natural is a starting point, not an endpoint

why all naturals are not created equally

all method products contain natural ingredients. When you see the word "natural" on a method label, it means that 100% of its functional cleaning ingredients -- things like soaps, detergents, solvents and enzymes -- are either found in nature or derived from natural sources.

we use natural and naturally derived materials from renewable or abundant sources wherever we can. If we can't find a natural ingredient to get the job done, we'll use a safe, green, man-made version instead. In all cases, we only use ingredients that have passed through a comprehensive green and health screen: ingredients we have confirmed to be totally safe for people and safe for the environment.

"natural" is still not a standardized or regulated term. so while we could, we won't call a product "natural" if even one of its functional ingredients isn't natural or naturally derived. when it comes to labeling our products, we hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe that a natural cleaner should actually come from nature.

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you ask. we answer.

• what does the term "natural" mean when it's written on a method label?
• what's a "functional ingredient"?
• why don't you call all your products natural?
• what's the difference between a natural ingredient and a naturally derived one?
• why aren't all the ingredients natural or naturally derived?
• how does method choose ingredients?

• It means that 100% of the functional ingredients in that product are either found in nature or derived from natural sources.

• any ingredient that makes our cleaners clean -- things like soaps, detergents, solvents, enzymes or stabilizers.

• surprisingly, "natural" is still not a standardized or regulated term. so while we could, we won't call a product "natural" if even one of its functional ingredients isn't natural or naturally derived. when it comes to labeling our products, we hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe that a natural cleaner should actually come from nature.

• natural ingredients are found in nature -- they either grow in plants or are abundant minerals -- and are not chemically altered (e.g., the aloe vera gel we use in our hand wash). naturally derived ingredients are made from materials found in nature and converted into effective cleaners using safe, approved processes (e.g., alkyl polyglucoside, a great cleaner made from coconut oil and starch that's totally safe and biodegrades, but it isn't found in nature...if it were, we'd have a big orchard of alkyl polyglucoside trees).

• we strive to use only natural or naturally derived ingredients, but if we can't find one that provides the efficacy we're looking for, we'll use a safe, green, man-made version instead. In all cases, we only use ingredients that have passed through a comprehensive green and health screen: ingredients we have confirmed to be totally safe for people and safe for the environment.

• we assess ingredients across multiple factors of sustainability (we consider the past, present and future implications of each one), because natural is a starting point, not an endpoint. we've hired one of the best environmental scientists in the world, Dr. Michael Braungart, founder of the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency (epea.com), to perform detailed assessments of each ingredient and confirm whether it's safe to be used by people, and safe for release in the environment.

  this ensures that every method product is as follows:

  1. made from nature: from renewable and/or abundant natural resources
  2. green: sourced responsibly, almost always from a renewable resource, minimizes water and energy consumption, and safe when released into the environment after use
  3. safe today: non-toxic, non-irritating and non-hazardous
  4. safe tomorrow: have you heard the talk about gender-bending phthalates and bisphenol-A? It's some scary stuff, and these chemicals are often found in everyday items, like cleaning products. our ingredient screen eliminates these chemicals, so it won't cause any issues down the road.

  on each product page, we've included the full list of ingredients and a summary of Dr. Braungart's assessment. we invite you to take a look, and feel free to let us know what you think by emailing us at contactus@methodhome.com.sg.