Pure Haven Review

Do you prefer to shop for multiple products at one place to save time?  In this special review post, you will learn about Pure Haven that can become an easy one-stop shop for you.  You will find out what ingredients they include into and exclude from their home care and body products.  In addition, you will see how their skincare products compare with those of Arbonne, Rodan & Fields, Melaleuca, Lemongrass Spa, Mary Kay, and Farmasi.  For concise reviews of Pure Haven Skincare and Pure Haven Shampoos and Conditioners, head over to the IRLFY shop.

I consider Pure Haven a credible company.

My story with this company began in 2013 when it was called Ava Anderson.  Coincidentally, that was the year I started doing product ingredient research full-time. 

To form my opinions about body product ingredients, I use credible scientific journals and chemical databases.  They include the European Chemicals Agency, PubMed, American Contact Dermatitis Society publications, the European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel reports.  I also use the Skin Deep Database the right way.  (Learn more about my research method and the list of ingredients I suggest avoiding on my Start Here page.) 

Among Ava Anderson non-toxic personal care products, I loved their shampoo and conditioner for the clean ingredients and outstanding performance.  However, the company underwent negative publicity after their dish soap tested positive for synthetic fragrance.  It turned out that their manufacturer was using some ingredients, unbeknownst to Ava Anderson.  As a result, Ava Anderson sold its brand, and the ownership and management of the company changed.   

If companies do not own their manufacturing facilities, it is important that they have robust control over the production processes.  I personally know company owners who follow every step of the manufacturing process instead of just relying on the manufacturers.  Thus, they ask many questions, test the products regularly, and insist on their own way of doing things. 

It is reassuring that Pure Haven has its own factory now.  I believe this should provide better control over the manufacturing processes and prevent potentially costly mistakes.

Are Pure Haven body products certified organic? 

Because their facility is USDA certified, Pure Haven can produce organically certified non-toxic personal care products.  Hence, some of their products are USDA-certified organic. 

To get an organic certification, a product must have 95% agricultural ingredients.  Few cosmetic products can pull that off because they need synthetic ingredients to perform their function, e.g., surfactants and emulsifiers.  Therefore, I respect cosmetic companies that do not claim to be all-natural and all-organic, because it is virtually impossible. 

Here are the USDA-certified organic items: Lemon Sugar Body Scrub, Sugar Lip Scrub, Mom Balm, and Paw Balm for pets.  Additionally, these Jojoba Oil and Moroccan Argan Oil are organic along with essential oils.

Let us talk about the Pure Haven skincare and personal care ingredients.  Presently, I do not see any concerning ingredients on their website.  However, bear in mind that it is common for manufacturers to change their ingredients frequently, so always read the ingredients.  (This is why I frequently update my rating list e-books.)

What ingredients does Pure Haven never use?

Among the ingredients they avoid in their home and body products are fragrance, ethoxylated ingredients, cocamidopropyl betaine, and harsh preservatives.

First, fragrance consists of multiple ingredients that US law does not require to disclose.  However, some of those ingredients can be quite harmful.  For example, dibutyl phthalate may damage the unborn child, and resorcinol is under assessment for endocrine disruption (source and source).  You can find out why there are so many ingredients in fragrance in my post about natural fragrance.

Second, ethoxylated ingredients are those whose names begin with Polysorbate or PEG and end with -eth.  They result from the process of ethoxylation.  When manufacturers use harsh petrochemicals as raw materials, they add carcinogenic ethylene oxide to soften their effect on the skin.  The problem is that its traces may remain in the final product.  As a contaminant, it is a “hidden ingredient,” so you will never see it among the product ingredients.  Learn about other hidden ingredients in personal care products in my post about best baby wipes.

Third, cocamidopropyl betaine is a cleansing agent that creates foam in self-care products.  The CIR Panel suspects it of inducing skin sensitization in some people due to DMAPA and amidoamine contamination.  You can learn more about these contaminants and cocamidopropyl betaine relatives in my post about cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine.  Instead of cocamidopropyl betaine, Pure Haven home and body products use glucosides.  Though not perfect, I believe that glucosides are some of the mildest surfactants and are common in baby products.

Does Pure Haven use ‘isothiazolinones’ and phenoxyethanol?

To begin with, preservatives are important and even clean skincare and non-toxic personal care products must have them.  Indeed, preservatives protect the products that contain water from bacteria and mold contamination.  Please, read about the danger of bacterial contamination in baby care and skincare products in my post WaterWipes baby wipes.

The good news is that Pure Haven home and body products do not contain harsh preservatives.  For example, such preservatives as methylisothiazolinone or methylchloroisothiazolinone are known allergens, and benzisothiazolinone is a sensitizer (source and source).  Neither do they have phenoxyethanol which I do not promote because of its manufacturing process.  Namely, it is the product of the reaction of carcinogenic ethylene oxide with highly corrosive phenol.  You can find out why this preservative is so popular in my post about phenoxyethanol.

Instead, they use a combination of leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, levulinic acid, sodium levulinate, lactobacillus, p-anisic acid, and sodium phytate.  All of them are on the list of raw materials for COSMOS-standard cosmetics . 

Are Pure Haven preservative ingredients safe?

To clarify, COSMOS (the Cosmetic Organic Standard) is a European natural and organic standard established in 2002.  It is the result of cooperation among the Soil Association (UK), BDIH (Germany), Cosmebio and Ecocert (France), and ICEA (Italy).  The standard promotes the use of products from organic agriculture, a responsible approach to natural resources, and clean processing and manufacturing.  

Further, COSMOS defines the criteria for companies to meet to ensure consumers that they produce genuinely organic or natural cosmetics to the highest sustainability practices.  As a result, the COSMOS-standard positions itself as a guarantee for organic and natural body products that consumers can trust.

Do they use cyclopentasiloxane or quats?

For starters, both cyclopentasiloxane and quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) are conditioning agents.

Regarding cyclopentasiloxane, some research finds it safe in topical products while other research suggests that it may be associated with endocrine disruption.  In addition, it has a controversial effect on the environment, polluting the food chain and sources of drinking water.  

Basically, my point of concern with cyclopentasiloxane lies with its potential to be an endocrine disruptor.  Personally, I do not consider this ingredient vital for any skincare product and applaud Pure Haven for not using it.   Please, read my post about cyclopentasiloxane to learn more about it and companies that use it.

As for quaternary ammonium compounds, they have aroused some controversy.  On the one hand, they are not among chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity (source).  And most of them are not on the list of the American Contact Dermatitis Society core allergens.  But on the other hand, some of them seem to be toxic to aquatic life (source). 

Again, ideally, it is best to avoid quats, especially if you have no need for them.  Thus, Pure Haven body products have replaced quats with brassica alcohol, brassicyl valinate esylate, and heptyl undecylenate.  To learn what ingredients belong in the group of quats, head over to my post about quaternary ammonium compounds.

How is Pure Haven different from other direct sales companies?

Some people may have had a negative experience with or heard negative things about direct sales or multi-level-marketing (MLM) companies.  Those negative things might be related to pyramid schemes that have nothing to do with direct sales and MLM.

To clarify, a pyramid scheme is illegal.  It involves borrowing from someone, and then borrowing from someone else to pay the first person, and then borrowing from more people to pay the second, etc.  

Direct sales companies and MLM companies are not “pyramid schemes” – they do not involve borrowing or lending money at all.  The pyramid incentive structure some of them use is simply the way of spreading income among those who sell the products.  

Actually, Pure Haven is not a true MLM because you do not have to sign up people under you to make money.

At first, I was skeptical of direct sales companies, too.  I believed that they required initial investment and too much work.  However, I liked Pure Haven body products so much that I decided to join the company after talking to one of their top consultants.  

Now I think that it is a good thing when businesses give opportunities to women to make extra income from selling non-toxic personal care products. 

Do I have to subscribe to buy their home and body products?

Do not let the subscription message at the top of the checkout page discourage you from buying Pure Haven products.  It is important to note that a Pure Haven subscription is an option, not a must.  In other words, you can purchase their non-toxic household and body products without subscribing.  Just ignore the invite pop-up message the next time you place your order. 

Conversely, if you do subscribe, you will have the benefit of free shipping and access to exclusive products and sales.  To become a preferred customer, you must spend $149.  And the next time you place an order, you can spend as little as $70 and still get free shipping.

Also, do not worry that you will not have enough time to use your products before the new order arrives.  Remember that you can always change the settings for your next order and move the date of its arrival.  Thus, you can receive your products once a year if that time frame is convenient to you.  Additionally, you can modify your product kit, and even cancel your subscription at any time, with no strings attached.

Importantly, your experience as a sales consultant will highly depend on the team you join.  Contact me for reference to an excellent team in my opinion.  Besides, the sales quota is so low that you can join just to buy products at wholesale prices for yourself and family.

Now, let us see how other direct sales companies’ ingredients compare to Pure Haven ingredients.  

Arbonne Ingredients

Sadly, there are ingredients in Arbonne skin and body products that I find concerning.  Hence, I do not promote products with these ingredients on my website.

For instance, they use ethoxylated ingredients (e.g., Polysorbate 60, Steareth-21, PEG-40), phenoxyethanol, synthetic pigments, and cyclical silicones.  Plus, they do not disclose ingredients for their fragrance.  Even though they claim it is “natural,” it does not equal to “safe.”

On top of that, there are ingredients in Arbonne skin and body products that shocked me when I saw them!  To know what they are and see my full email Arbonne review, sign up here to get the email.  

Rodan & Fields Products

First, some products on the Rodan and Fields ingredient list contain ethoxylated ingredients, e.g., sodium laureth sulfate and polysorbate 80.  The main concerning factor about them is the use of carcinogenic chemicals to produce them.

Second, some Rodan & Fields products contain phenoxyethanol and fragrance.  As you remember, fragrance is a mix of multiple ingredients, many of which can be allergens.

Third, they use non-mineral UV filters, such as avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene.  You can learn more about UV filters and find a safe sunscreen in The Best Non-Toxic Face Sunscreen Guide. 

Pure Haven vs. Melaleuca Company

Although Melaleuca body products have such impressive ingredients as hyaluronic acid, plant extracts, and peptides, they still have concerning ingredients.  Thus, I spot-checked several items and noticed phenoxyethanol, ethoxylated ingredients, and parfum (fragrance) that Pure Haven does not use. Additionally, they do not disclose fully the ingredients of their cleaning products such as laundry detergents. Instead, they name the functional categories of ingredients such as a “preservative” but do not tell us which preservative they use.

For example, Honey and Rose Soothing Foam Cleanser contains phenoxyethanol, fragrance, and a few PEG ingredients (ethoxylated).

Next, Vitamin C Daily Defense Cream contains phenoxyethanol, polysorbate-60, and polysorbate-20.

Surprisingly, their Multi-Benefit Eye Treatment has cocamidopropyl betaine, a cleansing agent, and phenoxyethanol.

Last, Body Wash Vanilla Orchid contains phenoxyethanol, fragrance, PEG-7, and PEG-150.

I don’t recommend products with any of these ingredients.

Lemongrass Spa Body Products

Like Melaleuca, Lemongrass Spa uses hyaluronic acid and strong plant-based anti-oxidant ingredients.  However, I wish they would not resort to phenoxyethanol and grapefruit seed extract (GSE).  The problem with GSE is that it may have benzalkonium chloride, triclosan, and methylparaben contaminants (source and source).  You can read more about GSE in my post about WaterWipes baby wipes.

For instance, Lightening Serum, Overnight Ultra Lift Crème, and Botanical Face Crème contain phenoxyethanol.  

Further, Botanical Face Crème has an ingredient called a “vegetable emulsifier.”  As you know, I advocate for transparency, so I interpret this as non-disclosure.  The same is true for the Deep Conditioner which has “vegetable oil quaternary,” which I consider an undisclosed ingredient.

In addition, the Deep Conditioner has grapefruit seed extract (GSE) which is also among the ingredients in Black Organic Mascara. 

Pure Haven and Mary Kay

To begin with, Mary Kay website openly posts only key ingredients of their face and body products.  Obviously, this fact does not meet my requirements for transparency.  Based on what I was able to find on the Internet, the picture is as follows. 

For instance, Mary Kay Clear Proof Acne System Clarifying Cleansing Gel contains cocamidopropyl betaine and phenoxyethanol.  Additionally, it has potential endocrine-disrupting parabens (ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben).  On top of that, it contains DMDM hydantoin and triethanolamine.  The former is a formaldehyde-releasing preservative, and the latter is suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child (ECHA).

Further, the CC Cream Sunscreen SPF 15 Deep has cyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane, ethoxylated ingredients, and chemical UV filters (homosalate, octinoxate, oxybenzone) (source).  I explain why chemical UV filters are not a safe choice in the Best Non-Toxic Face Sunscreen and the Safest Baby Sunscreen and Sunscreen for Kids guides.

Like the CC cream, the Timewise Age Fighting Moisturizer SPF 30 contains chemical UV filters (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone).  In addition, it has ethoxylated ingredients, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, triethanolamine, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a potential carcinogen and endocrine disruptor (ECHA).

Pure Haven versus Farmasi

A quick random product check showed that some Farmasi body products contain fragrance, phenoxyethanol, ethoxylated ingredients, and cyclopentasiloxane.  On top of that, they even use such harsh preservatives as methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone in some products.

For example, their Blood Orange & Turmeric Body Wash has sodium laureth sulfate, fragrance, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and methylisothiazolinone (source).

Next, Blood Orange & Turmeric Hand & Body Lotion has phenoxyethanol, fragrance, cyclopentasiloxane, and ethoxylated ingredients (source).

Like the product above, Dr C Tuna Calendula Face Cream contains cyclopentasiloxane, phenoxyethanol, fragrance, and ethoxylated ingredients (source).

Even their baby shampoo has cocamidopropyl betaine, fragrance, and ethoxylated ingredients (source).

Lastly, Farmasi Dr C Tuna Vitalizing Shampoo Garlic Extract has cocamide DEA, which is on the California Proposition 65 list as a known carcinogen.

To sum up, in comparison to these direct sales companies, Pure Haven seems to be walking a few steps ahead.

My Favorite Personal Care Items

Clearly, one of my favorite Pure Haven body products is shampoo.  In my Shampoo Rating List, it holds one of the safest rating positions.  By the way, by purchasing the Shampoo Rating List e-book, you will get access to my opinions on the relative safety of about 100 shampoos.  Their rating is based on ingredient analysis that will let you make an informed decision before buying a new shampoo. 

At first, Pure Haven’s revised formula for haircare products did not work for me until I discovered why.  The reason was our extremely hard water.  Yes, that’s right, your water affects the performance of your cleaning products, be it dish soap or shampoo.  Anyway, after we installed a water softener, the shampoo started working again and made me really happy. 

They carry Sweet Orange shampoo and Supergreens shampoo which has plant proteins, powders, and extracts beneficial for your hair.  You can read about their shampoos and conditioners in detail in my The Best Safest Shampoo post.

Some other Pure Haven non-toxic body products I like are Cocoa Bar Soap and Mandarin Body Wash.  The soap comes in a pack of 3 bars and contains goat milk and organic plant oils.  Read my post to learn how to buy truly non-toxic soap. 

Next is their Foot Therapy cream, which makes my feet soft.  And Hand Cream with Pre+Probiotics and Sweet Orange Dream Cream replenish dry skin well.  As for their Hand Sanitizer, it contains 80% organic alcohol, which is a good amount.

Pure Haven Skincare I Like

Although you can use Cocoa bar soap for both face and body, I prefer a pH-balanced cleanser for my face.  So, the Refresh Cleanser with Pre+Probiotics is just right for me.  Gentle enough not to dry the skin, it is powerful enough to wash it well and remove my favorite liquid foundation. 

Speaking of makeup, Pure Haven hardly has any makeup.  Neither do they offer any information about heavy metals in their makeup.  Therefore, for non-toxic makeup I turn to my favorite Crunchi brand.  Except for Crunchi’s mascara, I like the performance of their beauty products.  In fact, Crunchi’s goal is to make safe makeup that performs as well as conventional makeup.  Besides, Crunchi uses EcoCert certified mineral pigments that they DO NOT source from China.  And their independent tests showed excellent results for heavy metals.  So, for more information on the Crunchi products, take a look at the Crunchi Non-Toxic Makeup Review post. 

My Favorite Home Cleaning Products

Along with personal care and body products, Pure Haven carries non-toxic home cleaning products.

I really like their Dishwasher Detergent and Laundry Detergent.  They work well for us and I appreciate the fact that they come in powder versus liquid.  The liquid ones require preservatives, and I have not seen any liquid dishwasher or laundry detergents that contain safe preservatives.  Some brands fail either to list preservatives or to provide satisfactory explanations as to why their products contain no preservatives.

Conclusion about Pure Haven Body Products

In sum, Pure Haven is a one-stop shop for non-toxic products.  It is really convenient if you want to save time, shipping costs, and packaging.  Here you can find personal care and home care products that use mild surfactants and some of the safest preservatives.  The scent comes from essential oils only. 

As compared to some other direct sales companies, this brand uses some of the safest ingredients.  Plus, it has a fair consultant program, in my opinion.

Further, Pure Haven is not just a renamed Ava Anderson.  It is a brand-new direct sales company under new management with its own policy.  Contact me if you are interested in buying their products at wholesale prices and/or creating extra income.  Otherwise, browse their website to find something special just for you.

Check out my e-books and my shop for healthy personal care and home care products.  Also, apply to join the Savvy Consumer Circle and/or book a consultation with me to get help with healthy living.