Grove Co markets itself as a cleaner, safer alternative to conventional household products, but the reality is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. Some of their products score well on independent safety databases, while others have received surprisingly poor ratings. Understanding where Grove Co excels and where it falls short helps you make a more informed choice about what you’re bringing into your home.
What Grove Co Claims
Grove Co (formerly Grove Collaborative) positions its brand around plant-based, sustainable cleaning and personal care products. The company is a certified B Corporation with an overall B Impact Score of 100.9, which is above the median for certified companies. Their environment score sits at 37.4, reflecting genuine commitments to sustainability practices like plastic-free packaging and concentrated formulas that reduce shipping waste.
However, a B Corp certification measures a company’s overall social and environmental impact. It doesn’t mean every individual product is non-toxic or free from ingredients of concern. Grove Co’s customer impact score is just 4.9, which is notably low compared to their other categories. That gap matters if your primary reason for choosing Grove is product safety rather than environmental values.
How Grove Co Products Score on Independent Reviews
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) maintains one of the most widely used independent databases for rating the safety of cleaning and personal care products. EWG scores run from A (safest) to F (most concerning), factoring in known hazards linked to each ingredient.
Not all Grove Co products perform equally. Their Cold Wash Laundry Detergent in Lavender & Rosemary, for instance, received a D rating from EWG. That’s a poor score, placing it in the same tier as many conventional detergents the brand aims to replace. A D rating means the formula contains ingredients with moderate to high concern for issues like respiratory sensitivity, skin irritation, or environmental toxicity.
This doesn’t mean every Grove Co cleaning product scores poorly, but it does mean you can’t assume a product is safe simply because it carries the Grove label. Checking individual product ratings on EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning is the most reliable way to evaluate specific items before purchasing.
Personal Care Products: A Mixed Picture
Grove Co also sells personal care items under sub-brands like Peach. EWG’s Skin Deep database rated the Peach Refillable Deodorant in Coconut Jasmine a 3 out of 10 on its hazard scale, where lower numbers indicate fewer known risks. A score of 3 falls in the low-to-moderate concern range, which is reasonable for a deodorant.
The details underneath that score tell a more complete story. EWG flagged the product as high concern for allergies and immunotoxicity, meaning some ingredients could trigger skin reactions or immune responses in sensitive individuals. The product also carries a moderate flag for developmental and reproductive toxicity, though cancer concern was rated low. Data availability for the product was listed as limited, which means fewer published studies exist on some of its ingredients. When data is limited, the score may not capture the full picture in either direction.
For personal care products that sit on your skin for hours, these flags are worth considering, especially if you have sensitive skin or are pregnant.
What “Non-Toxic” Actually Means
Part of the confusion around Grove Co stems from the term “non-toxic” itself. There is no federal regulation defining what “non-toxic” means on a cleaning or personal care product. Any company can use the term on packaging without meeting a specific safety standard. The FDA does not require pre-market approval for most household cleaners or cosmetics, and the EPA’s Safer Choice label, which does verify ingredient safety, appears on relatively few products across the industry.
Grove Co uses language like “plant-based” and “naturally derived,” which describe ingredient sourcing but not necessarily safety. Plenty of naturally derived substances can irritate skin, trigger allergies, or harm aquatic life. Essential oils, for example, are plant-based but are also common allergens and can be toxic to pets. The presence of natural ingredients doesn’t guarantee a product is gentle or risk-free.
How to Evaluate Grove Co Products Yourself
If you want to use Grove Co products confidently, treat each product individually rather than trusting the brand as a whole. A few practical steps make this easy:
- Check EWG ratings per product. Search the specific product name on EWG’s cleaning or Skin Deep databases. Look at the overall score and the individual ingredient flags.
- Read the full ingredient list. Grove Co publishes ingredient lists on their website. Compare these against known irritants if you or someone in your household has sensitivities.
- Look for third-party certifications on the label. EPA Safer Choice, USDA Certified Biobased, and Leaping Bunny (cruelty-free) each verify a specific claim. A B Corp seal does not verify ingredient safety.
- Be cautious with fragrance. “Fragrance” or “natural fragrance” on an ingredient list can represent dozens of undisclosed compounds. Fragrance ingredients are a leading source of allergic reactions in cleaning and personal care products.
Grove Co is generally a step up from many conventional brands in terms of ingredient transparency and environmental commitments. But their product line is broad, and quality varies. The D-rated laundry detergent and the allergy flags on their deodorant show that “cleaner” branding doesn’t always translate to a clean safety profile. Checking independent databases product by product remains the most reliable way to know what you’re actually getting.