How We Calculate Verdict Scores
Every brand in the NonToxic Checker database receives a verdict score from 0 to 100, computed from public records. Scores are deterministic — the same inputs always produce the same output. No brand can pay to alter its score.
The 3-citation floor
Before a brand page publishes, the pipeline's citation guard confirms the brand's research payload contains at least 3 primary-source URLs (regulatory filings, certifier registries, peer-reviewed studies, court documents). Anything short of that stays unpublished and unscored. This is the single most important rule on the site.
The score formula
Base: 50 + cert_points − ingredient_penalty − enforcement_penalty + bonus + citation_points
- cert_points — weighted sum of earned certifications, capped at +40
- ingredient_penalty — flagged-ingredient screening (EWG Skin Deep + INCI deck), capped at −40
- enforcement_penalty — recalls / warning letters / Prop 65 / lawsuits, capped at −30
- bonus — full ingredient disclosure + transparency signals, capped at +10
- citation_points — primary-source surplus beyond the 3-citation floor, capped at +15
Final score clamped 0-100. Grades: A ≥ 85 · B ≥ 70 · C ≥ 55 · D ≥ 40 · F < 40. Risk: low ≥ 75 · moderate ≥ 50 · high < 50.
Certification weights
| Certification | Weight |
|---|---|
| EWG Verified | +18 |
| MADE SAFE | +17 |
| GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) | +15 |
| GREENGUARD Gold | +14 |
| OEKO-TEX Standard 100 | +13 |
| EPA Safer Choice | +13 |
| USDA Organic | +12 |
| COSMOS Organic | +12 |
| Green Seal | +12 |
| Cradle to Cradle | +11 |
| Clean Label Project Purity Award | +11 |
| Leaping Bunny | +10 |
| NSF/ANSI 305 | +10 |
Weights reflect ingredient-screening rigor, certifier independence, and public verification availability. EWG Verified and MADE SAFE sit at the top because they screen against the widest banned-chemical lists.
What we don't do
- We never accept payment to change a score.
- We don't rank brands without the 3-citation floor — unscored stays unscored.
- We don't give medical advice.
- We don't invent ingredient decks, recalls, or certifications. If a primary source can't be cited, the finding doesn't make the page.
See the data sources page for every database we pull from and how often it refreshes.