Is the “Vegan” Label Enough?

The Reality of Green Cleaning: Better—But Still Demanding Caution

After the pandemic, household cleaning habits intensified, and many consumers turned to products labeled “vegan,” “natural,” or “green.” Research suggests these products can generally produce fewer harmful emissions. Yet calling them “completely risk-free” would be misleading.

A joint field and laboratory study by UC Berkeley Public Health found that switching to green cleaning products significantly reduced exposure to toxic chemicals, but some products still released potentially carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

UC Berkeley Public Health

Similarly, an overview by Health.com reported that 30 household cleaners across 30 brands emitted hundreds of VOCs linked to eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and respiratory issues. Fragrance-free green products typically posed lower risks, but the report stressed that the “green” label alone is no guarantee of safety. Careful label reading and certified products remain essential.

Health.com

Fragrance = Comfort, or a Warning Sign?

Epidemiological data shows fragranced consumer products can trigger migraines, asthma flare-ups, skin reactions, and breathing problems. Steinemann’s widely cited research highlights the scale of health complaints linked to fragrance exposure.

PMC -  PubMed,

The “Vegan/Green” Label and Ethical Debate

As “vegan,” “green,” and “eco” claims multiply in the marketplace, so do concerns about ethics and transparency. Ethical Consumer has repeatedly raised questions around major “green” brands such as Ecover/Method, calling for greater transparency in supply chains and clearer labeling.

Ethical Consumer

What Does “Healthier Cleaning” Look Like?

• Choose fragrance-free, certified products. Look out for vague umbrella terms like “fragrance/parfum.”

  EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning

  
  

• Reduce the number of products you use. Multi-purpose cleaners cut down both exposure and cost. Reserve harsh disinfectants for when they are truly necessary.

  TIME – The Healthiest Way to Clean

  
  

• Switching to green matters. The LUCIR Intervention Study found that green products can reduce exposure to several carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, with fragrance-free green cleaners lowering VOC exposure even further.

  PubMed – LUCIR Study

  
  

Final Note

From a journalist’s perspective, vegan/green cleaners are undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Yet a “vegan” label does not equal zero risk to human health. Evidence shows the safest strategy is to:

• Prioritize fragrance-free, certified options.

• Use fewer products, with multi-purpose formulas.

• Follow usage instructions carefully and ventilate well.

Public authorities must also act: tighten labeling transparency and enforce claim verification.

·  UC Berkeley Public Health: “Traditional vs. Green cleaning: carcinogenic chemicals & real-home data” (2023). UC Berkeley Public Health

·  Steinemann A. “Fragranced consumer products: exposures and effects” (2016). PMC

·  PubMed özet: “Fragranced consumer products… population health problems” (2016). PubMed

·  LUCIR Intervention Study: “Green products may reduce exposure to several carcinogens/endocrine disruptors” (2021). PubMed

·  EWG – Guide to Healthy Cleaning (sürekli güncellenir). EWG

·  Health.com derlemesi (VOC’ler, yeşil & koku içermeyen ürünler, pratik öneriler). Health

·  TIME – “The healthiest way to clean” (uzman önerileri, kokusuz ve az ürün yaklaşımı). TIME

·  Ethical Consumer – “Boycotting Ecover & Method” ve rehberleri. Ethical Consumer+1