๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น: The โgardenโinspired,โ โaromatherapeutic,โ โplantโderivedโ brand most people think is a small, wholesome company is actually owned by SC Johnson โ the global chemical giant behind Raid, OFF!, Glade, Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, Pledge, and Ziploc. Your โnaturalโ kitchen spray is funding the same corporate portfolio that makes indoor air fresheners, insecticides, and highโVOC cleaners.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ (๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐)
* ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ: Rustic labels, herb graphics, and โMrs.โ storytelling create a farmhouseโnatural vibe โ while ownership sits with SC Johnson (Windex, Glade, Raid).
* โ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐โ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑโ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐: Many detergents/solvents begin with plant feedstocks but are industrially processed and can still irritate skin or lungs. โPlantโderivedโ โ nonโtoxic.
* โ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐโ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ๐: Labels still list โfragrance/parfum,โ a legal black box for undisclosed mixes that can include known fragrance allergens and VOCs.
* ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ: You pay a premium for the green halo โ not necessarily for safer chemistry.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ (๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ผ)
* ๐๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ & ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: Glade โ a major indoor VOC source
* ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐: Raid insecticides; OFF! repellents
* ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ตโ๐ฉ๐ข๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, Pledge
Buying โnaturalโ under this roof props up a conglomerate that profits from fragranced sprays and pesticides while selling you โgardenโinspiredโ surface cleaners.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฎ๐ โ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ปโ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น
* ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ/๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐บ: Undisclosed mixtures that may include allergens like limonene, linalool, geraniol, citronellol โ compounds that can oxidize and increase sensitization; VOCs can trigger headaches/asthma.
* ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐: โPlantโderivedโ detergents (e.g., alkyl polyglucosides; some SKUs may include SLS/SLESโtype analogs) can strip skin lipids with frequent exposure (dish/hand soaps, sprays).
* ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐/๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: Phenoxyethanol is common in โgreenโ cleaners; historically, U.S. household cleaners (across brands) have used isothiazolinones (MI/MCI) โ potent sensitizers restricted in EU leaveโon cosmetics. Formulas vary; always check your exact label.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ (๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป, ๐น๐๐ป๐ด๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ)
* ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Fragrance allergens and certain preservatives are top drivers of allergic contact dermatitis; repeated kitchen/bath exposure increases risk.
* ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: Fragrance VOCs can provoke migraines and asthma; scented cleaning raises indoor VOCs compared to fragranceโfree.
* ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ ๐๐. ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: You can get equal (or better) cleaning with transparent, fragranceโfree formulas โ without subsidizing a chemical titan.
๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐
Choosing โgreenโ brands under SC Johnson helps finance a larger pipeline of fragranced aerosols, insecticides, and highโVOC cleaners that contribute to indoor air pollution, VOC emissions, and downstream chemical loads in water and waste streams. The more dollars that flow to the parent portfolio, the more market power for products that add synthetic fragrance to homes and pesticides to ecosystems โ the opposite of the lowโtox, transparent future consumers think theyโre voting for.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ (๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ)
* ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒโ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ, ๐ณ๐๐น๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ: Choose products with complete ingredient lists; avoid MI/MCI. Verify each SKU (even within โgreenโ lines).
* ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐น๐นโ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ: 1 cup water + 1 cup white vinegar; optional tiny squirt of fragranceโfree castile soap for grease.
* ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ป/๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ: Baking soda paste (baking soda + a bit of castile soap + water).
* ๐๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐/๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ต: Warm water + minimal fragranceโfree castile soap; rinse.
* ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐? ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐: Diffuse 1โ2 drops of pure essential oil after cleaning (away from pets/babies; ventilate), rather than baking fragrance into counters and fabrics.
๐๐ผ๐๐๐ผ๐บ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ
โGardenโinspiredโ branding is the mask; a chemical titan is the face. Mrs. Meyerโs sells herbal imagery and plantโlanguage while the parent company profits from air fresheners, insecticides, and highโVOC cleaners. If youโre buying โnaturalโ to protect your family, donโt let a toxic giant hide behind a potted basil. Choose fragranceโfree, fully disclosed cleaners โ or simple DIY โ and stop funding the very industry that perfumes and pesticides your indoor air.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐
SC Johnson acquisition of The Caldrea Company (parent of Mrs. Meyerโs Clean Day): company press materials/public filings
Environmental Working Group (EWG) product database: ingredient and hazard profiles for household cleaners (including Mrs. Meyerโs SKUs)
American Lung Association & EPA: guidance on scented products, VOCs, and indoor air impacts
IFRA/dermatology literature: common fragrance allergens (limonene, linalool, geraniol, citronellol) and oxidation behavior
Note: Formulas change by scent and product type. Always check your label for fragrance/parfum, isothiazolinones, and surfactants.