Still Not Wowed by GoodGuide

At some point, I wanted to test out GoodGuide so I set up its Purchase Analyzer with my Amazon account. It's been so long, I'd honestly forgotten about it, but finally, today, I got an email from GoodGuide as follows:

According to the GoodGuide Purchase Analyzer, you purchased this product:
122126 California Baby Bubble Bath - Super Sensitive, 13 oz (Pack of 2) - Purchased from Amazon

This product fails your Pollution filter because the company that manufactures it does not have significant programs in place to address air, water and waste emissions.

However, we found this alternative that passes all your filters. You should check it out!
123794 Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath [with a link to buy it on Amazon]

Note: This message is not sponsored. The recommendation is based on your purchase history and the issues you flagged as important. 

Not sure why this just popped up today, since I have not purchased the kids' bubble bath for ages. It's really interesting because we are out of bubble bath and I was looking for some at Rite Aid today (to no avail; only mass brands were stocked). They clearly can't be related, since I didn't use my GoodGuide app in the store and I didn't purchase any bubble bath, but I digress.

I have looked at Mustela products before. Initially, I assumed they were "better" because they were made in the EU. However, they do not fare well in the EWG Skin Deep Database, which is the best resource I know of to evaluate products for toxicity. Mustela products are highly perfumed, and that is reason enough for me not to consider using them for my children. But, since GoodGuide was so emphatic and the have sophisticated analytics working for my benefit, I felt compelled to check it out.

Sure enough, here's the comparison:
Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath scores a 4/10 (moderate risk), 0 being the ideal.
California Baby Bubble Bath - Super Sensitive  scores a 1/10 (low risk).

I could be wrong, but I am pretty darn sure that I prioritized the toxicity of a product as my #1 concern in my personal GoodGuide profile. I mean, this is clearly my obsession. The fact that they do not have "significant programs in place to address air, water and waste emissions" is less than ideal, but certainly not important enough for me to jeopardize my kids' health.

I logged in to GoodGuide to see what other wisdom could be imparted and found that of my Amazon purchases, 33 passed my filter and 18 did not.

Some that passed:

• YummyEarth Organic Lollipops
• Coombs Family Farms 100% Pure Organic Maple Syrup
• Seventh Generation Baby Wipes Refills

Some that did not:

• HAPPYBABY Organic Puffs, Apple Puffs 
• Nature Babycare Diapers
• But Not the Hippopotamus [a case of mistaken identity!]

I'm not hating on GoodGuide; I just had such high hopes for them and they're not living up. I'm going to keep buying my California Baby Bubble Bath, unless I find something with a "0" or "1" rating that is cheaper and/or better.

Has anyone else tried the Purchase Analyzer? Do tell!

Organic Milk Comparison

Think all organic products are made to the same standards? Sadly this is not the case. Not even with dairy, which seems like it would be fairly easy to regulate. Fortunately, I found a great resource, Cornucopia Institute, that maintains a rating site for organic milk and dairy items. I'm sure it's not perfect, they are, after all, out to protect family farmers, but it's hard to argue with the methodology of measuring operations to "true" organic intentions.

If you're in Central PA, where I am, your best options are: Organic Valley or Wegmans' organic milk and Stonyfield yogurt. These all rate a "4" on a scale where "5" is highest. The worst choices, rated as "0" on the scale, include: Horizon, Organic Cow and Aurora Organic. Nature's Promise (Giant), Kirkland Signature (Costco), BJ's and Archer Farms (Target) are also all scraping bottom with a "1" rating.

If you are closer to Philly, try to get dairy from one of the small farms with a "5" rating in Phoenixville and Oxford. Find them on the ratings chart.

What brands do you buy? I am very loyal to Organic Valley, partially because they also have a Lactose-Free 1% variety that sits well with Gregory. If they are sold out, I will buy Stonyfield (which scores a solid "3"). For yogurt, I buy Stonyfield most of the time. I've found that the quarts are the best deal and they keep pretty well once opened.