
  • Pyraclostrobin
  • Pyraflufen
  • Pydiflumetofen
  • Pymetrozine
  • Pyracarbolid
  • Pyraclostrobin
  • Pyraflufen
  • Pyraflufen-ethyl (SP)
  • Pyraflufen-ethyl (Sum)
  • Pyridalyl
  • Pyridate (SP)
  • Quinclorac
  • Quinoxyfen
  • Quizalofop-ethyl (SP)
  • Rimsulfuron
  • Rotenone
  • Saflufenacil (SP)
  • Sebuthylazine
  • Sethoxydim
  • Spinetoram
  • Spinosad
  • Spirodiclofen
  • Spiromesifen
  • Spirotetramat (SP)
  • Spirotetramat (Sum)
  • Spirotetramatenol-glucoside
  • Spirotetramat-enol
  • Spirotetramat-ketohydroxy
  • Spirotetramat-monohydroxy
  • Spiroxamine
  • Sulcotrione
  • Sulfosulfuron
  • Sulfotep
  • Sulfoxaflor
  • Tebufenozide
  • Teflubenzuron
  • Tepraloxydim (SP)
  • Terbufos
  • Terbufos (Sum)
  • Terbufos Sulfone
  • Terbufos Sulfoxide
  • TFNA
  • TFNG
  • Thiabendazole
  • Thiacloprid
  • Thiamethoxam
  • Thiamethoxam (Sum)
  • Thidiazuron
  • Thifensulfuron-methyl
  • Thiobencarb
  • Thiocyclam
  • Thiodicarb
  • Thiofanox
  • Thiofanox Sulfone
  • Thiofanox Sulfoxide
  • Thiophanate-methyl
  • Tolfenpyrad
  • Tolylfluanid (SP)
  • Tolyfluanid (Sum)
  • Triasulfuron
  • Triazophos
  • Triazoxide
  • Trichlorfon
  • Tricresyl phosphate
  • Tricyclazole
  • Tridemorph
  • Trifloxystrobin
  • Triflumizole (SP)
  • Triflumizole (Sum)
  • Triflumizole FM-6-1
  • Triflumuron
  • Triforine (SQ)
  • Triticonazole
  • Vamidothion
  • Zoxamide

Vitamin D Supplements on a black table

Phthalates — Testing Details

Phthalates are linked to a range of adverse health effects in numerous studies involving both animals and humans. They are especially concerning because phthalates are associated with disruption of the endocrine hormone system. Hormones act at extremely low concentrations and play essential roles in development–determining how cells, tissues, and organs form–as well as in metabolism, reproduction, and immune function; even small disruptions can therefore have outsized biological consequences. Epidemiological studies have shown that phthalate exposure can alter hormone levels in ways that interfere with these critical processes. Several health outcomes associated with phthalate exposure are summarized below.

Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab tested for the following phthalates. This is not a complete list of all the phthalates that are allowed to be present as an indirect food additive according to the FDA, however, this list goes above and beyond what is already restricted by the European Union or the State of California.

  • Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
  • Di-n-propyl phthalate (DPP)
  • Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
  • Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
  • Dihexyl phthalate (DnHP)
  • Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)
  • Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP)
  • Diisononyl phthalate (DINP)
  • Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)
  • Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)
  • bis(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
  • Dimethyl phthalate (DMP)
  • Bis(2-propylheptyl) Phthalate (DPHP)
  • Didecyl phthalate (DDP)

Vitamin D Supplements on a grey background table

Heavy Metals: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury & Arsenic — Testing Details

Our EPA-certified laboratory tested each Vitamin D supplements for the following metals:

  • lead,
  • arsenic,
  • cadmium,
  • mercury

Mamavation then adjusted the lab results to align with California’s Proposition 65 by converting them into micrograms per day (ug/day) based on typical serving sizes. California uses some of the most health-protective exposure limits in the country. Instead of banning products outright, Proposition 65 requires companies to warn consumers when exposure to certain harmful chemicals exceeds established safety thresholds.

Proposition 65 has set “safe harbor” levels for several heavy metals tested in this study, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. When exposures go above these levels, companies selling products in California must provide a warning label to inform consumers of potential risks related to cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

This approach is designed to put information directly in consumers’ hands, enabling informed choices about what they use and encouraging companies to reduce harmful contaminants whenever possible.

Here are the No Significant Risk Levels (NSRL) and the Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADL) established by the State of California for the heavy metals we tested:

  • Arsenic: 0.06 ug/day (inhalation), 10 ug/day (except inhalation)
  • Cadmium: 0.05 ug/day (inhalation), 4.1 ug/day (oral)
  • Lead: 0.5 ug/day level for reproductive toxicity, 15 ug/day (oral) for carcinogens
  • Mercury: no established levels in California, so the Federal maximum contaminant level for mercury would be followed instead.

Closeup the yellow soft gelatin supplement capsule

Mamavation’s Raw Data From Our EPA-Certified Laboratory Ranked

Mamavation sent two sets of eleven Vitamin D supplements to different EPA-certified laboratories looking for traces of contaminants:

  • 500+ pesticides (which is more comprehensive than other testing we’ve seen)
  • Glyphosate
  • 40 PFAS “forever chemical” analytes like PFOA & PFOS. (This is different from our other studies where we measured total organic fluorine.)
  • Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, & arsenic)
  • Phthalates

If you would like to donate to our efforts, you can do so by giving a tax-deductible donation here through Environmental Health Sciences. You can also support our efforts by shopping our affiliate links. Please note that links below are affiliate in nature and any purchases will pay us back for the testing and allow us to do more testing in the future. 

Product Brands We Tested

To help our community make safer choices, Mamavation sent multiple popular Vitamin D supplement brands to EPA-certified laboratories for contaminant testing. We also included several additional products selected by our community to give consumers a broader picture of what families are already purchasing. All products were evaluated for pesticides, PFAS, glyphosate, heavy metals, and phthalates.

Below is the complete list of women’s multivitamin brands included in our investigation.

Vitamin D Supplements Tested by Mamavation

Want full access to the raw data, contaminant results, and our recommendations for the safest children’s multivitamins? Sign up to MAMAGATE and get Free Access below. Make sure you are not on Facebook’s browser and use Internet Explorer, Safari, or Chrome instead. 

The post Vitamin D Supplements Tested for Pesticides, Lead, PFAS, & Phthalates appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Kasandrinos — Verified Phthalate-Free Extra Virgin Olive Oil https://mamavation.com/food/kasandrinos-phthalate-free-olive-oil.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:38:13 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=49185 Are you looking for the safest organic extra virgin olive oil available right now? Mamavation has done extensive testing of olive oils over the past few years, and we have FINALLY found the first phthalate-free olive oil — Kasandrinos. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, safest children’s multivitamins tested …

The post Kasandrinos — Verified Phthalate-Free Extra Virgin Olive Oil appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Are you looking for the safest organic extra virgin olive oil available right now? Mamavation has done extensive testing of olive oils over the past few years, and we have FINALLY found the first phthalate-free olive oil — Kasandrinos. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, safest children’s multivitamins tested for pesticides, heavy metals, phthalates, & PFAS “forever chemicals“, and safest teas tested for PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for a celebration of Kasandrinos USDA Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil being the first verified phthalate-free olive oil and the story behind how it was all possible.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Mamavation independently tested Kasandrinos for phthalates, and we will pay ourselves back with the affiliate revenue we get from this post. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Kasandrinos Phthalate-Free Olive Oil Groves in Greece

Kasandrinos Becomes Mamavation’s First Verified Phthalate-Free Olive Oil

After extensively testing olive oils and other cooking oils over the past couple of years, Mamavation has FINALLY found the first phthalate-free olive oil: Kasandrinos USDA Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We tested Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil for 19 phthalates at the lowest standardized detection level and then retested them again at another laboratory. In other words, we confirmed this at two separate independent labs. The results were non-detect and very good news!

Kasandrinos also hosts their extensive testing online for everyone to see. In addition to phthalate testing, they offer Bisphenol A, glyphosate, heavy metal, acidity, & chemical composition testing on their site.

Kasandrinos USDA Organic Olive Oil Celebratory Sale for a Limited Time

To celebrate these verified results, Kasandrinos is offering 25% off its olive oils and other products for a limited time and 35% off subscriptions through June 15th.

Now take a few minutes to read about the story behind Kasandrinos and the changes they made to become our only verified phthalate-free olive oil. We also provide questions you can ask other olive oil brands to determine whether they are worth your purchase.

Kasandrinos -- Verified Phthalate-Free Olive Oil fruit picking under the tree

Kasandrinos Cared Enough to Work with Mamavation and Changed Their Processing

This all started with our olive oil investigation, in which we originally found that 100% of the olive oils we tested contained traces of phthalates, with total phthalate levels ranging from 194 ppb to 6,092 ppb. Most olive oils had well over 1000 ppb total phthalates. After our second round of testing, Kasandrinos Olive Oil had the lowest phthalate levels, at only 194 ppb.

So we contacted Kasandrinos to inquire about how they could be so incredibly low in phthalate exposure. We also wanted to understand why they were so different than the other brands, so we could report on this publicly, in hopes that other competitors would use that information to improve their own supply chains. But we also wanted to encourage them to go even further.

We interviewed Tony Kasandrinos, the Founder & CEO of Kasandrinos. In our interview, it was immediately apparent that Tony knew the olive oil industry inside and out and could provide us with valuable information on common manufacturing and farming practices.

Kasandrinos Already Utilizes Sustainable Practices & What They Changed to Become Non-detect

There is a reason why so many olive oils are full of phthalates. The use of plastic and other polymers is commonplace in the olive oil industry during harvesting, transporting, processing, storage, and bottling. But this is something Kasandrinos has been wary of since the very beginning, as a small family business and olive oil farm operating in Greece.

One of the main differences that set Kasandrinos apart in our initial testing was their lack of plastic during the harvesting, processing, storage, & bottling stages. They avoided plastic tubing during olive oil production and avoided robotic harvesting, which also involves plastic. “Our olives are hand-picked rather than harvested by machines, many of which use plastic parts to remove olives from the branches.” This concerns us about robotic farm harvesting and manufacturing in general. Apparently, those robotic plastics are full of phthalates, and contamination is happening.  “All of our tubing during the olive oil production is stainless steel, instead of relying on plastic tubing.” This is a similar change that the dairy industry is starting to implement to lower phthalates in dairy milk. In addition, they also avoid transporting the olives in plastic bins and use old-fashioned burlap sacks instead. And finally, for storage, they immediately bottle the olive oil in dark glass bottles rather than in plastic vats. In other words, they cut out storage and go right to bottling.

Now, what did Kasandrinos do to lower their total phthalate results from 194 ppb to non-detect? That required some additional investigation and implementing changes on their part. “After reviewing the results, we took a close look at every step of our production process to identify any point where our olives or olive oil could potentially come into contact with plastic. We did identify one area for improvement: a plastic conveyor belt used before the stage where olives are separated from branches and leaves. We have since changed that step so the olives no longer come into contact with that belt.” Now, the olives are fed into the machine manually rather than placed on that plastic conveyor belt.

After this change was made, Kasandrinos tested their olive oils for phthalates and received a non-detect. They contacted us with the good news, and then Mamavation independently confirmed those results at two different EPA-certified labs. Hooray!

Kasandrinos Family in front of USDA organic olive oil groves

What Can The Olive Oil Industry Do To Lower Phthalates

For other olive oil brands that have phthalates at much higher levels, we can only assume it’s plastic contamination along the supply chain, from harvesting to bottling. When you are trying to figure out which olive oil brands to feed your family, and Mamavation has not tested them, here are some details you can ask to help you think through this process based on Kasandrinos’ practices.

  1. Instead of robotic harvesting, hand-pick the olives
  2. Instead of transporting the olives in plastic crates, use burlap sacks
  3. Instead of relying on plastic conveyor belts, manually place them into the separator to destem the branches
  4. Instead of using plastic tubes when the olive oil is produced, switch to stainless steel tubes
  5. Instead of storing the olive oil in plastic containers, bottle the olive oil immediately
  6. Instead of bottling the olive oil in plastic bottles, use dark glass bottles

Kasandrinos Olives poured into a basket

Other Mamavation Investigations

Are you looking for additional similar investigations testing the food supply and other consumer products? Mamavation has got you covered. Here are some of our additional consumer studies you may be interested in:

Beauty & Personal Care Products

Food & Beverages

Supplements

Menstrual Products

Clothing

Food Packaging & Kitchen Cleanup

Small Kitchen Appliances

Serving & Plating

Cleaning Products

Home Goods

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]]> Teas Tested for PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Compilation Guide https://mamavation.com/food/teas-pfas-forever-chemicals-guide.html Sun, 24 May 2026 14:54:47 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=45515 Who are the safest tea brands without PFAS “forever chemicals?” This is the question that Mamavation has been attempting to answer for you by sending the most popular tea brands to our EPA-certified laboratory to test.  After all that testing, which tea brands and tea products do we recommend? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you …

The post Teas Tested for PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Compilation Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Who are the safest tea brands without PFAS “forever chemicals?” This is the question that Mamavation has been attempting to answer for you by sending the most popular tea brands to our EPA-certified laboratory to test.  After all that testing, which tea brands and tea products do we recommend? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like (1) safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, (2) safest coffees tested for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and mycotoxins, and (3) safest protein powders tested for pesticides, PFAS “forever chemicals”, phthalates, and heavy metals, now join us for the safest teas without PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  

Green Tea Tested for PFAS "Forever Chemicals" -- Guide 1

Mamavation Found PFAS in Popular Teas

Mamavation has been testing several categories of teas for specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and we thought it would be useful to bring you a synopsis of what was found thus far all together in one place. Note that some teas tested higher for PFAS compounds than others. The PFAS levels that were high enough to quantify are referred to as “quantifiable PFAS” and you’ll find all those results at the bottom of this post.

Here’s a quick synopsis of how much PFAS was found in each category:

  • 91% of Earl Grey tea contained specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and 25% of those teas had quantifiable PFAS.
  • 54% of Chamomile tea contained specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and 31% of those teas had quantifiable PFAS.
  • 50% of green teas contained specific PFAS “forever chemicals,” and 33% of those teas had quantifiable PFAS.

Two cups of green tea without PFAS "forever chemicals" on display on the table

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. Therefore, reducing the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and other beverages like tea is imperative. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when shopping for tea.

Here are some of the adverse health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

It’s also very clear, based on biomonitoring evidence from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Green Tea Tested for PFAS "Forever Chemicals" -- Guide 3

Recent Studies on PFAS in Teas Have Demonstrated Widespread Contamination

The past five years have seen a flurry of studies looking at specific PFAS compounds and certain foods and beverages like tea. One study claimed that people who drank more tea were more likely to have higher levels of PFAS in their blood. Here are some recent examples of studies done on teas:

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University had this to say about the study: “This study looks at an important question for green tea drinkers. Are ‘forever chemicals’, PFAS compounds that the human body cannot break down and tends to hold on to, in the product contaminant profile? The results speak for themselves. No one wants to be ingesting PFAS when they drink green tea! It’s somewhat comforting that PFAS contamination is not universal, at least in Mamavation’s spot-testing. Green tea drinkers are now armed with the knowledge to send messages of approval or disapproval through their buying habits across the green tea business world.”

Chamomile Teas Tested for PFAS "Forever Chemicals" -- Guide 6

Mamavation’s Investigation of Earl Grey Tea, Chamomile Tea, & Green Tea and 40 Analyte PFAS Testing

Earl Grey Teas, Chamomile Teas, and Green Teas were purchased in 2024 and 2025. Each product was recorded in our database and sent directly to the lab within its original packaging.

Testing Loose Leaf Tea: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory used method EPA 1633 to test for 40 PFAS compounds, including the following:

  • Perflurobutanoic acid (PFBA)
  • Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
  • Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA)
  • Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
  • Perfluoropentansulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
  • Perfluoronanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
  • Perfluorodecanesulfonic acid (PFDS)
  • Perfluorododecanesulfonic acid (PFDoS)
  • 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2FTS)
  • 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2FTS)
  • 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2FTS)
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA)
  • N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NMeFOSA)
  • N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NEtFOSA)
  • N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSE)
  • N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoethanol (NEtFOSE)
  • Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA)
  • 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
  • Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
  • Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
  • Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
  • 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid (9CI-PF3ONS)
  • 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11CI-PF3OUdS)
  • Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
  • 3-Perfluoropropyl propanoic acid (3:3FTCA)
  • 2H,2H,3H,3H-Perfluorooctanoic acid (5:3FTCA)
  • 3-Perfluoroheptyl propanoic acid (7:3FTCA)

 

Earl Grey Teas Tested for PFAS "Forever Chemicals" -- Guide 3

Not Our Favorite Teas

Not Our Favorite Earl Grey

Our lab found quantifiable amounts of specific PFAS within these tea leaves. Of the 40 PFAS analytes tested for at least one was found. We also put brands here where we found over 200 ppm of total fluorine in the tea sachets.

Not Our Favorite Chamomile

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had positive results. The tea bags were tested for fluorine, a marker of PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Not Our Favorite Green Tea

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes, and each product had positive results.

Chamomile daisy flowers on wooden table. Alternative herbal medicine. Glass tea kettle of healthy chamomile herbal tea.

Better Teas

Better Earl Grey

Our lab could not find quantifiable amounts of specific PFAS compounds; however, they did find the presence of at least one specific PFAS compound within the tea leaves. This means the lab could detect PFAS, but it wasn’t in high enough amounts to determine how much was in there. If tea bags were available, our lab also tested those bags separately for total fluorine, which is an indicator of PFAS and fluoride combined.

Better Chamomile

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had positive results, however, the results were so small they were not quantifiable. The tea bags were tested for fluorine, a marker of PFAS “forever chemicals.” We also included one brand that did not have detectable PFAS, but had detectable fluorine in their tea bags.

Better Green Tea

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had positive results, however, the results were so small they were not quantifiable.

Green Tea Tested for PFAS "Forever Chemicals" -- Guide 1

Best Teas

Best Earl Grey

Our lab determined no PFAS compounds were found in the Earl Grey tea leaves. However, the tea bags had detectable fluorine.

Best Chamomile

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had non-detect results. The tea bags were tested for fluorine, a marker of PFAS “forever chemicals,” and also had non-detect results.

Best Green Tea

These products were sent off to an EPA-certified laboratory. The tea leaves were tested for 40 PFAS analytes and each product had non-detect results.

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]]> Mamavation Finds PFAS-Laden Pesticides in Driscoll’s Strawberries https://mamavation.com/food/pfas-pesticides-driscolls-strawberries.html Tue, 12 May 2026 12:46:28 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=48374 Mamavation tested organic and conventional strawberries from Driscoll’s for 500+ types of pesticides at our EPA-certified laboratory and found PFAS-laden pesticides, also known as “forever pesticides,” in conventional strawberries. What does this mean, and what should your family do when shopping to ensure your own safety? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you other investigations like …

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]]> Mamavation tested organic and conventional strawberries from Driscoll’s for 500+ types of pesticides at our EPA-certified laboratory and found PFAS-laden pesticides, also known as “forever pesticides,” in conventional strawberries. What does this mean, and what should your family do when shopping to ensure your own safety? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you other investigations like sourdough breads tested for glyphosate, cooking oils tested for phthalates, and safest teas tested for PFAS, “forever chemicals.” Now join us for our latest investigation on Driscoll’s strawberries and pesticide residue.

Disclosure: Scientific review was performed by Dr. Craig Downs, Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with some to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  

Fresh ripe strawberries covered in PFAS laden pesticides

Mamavation’s Laboratory Finds PFAS-laden Pesticides in Driscoll’s Strawberries

Mamavation sent two boxes of Driscoll’s strawberries from a grocery store in Southern California to our EPA-certified laboratory, requesting testing for 500+ pesticides on Monday, May 4th, 2026. The results were a bit shocking. According to our laboratory, Driscoll’s conventional strawberries contained residues of 12 different pesticides at levels prohibited in the European Union, Taiwan, Chile, Korea & Russia. 8 of those pesticides are considered PFAS “forever chemicals,” meaning they are extremely persistent and highly toxic. These pesticides are also known as “forever pesticides.”

Driscoll’s Conventional Strawberries — 12 pesticides found

PFAS-Laden Pesticides (aka “Forever Pesticides”) Found on Driscoll’s Conventional Strawberries

  • Flonicamid (sum): 32 ppb
  • Fludioxonil: 60 ppb
  • Flupyradifurone: 27 ppb
  • Fluxapyroxad: 26 ppb (limit also exceeds Russian standards)
  • Indoxacarb: 25 ppb (limits also exceed EU, Taiwan & Chile standards)
  • Novaluron: 19 ppb (limits also exceed EU standards)
  • Tetraconazole: 13 ppb
  • TFNG: 35 ppb

Other Types of Pesticides Found on Driscoll’s Conventional Strawberries

  • Cyprodinil: 125 ppb
  • Pyrimethanil: 310 ppb
  • Quinoxyfen: 45 ppb (limit also exceeds Korean standards)
  • Tetrahydrophthalimide (THPI): 302 ppb

Driscoll’s USDA Organic Strawberries

  • Non-detect

(Note: Over 500+ pesticides were tested for organic strawberries, including pesticides approved for organic use.)

group of Fresh organic strawberries fruit

Dr. Craig Downs, Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, had this to say after his review: “Fluorinated pesticides are a growing source of PFAS contamination in the environment and on and in our foods. There is debate with the U.S. EPA if single fluorinated pesticides are truly Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but many of the fluorinated pesticides’ metabolites are long-lived to the point they are considered “Forever Chemicals.” These fluorinated pesticides also act like PFAS because they will accumulate in our bodies over the long-term, are associated with cancer risks, reproductive diseases, developmental diseases in children, and cause immune suppression. It would be smart to try to completely avoid being exposed to them.”

Recommendations From Mamavation Advisors

Mamavation advisors recommend you stick to organic strawberries if you want to lower the amount of pesticides and PFAS you consume when purchasing produce. 37% of non-organic produce samples tested by the State of California had traces of PFAS pesticides.

If you are concerned about the pollution caused by nearby pesticide use, the best thing you can do is purchase a water filter for your kitchen tap and an air purifier for your home. You can control what happens inside your home far more than outside your home.

Here’s our recommended water filter brands based on PFAS filtering: 

Here’s our recommended air purifiers: 

 

Ripe Strawberries in Basket Isolated on White Background

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. Many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water, and consumer products. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for strawberries.

Here are some of the health effects of different PFAS “forever chemicals.”

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Strawberries being grown commercially on table top irrigation system.

EWG Finds 14 Million lbs. of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Sprayed on Non-Organic Farmland in California

California produce has a PFAS “forever chemical” problem. Researchers at The Environmental Working Group (EWG) combed through official data from California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation to ascertain how many millions of pounds of pesticides were sprayed on crops in California. After studying all the pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, which are widely used in the state’s most productive farmland, they were able to create an interactive map.

EWG then reviewed data from the California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Report to find which produce was most affected by PFAS contamination according to California’s own testing. They found that almost 40% of non-organic fruits and vegetables grown in California were contaminated with PFAS.

Strawberries are just an example of this problem. In fact, strawberries contained 10 individual PFAS pesticides, more variety than any other crop. We found 8 of them in our own testing, which has just been released.

PFAS-Laden Pesticides in Strawberries

California Legislation to Ban PFAS in Pesticides Needs Your Attention

Right now, the California Assembly’s leadership will decide if AB 1603, a bill that bans PFAS in pesticides, will move forward. This bill will put a stop to the dumping of PFAS pesticides on crops and fields and reduce PFAS contamination of California-grown produce, such as strawberries.

How You Can Help

The full California Assembly needs to hear about your support of AB 1603 in order to pass this important piece of legislation this year.

All California assemblymembers need to receive phone calls ASAP, urging them to support AB 1603 and end PFAS use in pesticides for good!

So please contact your Assemblymember and urge them to support AB 1603 and end PFAS pesticides.

You can find your Assemblymember here.

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]]> How Toxic Is Your Hair Dye? Best & Worst Hair Color Brands https://mamavation.com/beauty/hair-dyes.html Fri, 08 May 2026 18:40:21 +0000 https://dev.mamavation.com/?p=25381 Do you hate your gray hairs or just want a change? Hair dyes or hair color are one of the most amazing inventions of all time–it’s a product that makes us feel younger, more confident, and exciting. Naturally, the best way to get rid of that unwanted silver hair is with hair color. But if …

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]]> Do you hate your gray hairs or just want a change? Hair dyes or hair color are one of the most amazing inventions of all time–it’s a product that makes us feel younger, more confident, and exciting. Naturally, the best way to get rid of that unwanted silver hair is with hair color. But if you’re trying to live a clean or use the best non-toxic hair dye, hair color formulas, for the most part, have a pretty toxic mix of chemicals that are unsafe and, in some cases, may be extremely harmful with regular use. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest shampoos, safest cookware & safest deodorants, now join us as we tackle hair dye. And stick around for the end as we have ranked all the hair dye products and best hair color brands, even the ones with vivid colors.

Disclosure: This post was medically evaluated by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN & Rebecca Elizabeth Sherrick Harks, RN.  Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing and research we do here. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you! 

woman getting hair dyed

I’m Just Going to Break it To You–Your Chances of Getting Cancer Increase with Regular Use of Hair Dye

Cancer sucks. There’s nothing happy about it. Most of us know someone who has cancer or knows someone who has lost their lives to cancer. But when it comes to women who regularly use hair dye, those numbers start to go up. Here’s a list of cancers that are linked to regular use of hair dyes. While many debate the overall risk of various cancers and whether they are caused by permanent dye and their ingredients, it seems clear that there is a risk.

Is box hair dye bad? It’s important to put this into perspective and understand that we are surrounded with carcinogens and hormone disruptors all the time. Hair dyes seem to be a bigger exposure to women, but if you improve other areas like cookware, the mattress you sleep on, and shampoo you use, and the type of air purifiers and water filter you have. It lessens the overall impact of your hair dye. In other words, if this is too much for you, start detoxing elsewhere.  

Breast Cancer

A recent study out of Finland surveyed over 6,500 breast cancer patients, ages 22-60, and discovered that the odds of breast cancer increased by 23% among women who used hair dyes when compared to those that did not.

Bladder Cancer

A 2004 study suggested that there might be an increased risk of bladder cancer for people who dye their hair: “Overall, odds ratios (of getting bladder cancer) were somewhat elevated among women who began using hair dye after 1975, used dyes for more than 31 years and who used hair dyes more than 282 times.” Additionally, women who started regularly using hair dye before the age of 37 were also more at risk. While studies like these remain controversial, other studies have shown an increased risk of bladder cancer among professionals who use hair dye in their work (hairdressers and barbers).

Other Cancers

At least one study suggested a possible link between glioma, a type of brain cancer, and hair dye use. It was easy to find several studies linking permanent hair dye and leukemia, as well as at least one linking it to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

girl in black gloves hairdresser mixes hair dye

13 Basic Ingredients Inside Hair Dyes That Are Toxic and Should Be Minimized As Much as Possible

P-Phenylenediamine (PPD)

Used in permanent color, especially darker shades. It may also be contaminated with 4-ABP, a human carcinogen. According to the FDA, this is a skin allergen and irritant. In fact, the FDA does not allow its use on the skin in the form of black henna temporary tattoos.

There is a lot of conflicting and missing data on this particular ingredient, including whether or not it’s banned in Europe, whether the FDA tried to ban it outright and more. It is banned in Canada. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics claims that it has long been suspected to be carcinogenic and may alter DNA when mixed with hydrogen peroxide but to date, the data is not rigorous enough to be conclusive. The EPA also lists it as a respiratory toxin.

Resorcinol

This is an endocrine disrupter that impacts thyroid function. Skin and eye irritant.

Aminophenol

This is a known endocrine disrupter and at least one study has linked it to thyroid tumors.

Process of dyeing hair at beauty salon

Ethanolamines (MEA, TEA, DEA)

Some products contained ethanolamines, which have been shown to cause cancer in animal lab studies. When in use with certain other chemicals, they can form nitrosamines, which are a possible human carcinogen. These chemicals can bioaccumulate, even hair dyes. They also may impact male reproductive health, pregnancies, and possibly damage the liver or kidney and cause neurotoxic effects.

Some products include Cocamide MEA, which is meant to be a safer form of ethanolamine. Unfortunately, it may contain traces of Cocamide DEA, which has the same effect of producing nitrosamines.

1-Naphthol

This is a possible endocrine disruptor. At least one study suggests it may be linked to sperm DNA damage.

Toluene, Toluene-2,5-Diamine, and 4-Amino-2-Hydroxytoluene

According to the CDC, toluene can impact your nervous system. Repeated exposure can lead to permanent problems and scientists are not sure if repeated low exposures will lead to permanent damage. Some studies have also suggested possible reproductive effects, such as spontaneous abortions, but it’s not clear. Toluene itself is the most harmful, but the other versions listed above are not completely safe either.

Quats

Short for ammonium quaternary sanitizers, quats have been linked to medical issues such as harming fertility, causing miscarriages, and severe birth defects in animal studies. Some are also endocrine disruptors. Certain quats can also release formaldehyde, even if the product does not contain any formaldehyde.

Ammonia

This chemical can harm eye, lungs, respiratory tract, and is very toxic for people with asthma or allergies.

Preparation of hair dye

Undisclosed Fragrance with Phthalates

Many hair colors employ undisclosed fragrances, likely to cover up the harsh chemical smell. These fragrances can come thousands of sources, so there is no way to tell what toxins are in them. There were few that did not have this ingredient. One problematic ingredient that could be hiding in “fragrance” is phthalate. Phthalates are an endocrine disruptor linked to cancers, weight gain, and infertility.

SLS/SLES

These surfactants can be an eye irritant. Some debate whether SLS is a carcinogen and other research states it may damage the immune system.

Lead Acetate (in “progressive” hair dye)

In October 2018, the FDA repealed approval for lead acetate as a color additive to hair dye. Progressive hair dyes may contain lead acetate but I did not find any thus far in the brands I checked.

toxic blonde hair dye

Propylene Glycol

This petroleum-based ingredient is often contaminated with carcinogenic compounds such as 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide which can also cause reproductive system toxicity, headache, and nausea.

Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone

These allergens/irritants were found in a few brands. They are potentially neurotoxic and demonstrate organ toxicity in lab studies.

Important Notes About “Coal-Tar” Hair Dyes

Historically, some hair dye ingredients were a by-product of the coal industry. Today, most dyes are synthetic and are petroleum-based, NOT coal-tar based. However, the FDA never changed the name.

Best (& Worst) Non-Toxic Detangler Hair Products 1

Additional Investigations by Mamavation

Are you looking for the safest box hair dye or other safe personal care products? Mamavation has been investigating the personal care aisle for many years and has many additional investigations for you to take a look at.

Personal Care

Feminine Care

Home Goods

chemical hair color dye onto hair roots

Mamavation’s Investigation of Hair Dyes

Mamavation reviewed hundreds of hair dye products for gray coverage, blonde hair, red hair, brown hair, dark hair, and dark brown hair, including temporary, semi-permanent, & permanent formulas. Not all hair dyes promise a natural look or use natural hair colors, but many do. Please use common sense, as many natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions. Do your due diligence and double-check the ingredients yourself.

As you can see, hair color is chock full of harmful ingredients. Almost all brands had at least one or 2 of these chemicals. Others were a whole toxic soup of these, plus many more. Ready to see how your brand was rated? Are brands like L’oreal and Revlon good for your hair? Is Just for Men safe? Let’s take a look.

Not Our Favorite Hair Dye / Hair Color Brands

These brands have five or more problematic ingredients in their formulation. Some of these hair dye brands may advertise themselves as more natural, but to rank higher, they would need to improve their formulations and remove chemicals linked to health issues. For the salon hair dye, Mamavation enlisted community members to visit salons across the United States and document the ingredients for each brand and product. Salon hair dye ingredients are typically not available online. For the home hair dyes, that information was available online, making it easy for us to evaluate.

Salon Hair Dye

  • 360 Permanent Haircolor (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + PPD derivative + 1-naphthol), ethanolamine, sulfates, multiple quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • All-Nutrient Professional Cream Haircolor  (Permanent)[quats, undisclosed fragrance, PTD, resorcinol family, 1-naphthol, 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, aminophenols, ammonia, PPD derivative]
  • Aloxxi Luminexx Gel Cream Hair Color 5GV (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + pyridine + coupler), dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Aloxxi Luminexx Gel Cream Hair Color 9NG (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analogs + aminophenols), dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Aloxxi TONES Demi-Permanent Colour – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + aminophenol + pyrazole + coupler), ethanolamine, sulfates, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Areté Alchemic Color 5.3 Light Gold Brown (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analogs + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Areté Alchemic Color 9.0 Very Light Natural Blonde (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analogs + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Aveda Full Spectrum Permanent Hair Color – Natural series (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenols), ammonia, ethanolamine-related (MEA), and fragrance component]
  • CHI Color Express – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, multiple quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • CHI IONIC Permanent Shine – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, multiple quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • CHI Tone & Gloss Demi-Permanent Cream Toner – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Davines A New Color Copper (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + aminophenol + pyridine + pyrazolone), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Davines A New Color Golden (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols/cresols + nitro dye + pyridine coupler), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Davines The Present Time 4,3 (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + nitro dye + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Davines The Present Time 8,0 (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + PPD-like + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Davines View, 3 Golden (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + nitro dyes + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, sulfosuccinate surfactant, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • EcoColors Professional Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[ammonia, PPD-related, PTD, 1-naphthol, resorcinol analog, multiple strong sensitizers, and undisclosed fragrance/essential oils]
  • Eufora EuforaColor 6.0/6N – Low Ammonia [PPD, ammonia, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Eufora EuforaColor 7.0/7N – No Ammonia [PPD, resorcinol, strong sensitizers, ethanolamine, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • evo Hue-Verse Permanent Color –  all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + pyrazolone + coupler), ethanolamine, sulfonate surfactant, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • evo Hue-Verse Demi-Permanent Gloss – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + pyrazolone + coupler), ethanolamine, sulfonate surfactant, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Framesi Framcolor 2001 – all colors (Permanent)[PPD, ammonia, resorcinol, strong sensitizers, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Framesi Framcolor 2001 Intense – all colors (Permanent)[massive load of strong sensitizers (PPD + PTD + resorcinol family + 1-naphthol-level couplers + aminophenols + pyridine + nitro-related + PPD derivatives), dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Framesi Framcolor 2001 Intense 9.022 Very Light Blonde Blue Quartz (Permanent)[dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), PPD, resorcinol family, multiple strong sensitizers]
  • Framesi Framcolor Eclectic CARE (Permanent) – all colors[massive load of strong sensitizers (PPD + PTD + resorcinol family + 1-naphthol + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + pyridine + multiple aminophenols + PPD derivative), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Framesi Framcolor Futura – all colors (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, 1-naphthol, 2,6-DAP, resorcinol, toluene diamine, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Framesi Framcolor Glamour – all colors (Permanent)[ direct hits on PPD, ammonia, sulfates, multiple quats, multiple strong sensitizers (aminophenols + nitro dye), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Goldwell Topchic Hair Color 6NP Dark Natural Pearl Blonde (Permanent)[dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine/MEA), PTD, resorcinol family, multiple strong sensitizers, sulfates, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Goldwell Topchic Zero Ammonia-Free Permanent Hair Color 3N Dark Natural Brown (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + anisole derivative + coupler), ethanolamine, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Goldwell Topchic Zero Ammonia-Free Permanent Hair Color 8G Light Gold Blonde (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Goldwell SilkLift Light Dimensions Clay Lightener [persulfates + alkaline silicates + quat + fragrance]
  • Innersense Color Purity True Color 7N (Permanent)[ethanolamine + multiple strong sensitizers / restricted oxidative dye precursors/couplers (PTD-like, resorcinol analog, aminophenol, PPD derivative, pyridine coupler)]
  • Jack Winn Envelop Permanent Creme Color – all colors (Permanent)[PPD, ammonia, resorcinol analog, 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, multiple strong sensitizers, ethanolamine-related, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Jack Winn Restore Demi-Permanent Creme Color 5N Brown (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + pyridine coupler), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Joico LumiShine Lumi10 4N/4.0 Natural Medium Brown (Permanent)[PPD, 1-naphthol, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Joico LumiShine Lumi10 8N/8.0 Natural Blonde (Permanent)[PPD, 1-naphthol, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PPD + resorcinol family + aminophenols), ethanolamine derivatives, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Joico Vero K-PAK Permanent Crème Color – all colors (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, 1-naphthol, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Joico Vero K-PAK Age Defy Permanent Crème Color – all colors (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, 1-naphthol, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia, multiple quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Kenra Kenra Color Permanent Coloring Creme – all colors (Permanent)[dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), PTD, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Kenra Kenra Color Studio Stylist Express Permanent Coloring Creme – all colors (Permanent)[dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), PTD, resorcinol family, multiple strong sensitizers, sulfates, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Keune So Pure Color 6.00 Dark Blonde (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, and a complex undisclosed fragrance]
  • Keune Tinta Color – generic ingredients for all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol-related + anisole derivative + coupler), ammonia, MEA/ethanolamine-related, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Kevin Murphy + CODE Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + coupler), ammonia, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Kevin Murphy Color.Me By Permanent Hair Color 8.00 LIGHT.BLONDE.INTENSE (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Kevin Murphy Color.Me By Permanent Hair Color 9.00 VERY.LIGHT.BLONDE.INTENSE (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + anisole derivative), ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • L’ANZA Healing Color Paraben + PPD Free Cream Hair Color [ammonia, resorcinol, PTD, 1-naphthol, PPD derivative, multiple strong sensitizers, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Lakmé Chroma Ammonia-Free Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + coupler), ethanolamine, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Lakmé Collage Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + PPD derivatives + couplers), ammonia, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Linange Diamond Permanent Hair Color Cream – all colors (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, ammonia, 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, strong sensitizers, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Linange Sapphire Demi Permanent Color Cream – all colors (Demi Permanent)[ethanolamine (alkalizer), quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • L’Oréal Professionnel iNOA No Ammonia Permanent Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + PPD derivatives + aminophenol + pyridine coupler), ethanolamine, and sulfates]
  • L’Oréal Professionnel Majirel Permanent Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + coupler), ammonia compounds, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • L’Oréal Professionnel DIA Richesse Demi-Permanent Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + PPD derivative + couplers), ethanolamine, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia + ethanolamine, quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Matrix SoColor Sync Pre-Bonded Alkaline Toner – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + PPD derivative + aminophenol + couplers), ethanolamine, dual quats, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Matrix Super Sync Glossing Alkaline Demi – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Milbon SOPHISTONE Permanent Color 5G (5/3) (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + nitro dye), ammonia, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Milbon SOPHISTONE Permanent Color 9N (9/0) (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + nitro dye), ammonia, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Milbon SOPHISTONE Demi Color 5G (5/3) (Demi Permanent)[PPD, HC Red 3, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ethanolamine, sulfonate surfactant, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Milbon SOPHISTONE Demi Color 9N (9/0) (Demi Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, HC Red 3, resorcinol analog, multiple strong sensitizers, ethanolamine, fragrance, and a harsh surfactant]
  • Moroccanoil Color Rhapsody Permanent Cream Color –  all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + coupler), ammonia, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Moroccanoil Color Rhapsody 10 Permanent Cream Color 4NB/4.01 Medium Natural Ash Brown (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia compounds, harsh alkali, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Moroccanoil Color Rhapsody 10 Permanent Cream Color 9N/9.0 Very Light Blonde (Permanent)[direct hits on PPD, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ammonia compounds, harsh alkali, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Moroccanoil Color Rhapsody Ultimates Permanent Cream Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + coupler), ammonia, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Moroccanoil Color Calypso Demi-Permanent Cream Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[PPD, resorcinol, 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, multiple strong sensitizers, quats, undisclosed fragrance, and a harsh alkali]
  • Moroccanoil Color Calypso Demi-Permanent Gloss – all colors (Demi Permanent)[PPD, resorcinol, 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, multiple strong sensitizers, quats, undisclosed fragrance, and a harsh alkali]
  • NATULIQUE Natural Colors Permanent Ammonia-Free Hair Coloring 2.07 Carbon [PPD (highest-risk on your list), HC Red 3, resorcinol family, PTD, 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene, multiple strong sensitizers, ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • NATULIQUE Natural Colors Permanent Ammonia-Free Hair Coloring 7.0 Natural Blonde [PPD (highest-risk allergen on your list), 1-naphthol, resorcinol, multiple strong sensitizers, ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • NATULIQUE ZERO Hair Colors Permanent Ammonia-Free Hair Coloring (PPD-free)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + anisole derivative), ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • NATULIQUE ZERO Hair Colors Permanent Ammonia-Free Hair Coloring (PPD-free) 9.0 Very Light Blonde [multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + anisole derivative), ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • NATULIQUE Natural Colors Demi-Permanent Liquid Ammonia-Free Colors [PPD (highest-risk allergen), resorcinol, multiple aminophenols, DEA (ethanolamine-related), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • O&M CØR.color 6.03 Dark Beige Blonde [multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols), ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • O&M CØR.color 7.0 Blonde [multiple oxidative dye precursors/couplers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + coupler), ethanolamine, sulfate, and fragrance]
  • Organic Color Systems Permanent Color Gel – all colors (Permanent)[strong sensitizers (PPD + PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + NPPD + nitro dyes + pyridine + pyrazole), ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Oway Hcolor 9.0 Natural Very Light Blonde [(PPD + PTD + NPPD + resorcinol family + 1-naphthol + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + ethanolamine + quat + fragrance + multiple strong sensitizers)]
  • OYA Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[dense cluster of strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenol + anisole derivative), ammonia, sulfate, quat, and fragrance allergens]
  • OYA Demi-Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol + aminophenol + anisole derivative), ethanolamine, sulfate, dual quats, and fragrance allergens]
  • Paul Mitchell The Color Permanent Cream Hair Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PPD + resorcinol analogs + aminophenol-like + coupler), dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), and fragrance components]
  • Paul Mitchell The Demi Demi-Permanent Hair Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[ multiple strong sensitizers (PPD + resorcinol + aminophenol + nitro dye + pyridine), sulfate, alkalizer, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • PRAVANA ChromaSilk Permanent Creme Hair Color 5N Light Brown (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol family + aminophenols/cresols), ammonia, fragrance allergens, & quats]
  • PRAVANA ChromaSilk Permanent Creme Hair Color 10N Extra Light Blonde (Permanent)[multiple direct banned-or-heavily-restricted strong sensitizers (PPD itself + toluene diamine + resorcinol + aminophenols), ammonia, fragrance allergens, & quats]
  • PRAVANA ChromaSilk Express Tones After Dark Neutral Pearl – Brunette (Demi Permanent)[dense cluster of oxidative dye precursors/couplers (many explicit or strong sensitizers), resorcinol analogs, ethanolamine, fragrance allergens, and quats]
  • Pulp Riot FACTION8 Permanent Color – all colors (Permanent) [multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + coupler), dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Redken Color Gels Oils – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol-level couplers + aminophenols + PPD derivative + pyridine), ethanolamine, and potential fragrance components]
  • R+Co R+COLOR OMNIPRESENT Liqui-Crème Permanent Color – all colors (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenol), ammonia, and quats]
  • R+Co R+COLOR STAR SIGN Demi-Permanent Crème Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenol + PPD derivative + coupler), ethanolamine, and quats]
  • R+Co R+COLOR STELLAR Demi-Permanent Liquid Hair Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenol + PPD derivative + coupler + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene), ethanolamine, and quats]
  • R+Co R+COLOR HYPERMATIC 10 Minute Demi-Permanent Liquid Color VA10 Mallow (Demi Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + p-aminophenol + couplers), ethanolamine, and two quats]
  • Schwarzkopf IGORA Color10 Natural Brown 5-0 [harsh dual alkalizers, strong sensitizers (Toluenes, Direct PTD/TDS, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol HCl + m-Aminophenol ), sulfates, Direct resorcinol + analog, undisclosed fragrance, & quats]
  • Schwarzkopf IGORA ROYAL Color Creme 4-68 Medium Auburn Brown (Permanent) [ammonia + dual sulfates + resorcinol family + PTD + quats + fragrance]
  • Schwarzkopf IGORA ROYAL Color Creme 9-0 Extra Light Blonde (Permanent) [ammonia + multiple sulfates + resorcinol family + PTD + quats + fragrance allergens + strong sensitizers]
  • Schwarzkopf IGORA ZERO AMM Ammonia-Free Color Creme 5-88 Light Brown Red Extra (Permanent) [multiple oxidative dye precursors (PTD + direct 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene + aminophenol + pyrazole sensitizer), sulfate surfactant, and ethanolamine]
  • Schwarzkopf IGORA ZERO AMM Ammonia-Free Color Creme 9-0 Extra Light Blonde Natural (Permanent) [(PTD + resorcinol family + multiple aminophenols/cresols), sulfate surfactant, and ethanolamine]
  • Schwarzkopf IGORA VIBRANCE 4-0 Medium Brown Natural (Demi Permanent) [dense cluster of oxidative dye precursors/couplers (many explicit on your list or strong sensitizers), resorcinol family, ethanolamine, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Scruples True Integrity Opalescent Creme Color – all colors (Permanent or Demi)[dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine) make it especially harsh, combined with PTD (strong sensitizer) and other restricted oxidative ingredients + fragrance + a quat]
  • Scruples Color Art Fresh Demi-Permanent Liquid Haircolor – all colors (Demi Permanent)[clusters of oxidative sensitizers + ethanolamine + sulfate + quat + fragrance allergens]
  • Surface Pure Color Hy-Demi Gel Color, 4N Natural – Dark Roast [multiple oxidative dye ingredients (strong sensitizers + restricted EU substances), resorcinol, ethanolamine, and fragrance]
  • Surface Pure Color Hy-Demi Gel Color, 7C Copper – Spice [multiple oxidative dye precursors that are either explicitly listed or strong sensitizers in the PPD/aminophenol family, plus ethanolamine and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Tocco Magico Freelux Color – all colors (Permanent) [multiple oxidative dye precursors/couplers (PTD/TDS), banned in the EU (2-chloro-p-phenylenediamine sulfate), strong sensitizers (PPD derivatives, resorcinol analog, ethanolamine (alkalizer) + & undisclosed fragrance]
  • Wella Koleston Perfect Me+ Permanent Creme Hair Color 3/0 Dark Brown/Natural (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PPD derivative + resorcinol + aminophenol-like + pyrazole + coupler), ammonia, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Wella Koleston Perfect Me+ Permanent Creme Hair Color 9/1 Very Light Blonde/Ash (Permanent)[multiple strong sensitizers (PPD derivative + resorcinol + aminophenol + coupler), ammonia, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • yuv Permanent & Demi Colour Cream – all colors [strong sensitizers (MEPPD, PPD, m-Aminophenol, p-Aminophenol, 4-Amino-m-cresol, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol HCl, 5-Amino-6-chloro-o-cresol), 1-Naphthol, Resorcinol analog, ammonia, & undisclosed fragrance]

Home Hair Dye Brands

  • Clairol Nice’n Easy Permanent Hair Color [Ammonia, sulfates, strong sensitizers (PPD, aminophenol family, 2-4-diaminophenoxyethanol HCL), resorcinol, & undisclosed fragrances]
  • Garnier Olia (Ammonia-Free) Permanent Hair Color [Ethanolamine, sulfates, resorcinol, PTD/TDS, and other strong sensitizers, & undisclosed fragrances]
  • Herbatint 9N Honey Blonde [PPD, resorcinol analogs, multiple strong sensitizers (aminophenols), ethanolamine, and a quat]
  • IGK Permanent Hair Color Kit [Ethanolamine, Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate (PTD), resorcinol analogs, m-Aminophenol, p-Aminophenol, 2-Amino-3-Hydroxypyridine, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol HCl, & other Multiple strong sensitizers + PPD-like chemistry, & undisclosed fragrances]
  • John Frieda Precision Foam Colour [Direct ammonia chemicals, strong sensitizers (toluene-2,5-diamine sulfate), resorcinol, ethoxylated surfactants, & undisclosed fragrances]
  • Just for Men Touch of Gray [multiple strong sensitizers from the PPD/aminophenol family + undisclosed fragrance]
  • Kristin Ess Signature Hair Gloss (example: Chocolate Cosmo or similar)[Ethanolamine. sulfates, strong sensitizers (PTD/TDS, aminophenol family chemicals, resorcinol +analog, 1-naphthol, & undisclosed fragrance]
  • L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Permanent Hair Color [ammonia chemicals, ethanolamine chemicals, quats, undisclosed fragrances, multiple strong sensitizers (P-Phenylenediamine, Resorcinol, m-Aminophenol, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol HCl, resorcinol)]
  • Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit [ethanolamine chemicals, strong sensitizers (toluene, P-aminophenol), resorcinol analogs, & undisclosed fragrances.]
  • Natulique Natural Colour 7.0 Medium Blonde [multiple strong sensitizers (PPD + resorcinol family + aminophenols + 1-naphthol), ethanolamine, sulfate, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Naturgin Permanent Hair Color 4.0 Brown [sulfates, ethanolamine, strong sensitizers (PPD, multiple aminophenols, resorcinol analogs) & undisclosed fragrance]
  • Naturtint 1N Ebony Black Permanent Hair Color [sulfates, ethanolamine, strong sensitizers (PPD, p-Aminophenol, 4-Amino-2-Hydroxytoluene, 2-Methylresorcinol, 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate), resorcinol, & undisclosed fragrance]
  • Phytocolor (Phyto) Permanent Hair Color (example: 4 Brown)[multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + PPD derivative + 4-amino-2-hydroxytoluene), ethanolamine, quat, and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Pulpriot Faction8 Double Natural [multiple strong sensitizers (PTD + resorcinol analog + aminophenols + coupler), dual alkalizers (ammonia + ethanolamine), and undisclosed fragrance]
  • Revlon ColorSilk (or Beautiful Color with Bond Repair)[ethanolamine chemicals, strong sensitizers, resorcinol, aminophenols, undisclosed fragrance]
  • Tints of Nature Permanent Color 3N [ethanolamine chemicals, extreme sensitizer (PPD), resorcinol analogs, n-phenyl-phenylenediamine (NPPD), m-Aminophenol + 2-Amino-4-Hydroxyethylaminoanisole Sulfate, & undisclosed fragrance]

toxic hair dye application

Better Hair Dye/ Hair Color Brands

These brands contain 3-5 problematic ingredients in their formulations. While these likely aren’t the best hair dye brands, this is the sweet spot where you will find a compromise between your health and effectiveness. For the salon hair dye, Mamavation enlisted community members to visit salons across the United States and document the ingredients for each brand and product. Salon hair dye ingredients are typically not available online. For the home hair dyes, that information was available online, making it easy for us to evaluate. You’ll notice lighter colors typically land here in the “better” zone.

Salon Hair Dyes

  • Lakmé Glaze Demi-Permanent Hair Color (Demi Permanent)[quats, undisclosed fragrance, & ethoxylated ingredients]
  • Wella Color Touch Ammonia-Free Demi-Permanent Cream Hair Color – all colors (Demi Permanent)[combination of ethanolamine, sulfates, and undisclosed fragrance]

Home Hair Dye Brands

  • Arctic Fox (permanent)[multiple quats, undisclosed fragrance, strong sensitizer preservatives (MI/MCI), and cationic dyes]
  • Arctic Fox (Semi-permanent)[multiple quats, undisclosed fragrance, strong sensitizer preservatives (MI/MCI), and shade-dependent basic dyes]
  • Beyond the Zone Color (Semi Permanent) [quats + undisclosed fragrance]
  • Davines [quats + undisclosed fragrance]
  • Good Dye Young Hair Color (semi-permanent)[multiple quats, undisclosed fragrance]
  • Lime Crime [multiple quats, undisclosed fragrance, strong sensitizer preservatives (MI/MCI]
  • L’Oréal Paris Feria [paraben, quats, undisclosed fragrance]
  • Overtone [multiple quats]
  • Sun-In [quats + undisclosed fragrance]
  • Tints of Nature [multiple quats, undisclosed fragrance & triethanolamine]

Beautiful young woman with red dyed hair

Best Hair Dye / Hair Color Brands

These brands have the fewest problematic ingredients in their formulations. However, these formulations are ammonia- and paraben-free and are among the least toxic hair colors we could find. For the salon hair dye, Mamavation enlisted community members to visit salons across the United States and document the ingredients for each brand and product. Salon hair dye ingredients are typically not available online. For the home hair dyes, that information was available online, making it easy for us to evaluate.

Salon Hair Dyes

  • Goldwell Elumen Long Lasting Hair Color Oxidant-Free NN@5 (Permanent)[undisclosed fragrance]
  • Goldwell Elumen Long Lasting Hair Color Oxidant-Free BR@6 (Permanent)[undisclosed fragrance]
  • Goldwell Elumen Long Lasting Hair Color Oxidant-Free NN@9 (Permanent)[undisclosed fragrance]

Home Hair Dye Brands

The post How Toxic Is Your Hair Dye? Best & Worst Hair Color Brands appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Sea Salt & Himalayan Salt Tested For Heavy Metals Like Lead & Microplastics — Guide https://mamavation.com/food/sea-salt-himalayan-salt-heavy-metals-lead.html Mon, 04 May 2026 15:47:46 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=41645 What are the levels of heavy metals and microplastics found inside your favorite sea salt and Himalayan salt products? This was the question Mamavation community members asked us and we didn’t know the answer, so we sent 23 popular salt products [with more added later] off to an EPA-certified laboratory to find out. Do you …

The post Sea Salt & Himalayan Salt Tested For Heavy Metals Like Lead & Microplastics — Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> What are the levels of heavy metals and microplastics found inside your favorite sea salt and Himalayan salt products? This was the question Mamavation community members asked us and we didn’t know the answer, so we sent 23 popular salt products [with more added later] off to an EPA-certified laboratory to find out. Do you want to know how high the levels of heavy metals & microplastics are in your favorite sea salt or Himalayan salt? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like the safest butter without toxic PFAS packaging, the safest cookware sans PFAS and nanoparticles, & safest water purifiers to filter PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for the results of 23 salt products sent to the lab testing for metals aluminum & arsenic, & heavy metals cadmium, mercury, and lead & microplastics.

Disclosure: Scientific reviews were performed by (1) Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University & (2) Pete Myers, Chief Scientist at Environmental Health Sciences, Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Co-Author of Our Stolen Future. This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that were not tested in our EPA-certified laboratory. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you! [update: this investigation has had additional products added for more variety.]

Sea Salt with heavy metals in a wooden bowl

Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium & Lead Found in Salt Brands

According to the American Heart Association, the average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams per day of salt, whereas the dietary guidelines recommends we consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily. Americans are getting most of their sodium from processed foods, and therefore, if you are cooking and eating your meals from home in your own kitchen, you can greatly reduce those levels. It’s claimed that “eating less sodium can reduce your risk for high blood pressure, fluid retention, heart disease, stroke, kidney issues, osteoporosis and cancer.” This is why we highly recommend you cook most of your meals from scratch with ingredients that are minimally processed. But what about the quality of salt you are using? Some metals that are known or suspected toxicants & microplastics are already known to be inside salt but at what levels? This is the question we attempted to answer to help our audience lower their sodium intake while also lowering their intake of heavy metals and microplastics.

Mamavation sent 23 salt products off to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for aluminum, arsenic, and heavy metals cadmium, mercury & lead and microplastics. The good news is no salt product came back with the equivalent levels that would require a Prop. 65 warning based on serving size per day. (Update: 9/2025 we found a brand that may need a Prop.65 warning) In addition, no salt product had high enough microplastics that could be conclusively recognized through FTIR testing. The bad news was all salt products had detectable amounts of the subject metals present. Mamavation has done our best to share with you what our laboratory found so that if you are concerned about clearly toxic or potentially toxic metals inside your salt, you’ll be able to make an educated decision when shopping. Here’s what we found:

  • The light metal, aluminum, was found in 78% of the salt products. 35% of salt products had over 100,000 ppb of aluminum.
  • Arsenic was found in 100% of salt products. 74% of salt products had over 10 ppb of arsenic.
  • Cadmium was found in 70% of salt products. 4% of salt products had over 4.1 ppb of cadmium.
  • Mercury was NOT found in any salt products.
  • Lead was found in 96% of salt products. 
  • Microplastics were so minute they could not be conclusively detected and recognized via Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopic imaging for any sample.
[Update: Additional salt products were added to this investigation from popular demand since it was originally released. We did not adjust the copy above.]

Salt on wooden background

Federal vs. California Prop. 65 “Safe Harbor” Levels For Heavy Metals like Lead & Arsenic

So what levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, & cadmium are concerning to public health officials? According to the Food & Drug Administration, the levels inside your food that you are allowed to be exposed to are as follows:

  • Heavy metals as lead (as Pb), should not be in your food or supplements at more than 10 parts per million (ppm)
  • Arsenic (as As), should not be in your food or supplement at more than 3 parts per million (ppm)
  • Mercury (as Hg), should not be in your food or supplements at more than 1 part per million (ppm)
  • Cadmium levels (as Cd) in bottled water should not exceed 0.005 parts per million (ppm)

When it comes to protecting consumers, California has far more stringent health protective levels, but instead of banning products, they require manufacturers to use label warnings instead. California’s Prop. 65 established “safe harbor levels” for most of the heavy metals we tested: arsenic, cadmium, lead, & mercury. Prop. 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to consumers living in California about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. These chemicals can be in the products they purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or released into the environment. By requiring this information to be provided, it enables consumers in California to make informed decisions about their exposure to these chemicals.

Here are the No Significant Risk Levels (NSRL) and the Maximum Allowable Dose Levels (MADL) established by the State of California for the heavy metals we tested:

  • Arsenic: 0.06 ug/day (inhalation), 10 ug/day (except inhalation)
  • Cadmium: 0.05 ug/day (inhalation), 4.1 ug/day (oral)
  • Lead: 0.5 ug/day level for reproductive toxicity, 15 ug/day (oral) for carcinogens
  • Mercury: no established levels (and therefore no seafood would require a warning)
  • Aluminum: no established levels (and therefore no salt products would require a warning)

The most difficult part to understand about Prop. 65 is it’s not about the actual test results. Defendents must prove that the average person would consume enough to the product in a 70 year period to cause cancer or reproductive harm. If that contaminate is “naturally occurring” like so many heavy metals are in the soil (especially in modern times from agricultural pesticides in the case of arsenic and lead and the myriad other uses of lead such as its now terminated use as a combustion promoter in gasoline), a company can avoid having to provide a warning label. Therefore, it’s complicated and difficult to understand unless you have good attorneys by your side to explain.

Sea salt with the inscription "salt" on a dark background, selective focus

Aluminum in Food & Standards Set in Europe

Aluminum can come from natural sources as it makes up 8% of the earth’s mass. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) considers aluminum used as an indirect additive in food “generally regarded as safe.” Thus aluminum compounds are used in many ways in American food production as preservatives, as color dyes, anti-caking agents, or for leavening breads without active yeast. It’s possible aluminum could be finding its way into salt in various levels as an anti-caking agent, which would help prevent it from clumping. However, not all of these products disclosed the use of aluminum as a food additive if they were using it.

The amount of aluminum from indirect food additives varies from person to person based on what you are eating, however, it’s assumed to be anywhere from 0 to 95 milligrams per day for Americans. The United States does not have any standards for aluminum in food that we could find. We could, however, find tolerable weekly intakes from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) & the World Health Organization (WHO) based on the precautionary principle.

  • Based on the combined evidence from several studies, EFSA has recommended a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 1 mg aluminum/kg body weight/week. Thus using EFSA’s estimate, a person weighing 150 lbs. can tolerate up to the equivalent of 68 mg of aluminum per week.
  • More recently, in 2011, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) reviewed scientific evidence which increased their confidence in the risk assessment, and thus WHO experts established an increased Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) of 2 mg/kg body weight. This means, according to the WHO, someone who weighs 150 lbs. could safely 136 mg per week.

Because you are also getting aluminum inside other foods like baked goods with flour, beans, condiments, cereals, cheese sauces, root vegetables, & certain seafood, it may be possible, especially for people with bad kidneys, that you could be consuming more than a safe recommendation. In reflection of the Precautionary Principle, we’ve tested salt for aluminum for you as well to help you make those decisions yourself on where you would like your dietary aluminum to come from.

Bowl of sea salt flakes, with small wooden spoon.

How Do Heavy Metals Find Themselves in Salt?

So how do heavy metals (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, mercury & lead) find their way into salt? Officially, we are not certain brand by brand, but here are some theories based on how other food products are contaminated:

  • Naturally Occurring: Heavy metals are naturally present in the soil in different concentrations based on the geology of the land. For instance, more cadmium is found in certain soils in South America and less in certain African soils. This may be why we consistently found higher heavy metals in Himalayan salts vs. most sea salts because Himalayan salt is dug out of the ground mostly in Pakistan, which is also known to have higher levels of Cadmium in the soil. However, it is to be remembered that Himalayan sea salt is thought to have been laid down in the Permian Epoch more than 250 million years ago so the metal content reflects that truly ancient environment.
  • Legacy Pesticide Use: For many decades, heavy metals were added to pesticides as an adjuvants, or were key components of pesticide toxicity such as with lead arsenate used as a pesticide in orchards and can still be found in soils with a history of certain pesticide use. Thus, runoff from farm use could find its way into sea salt.
  • Manufacturing Contamination: Heavy metals can be found in many manufacturing situations, for example, as equipment is used dust from abrasion can contaminate food and personal care products that way. When salt is processed, the manufacturing equipment itself could pose a contamination risk.
  • Storage: In places where heavy metals are present in the soil, storing and drying certain salts outside can present a contamination risk. Dark chocolate is known to be contaminated this way.
  • Air Pollution: Heavy metals can start as air pollution from manufacturing byproducts from polluted industrial areas and can find their way into other parts of the world through the wind and through bodies of water. For example, mercury originally found in coal is released into the air when coal is burned. Downwind it falls to the earth and is converted to methyl mercury, which moves up the food chain contaminating fish, including tuna. We were happy to see that mercury was non-detect for all samples of salt.
  • Food Additives: Some food additives could be contaminated with heavy metals, or as in the case with aluminum, could itself be a food additive.

Glass salt shaker, wooden Cup and spoon on the table. Ground stone sea salt.

Investigation of Salts for Heavy Metals & Raw Data

To recap, Mamavation sent 23 salt products to an EPA-certified lab testing for aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, mercury & lead. 100% of salt products had detectable amounts of heavy metals and those levels and types of heavy metals varied. Here’s a couple of notes to consider before reading the raw data:

  • The laboratory also looked for microplastics by using Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopic imaging. Microplastics were found, but they were not in high enough levels for the test to conclusively recognize what type of microplastics they were.
  • Parts per billion is ppb and parts per million is ppm.
  • 1 ppm = 1,000 ppb
  • MRL means Maximum Residue Levels which meant that the lab could detect some metals, but it was so low they could not measure the exact amount.

We divided the 23 salt products into 3 categories according to contamination levels. These levels reflect the overall levels of heavy metal contamination in each product but do not follow specific government recommendations.

(Update: Several salt brands have been added to this investigation since it was originally released. Latest additions were 9/2025.)

Steak with kosher salt without heavy metals

Salt Brands Tested by Mamavation

  • Artisan Salt Company
  • Manischewitz
  • McCormick
  • Redmond Real Salt
  • San Francisco Salt Company
  • Celtic Sea Salt
  • Shaun Himalayan Salt
  • The Spice Lab
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Wellesley Farms
  • Baja Gold
  • Colima Sea Salt
  • Crucial Four
  • Natierra
  • Spring Salt
  • Badia
  • Santé Naturelle
  • Frontier Co-op
  • Seasonello
  • Terrasoul Superfoods
  • Watkins
  • Vera Salt
  • Himala Salt
  • Salt of Life
  • Himalayan Chef
  • David’s Kosher Salt
  • Diamond Crystal
  • Hain Pure Foods
  • Jacobsen Salt Co.
  • Maldon
  • Morton
  • Saltverk
  • Eupherbia
  • Burlap & Barrel
  • Selina Naturally
  • Diaspora Company
  • Kasandrinos
  • Kirkland
  • Henlopen
  • Moyi Delice

Become a Member and get Free Access to the complete buying guide with detailed test results for every brand.

The post Sea Salt & Himalayan Salt Tested For Heavy Metals Like Lead & Microplastics — Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Sourdough Bread Tested for Glyphosate — Guide https://mamavation.com/food/sourdough-bread-glyphosate.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:40:00 +0000 https://mamavation.com/?p=46226 Which sourdough bread at the grocery store does NOT have detectable glyphosate, a very common toxic herbicide? Glyphosate is the active ingredient in “Roundup Ready” GMO crops and has been linked with cancer. If you want to avoid glyphosate and other hormone-disrupting chemicals, Mamavation is your one-stop shop for the safest food and products online. …

The post Sourdough Bread Tested for Glyphosate — Guide appeared first on MAMAVATION.

]]> Which sourdough bread at the grocery store does NOT have detectable glyphosate, a very common toxic herbicide? Glyphosate is the active ingredient in “Roundup Ready” GMO crops and has been linked with cancer. If you want to avoid glyphosate and other hormone-disrupting chemicals, Mamavation is your one-stop shop for the safest food and products online. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like (1) safest cooking oils tested for phthalates, (2) safest coffee tested for pesticides & PFAS, (3) safest tea tested for PFAS, and (4) women’s multivitamins tested for pesticides, PFAS, heavy metals, & phthalates, now join us as we bring you sourdough bread tested for glyphosate.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Scientific review was done by Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice, so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, most of which are to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales, and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  All Mamavation testing data is proprietary. If you’re interested in referencing our data on your website or app, please reach out to discuss licensing agreements. Copyright © 2026 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Sourdough Bread baking

Glyphosate–A Powerful Toxic Herbicide That Has Taken Over World

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is the active ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) and is also the most popular herbicide in the world. Its environmental presence increased sharply after the introduction of “Roundup Ready” crops in 1996, which allowed glyphosate to be sprayed onto crops without killing them. Beyond agriculture, glyphosate is extensively used in landscaping, roadside maintenance, golf courses, and vegetation control in fire-prone areas.

Environmental exposure to this broad-based herbicide has increased dramatically since the introduction of “Round-up Ready” genetically modified (GMO) crops in 1996 for soybean, maize, and cotton varieties. “Round-up Ready” genetically modified crops made it possible to utilize glyphosate as a broadcast herbicide while not killing the crops they were sprayed on. Glyphosate is also extensively used in deforestation efforts, such as killing brush in fire zones, and is relied on heavily by landscapers to kill weeds in green belts and on golf courses. Ultimately, glyphosate is used to eliminate weeds and shrubs, including annual and perennial grasses, broadleaf weeds, and woody species.

Glyphosate is applied in a variety of forms: isopropylamine salt, ammonium salt, diammonium salt, dimethylammonium salt, and potassium salt. Thus, it’s important to understand that when glyphosate is applied to crops or weeds, it includes additional adjuvants in the formulation that make it more toxic and thus easier for plants to take up. These glyphosate formulations have also proven toxic to humans. However, companies don’t have to publicly disclose other proprietary chemicals in these herbicide formulations; therefore, regulators and researchers can’t fully study them to determine their health effects.

Glyphosate was originally patented as a chelator and an antibiotic, which means it binds minerals and interferes with microbial systems. These properties have fueled concern that long-term exposure may disrupt nutrient absorption, alter the gut microbiota, and increase antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, and California lists it under Proposition 65 for cancer and reproductive harm.

Because glyphosate is not an intentionally added ingredient, it does not appear on food labels. However, its absence from ingredient panels does not guarantee absence from the product itself. Contamination can occur through agricultural practices, raw material sourcing, manufacturing, transportation, or storage—making independent testing a critical safeguard.

Rustic bread and wheat on a traditional cloth

Mamavation Finds Glyphosate in Sourdough Bread

To evaluate potential exposure, Mamavation sent eight sourdough breads to an EPA-certified laboratory for testing. Samples were analyzed for glyphosate using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a detection limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb), the lowest level routinely achievable in standardized commercial testing. While some academic laboratories may reach lower limits, those methods are not widely available or standardized for consumer product screening.

Here are the main findings:

  • 75% of sourdough breads contained detectable glyphosate. That’s 6 out of 8 sourdough breads.
  • 67% of USDA organic sourdough breads contained detectable glyphosate. That’s 2 out of 3 USDA organic brands.
  • 87% of products had less than 100 ppb glyphosate. Only one product had over 100 ppb glyphosate.
  • Most products had less than 40 ppb of glyphosate, which leads us to believe we are dealing with issues related to drift or cross-contamination and not direct application of glyphosate.

Terrence Collins, Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry & Director of the Institute for Green Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, had this to say after his scientific review:

“For now, this small-scale testing of sourdough breads underscores how difficult it has become to avoid Glyphosate entirely. I find it encouraging that two of the eight samples showed no detectable levels; if available, I would preferentially choose those brands as a modest way to reward better practices while reducing exposure for my family and others.

At the same time, the findings point to a less appreciated issue. Certain formulations have used Dimethylamine to form glyphosate salts that enhance delivery into plants. Because glyphosate is systemic, a portion can reach the wheat endosperm—the “flesh” of the grain—meaning that even refined white flour may carry low-level residues. This raises the possibility that such formulations could incidentally introduce dimethylamine into the food chain.

Dimethylamine is not itself carcinogenic, but it can form the carcinogenic nitrosamine N-Nitrosodimethylamine under conditions that can arise during food processing. On that basis, the presence of dimethylamine in food-crop supply chains warrants careful evaluation and, where feasible, minimization as a precautionary measure.”

Sourdough bread being baked and sold

Why Is Glyphosate Found In Bread?

According to the Detox Project, pre-harvest desiccation could be the reason why glyphosate is found in healthy foods, such as bread made from wheat. What is pre-harvest desiccation? This is when glyphosate is sprayed on crops in the late season, just before harvest. The extra spraying of glyphosate helps dry out crops early, thereby shortening the time they are in the field. This saves money and resources for the farmer and food companies, which is why it’s done. But at what cost do consumers pay for early crop drying? Glyphosate has staying power, persists on food, and can be found at higher levels as a result of this practice.

As for organic food products, they’re significantly less likely to contain glyphosate residue; however, it does happen. Henry Rowlands from the Detox Project surmises it’s because of contamination in the supply chain or drift from a nearby field where glyphosate is sprayed. But he also admits that the sourdough process itself could be a factor in the lower amounts and needs further investigation.

“These sourdough results show that the wheat supply in the U.S. is still a focal point for glyphosate contamination. However, it does seem that the levels of this toxic weedkiller are lower in sourdough than in other types of bread, probably because of the fermentation process. Sourdough brands should concentrate on sourcing cleaner raw materials.”

Comparing bread products tested in the past for glyphosate to sourdough bread products tested presently, you also start to see some differences in levels. More studies are needed on various bread products and their differences to make a stronger claim, but it appears that sourdough bread may be lower in glyphosate than other breads. For instance, two whole-wheat products were found to contain over 1,000 ppb of glyphosate in other studies. We did not find anything so high in our small study here. 88% of the sourdough bread products we tested were under 50 ppb.

Loaf of fresh sourdough bread on white background

Can the Sourdough Fermentation Process Lower Glyphosate?

Can the slow fermentation process of sourdough bread lower your exposure to glyphosate? According to a few limited studies, the answer is both yes and no, but ultimately, more studies are needed to verify.

A study published in the journal Applied Microbiology International in 2005 found that 21% of glyphosate degraded within the first hour of fermentation without baking. They did this by adding glyphosate to the dough and monitoring its effects over time. This study was not conducted on sourdough bread, which has a longer fermentation time.

However, there is also contradictory evidence to say the opposite. A more recent study published in the Journal Cereal Chemistry in 2020 found that no change happened. 50% of the total glyphosate resided in the outer 17% of the kernels. In addition, 81% of the total glyphosate in the wheat was found in the bran, shorts, and feeds. This did not change during the fermentation process. Essentially, they found that milling the bread into “white bread” and avoiding whole grains reduced the glyphosate level when tested, likely because that’s where most of the glyphosate is hidden. 

Could the process of fermenting sourdough make a difference in decreasing glyphosate? If the first study found some type of degradation of glyphosate within an hour, could it be possible that more glyphosate would degrade because the fermentation time of sourdough ranges from 2-24 hours? This topic hasn’t been studied, so ultimately, we don’t know. We can surmise that it’s possible, but limited.

Our best recommendation, if you cannot find or test for a “clean” sourdough bread, is to start with a glyphosate-free flour, or opt for “white” sourdough bread instead to avoid parts of the plant with higher contamination. We plan on testing flour for glyphosate in the future to help you with breadmaking.

close up portrait of assortment of fresh bread on basket

Other Investigations by Mamavation

Mamavation has conducted additional studies looking at glyphosate and other types of contaminants in our food supply. Here are some additional studies you may be interested in for your family:

More Glyphosate Testing

Small Kitchen Appliances

woman holding Sourdough Bread

Mamavation’s Investigation of Sourdough Bread Details

Eight sourdough products were purchased via Amazon and Instacart in March 2026. Each product was recorded in our database, pictures were taken, and then sent directly to an EPA-certified laboratory within its original packaging. After the results were given, we spent some time analyzing the data to determine where to rank each product.

We decided upon the following for each category based on advice from our scientific team:

  1. Not Our Favorite Category: These sourdough bread brands were sent to an EPA-certified laboratory and found to contain glyphosate.
  2. Better Category: These sourdough bread brands had non-detectable glyphosate results, but are not organic.
  3. Best Category: These sourdough bread brands are USDA organic and had non-detect glyphosate results.

Product Brands We Tested

To help you make informed decisions about which sourdough bread products are safest for your home, we sent a range of popular sourdough bread brands to our EPA-certified laboratory for testing. Each product was evaluated for glyphosate contamination. Below is the complete list of brands included in our investigation. To see the results for each brand, you’ll need to sign in to or apply to MAMAGATE below.

Brands Tested by Mamavation

Want to see the full laboratory results, detailed contamination levels, and our recommendations for the safest sourdough bread brands?  Sign up for MAMAGATE below and get Free Access

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