Following are terms often applied to healthier household products. Consider them carefully because the meanings may not be what you think.
All-Cotton 
In addition to chemical contamination acquired through cultivation, wrinkle-resisting chemicals (which can be formaldehyde-based resins), synthetic dyes, and stain-resistant treatments, other compounds are often added to cotton fibers during the milling process. As a result, all-cotton fabric can be, in many cases, very chemically laden. And, be careful about purchasing items labeled “made with organic cotton.” They might not be 100% organic cotton.
All-Natural
All-natural means “derived solely from materials or substances in their native state.” These products are neither synthetically nor artificially created. Many natural products are quite benign, but some are not. Lead, ammonia, radon, and asbestos are natural products and they’re potentially quite dangerous. Turpentine, which is made from pine trees, and mint oil, are both natural as well. However, both can be very bothersome to sensitive or allergic persons.
Biodegradable
Biodegradable is defined as “the ability of natural biological decay processes to break down complex compounds into simple molecules.” This is truly an asset for any product to have—especially if it’s to be composted. However, at the present time, most potentially biodegradable trash is buried in landfills, and because of the manner in which landfills are constructed, virtually nothing in them can ever biodegrade. The tight compaction of alternating layers of trash and clay in typical landfills generally won’t permit the breakdown of materials—even when they have the innate capacity to do so under normal circumstances.
Interestingly, in a surprising reversal of popular trends, some products are now actually said to be healthy for the environment because they will not biodegrade. Non-biodegradability is promoted as a positive feature because it helps prevent leachate (seepage) from leaving landfill sites and contaminating water supplies.
Hypoallergenic
Hypoallergenic means that a product is less likely to cause allergic reactions than other typical products. You should understand, however, that such labeling is not a guarantee against all allergic reactions that could result from a hypoallergenic product’s use. In fact, in most cases, only the most common types of allergy-provoking substances are removed. In addition, other ingredients in certain hypoallergenic formulations may include petroleum-derived substances, even perhaps formaldehyde, that may not be innately healthful.
Made From Recycled Materials
Made from recycled materials is a phrase often used when all or part of an item is made from a previously manufactured material or product. Corrugated cardboard boxes, some papers, and many glass bottles often have labels stating they’re made from recycled material. This is highly commendable. However, the percentage of recycled material that is used may be quite low. Sadly, at this time, only a limited number of items are created of 100% post-consumer material. Some of the products labeled “made from recycled materials” have actually been manufactured from scrap material left over from factory production. Using material swept up from the factory floor rather than throwing it away makes good environmental sense, but calling it “recycled” can be misleading.
Non-toxic
Non-toxic is defined as not being harmful at concentrations normally used. However, most people believe that it means a substance is innately harmless—and this just isn’t so. In fact, according to the U.S. Federal Hazardous Substances Act, a substance can legitimately be called “non-toxic” if it does not cause acute (sudden-onset) health effects. By this narrow, legal definition, some products that cause long-term problems such as cancer or birth defects, or are slow-acting or accumulating poisons, can be called “non-toxic.”
No Preservatives or Biocides
No preservatives refers to the fact that nothing has been added to a product in order to prevent or slow the decay process. No biocides means nothing has been added to kill microorganisms. Many preservatives and biocides commonly used are bothersome to sensitive people, so they routinely avoid all of them, as do many other individuals wanting to live an eco-conscious, chemical-free life.
However some preservatives, such as vitamin C, are generally considered both safe and naturally derived. Small amounts of such relatively harmless preservatives are often appropriate in products that otherwise would have very short shelf-lives. This is especially true for foods, in order to prevent possible food poisonings. Also keep in mind that, if you use a product such as biocide-free wallpaper paste or bathtub caulking, you risk unwanted fungal or bacterial growth. Therefore, some products using less-toxic biocides can be better choices than biocide-free versions.
No Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
No volatile organic compounds (VOCs) means that a product does not contain a class of chemicals made up of certain hydrocarbons which are able to rapidly evaporate. VOCs are often found in solvents, paints, caulking materials, household cleaning products, etc. They can be harmful and some are extremely dangerous. However, the natural VOCs released by onions, oranges, and baking bread are considered reasonably safe.
Recyclable
Recyclable means an item is able to be reused in its present state or form, or is able to be broken down and reformulated into another manufactured product. This is seen almost universally as a positive attribute. Yet, many companies are not fully utilizing the recyclable items that municipal sanitation departments are amassing through recycling projects and, even today, many communities don’t yet have mandated recycling programs. Therefore, many potentially recyclable materials continue to be buried in landfills, shipped to and dumped in Third World countries, or incinerated. Although being recyclable is obviously an ideal, too much of the material that is called “recyclable” is currently not being recycled because of cost factors, technological limitations, and/or lack of interest.
Unscented
Unscented would seem to indicate that a product contains no natural or synthetically derived fragrance. However, some manufacturers use this term or scent-free when the scent has been altered so it can’t be smelled. In some cases—especially with detergents—certain major companies use an additional masking fragrance to cover up or counter the odor of the original fragrance. Obviously, this type of labeling can be somewhat confusing, if not misleading. Unfortunately, for some chemically sensitive persons, the presence of the original scent and the masking fragrances will have an adverse effect. This is because, for them, it’s the chemical composition of the scents that’s bothersome—not the odors themselves.
