After the birth of her daughter, Genevieve Tan, 35, became more aware of the everyday products that she used on her and around the house. In her quest to find products that were safe for the family, she realised there was a lot of misleading hype and greenwashing surrounding terms like “natural” and “organic”. That spurred her to create The Gentle Label in the spring of 2014.

“I started The Gentle Label to create products that are safe for the whole family,” says the Singaporean. “As more of us are becoming conscious of our lifestyle choices, being mindful about what we’re putting on our skin and the skin of our children, and what chemicals we’re exposing our homes to, is a natural next step. Research shows that up to 60 per cent of the substances we use on our skin are absorbed and some of these chemicals may be linked to allergies, chronic diseases like asthma, and even cancer.”

The Gentle Label range is certified by the Soil Association, the UK’s leading body for organic certification.

Under their stringent requirements, only products containing at least 70 per cent organic ingredients are allowed to carry their mark. This is important to Genevieve, as personal experience has taught her that labels don’t spell out the whole truth. “Labelling laws are so weak that anyone can use the words natural or organic even if they contain minimal amounts of organic ingredients,” she says. “We have chosen to certify with a recognised external body, to ensure consumers are guaranteed transparency and quality.”

The Gentle Label products are formulated and manufactured in the UK, with all-natural ingredients which are not tested on animals, using processes that are fair and sustainable, and have minimum impact on the environment. They’re free of synthetic colours and fragrances, GMOs, sulphates, parabens, phthalates, triclosan and other dubious ingredients.

The Gentle Label is available at www.thegentlelabel.com and at selected stockists in the UK.