Target Clean: Non-Toxic Finds, Pros and Cons

I’ve been asked for a Target shopping guide many times, and I’ve finally compiled one for you.

This guide highlights popular categories like personal care, skincare, and home goods, with an emphasis on non-toxic and lower-toxicity options available at Target. Target carries many more items than what’s listed here, so if you’re looking for something specific, mention it in the comments and I’ll try to find a safer option. I plan to update this guide over time as products and standards change.

This guide contains affiliate links originally; recommendations are genuine and based on ingredient transparency and safety considerations.

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Does “Target Clean” actually mean anything?

Short answer: yes and no.

Target’s “Target Clean” badge signals that a product is formulated without a number of specific problematic ingredients. That’s useful, but it’s not a universal safety standard. There’s no single global definition of “clean,” “non-toxic,” or “sustainable,” so retailers and brands create their own criteria. That means the label is helpful, but it can vary in strictness and scope.

Positives: Target publishes a semi-detailed list of ingredients and chemical classes that products carrying the badge should not include. Commonly restricted items include triclosan, BHT/BHA, parabens, some phthalates, formaldehyde-releasers, certain surfactants, and some PFAS. Products in the program are typically cruelty-free, though not always vegan.

Limitations: Target’s exclusions sometimes list specific chemicals rather than whole classes, which can leave loopholes. For example, they may name particular phthalates or PFAS instead of excluding the entire class. Some ingredients of concern remain allowed in many “clean” products, such as undisclosed fragrance, ethoxylated ingredients (PEGs), and certain preservatives like isothiazolinones. Also, the Target Clean program currently applies mainly to beauty and personal care items, not to most home goods.

Bottom line: If you’re short on time and don’t have specific chemical sensitivities, choosing a product with the Target Clean label is a reasonable short-term approach. For those with allergies, eczema, or multiple chemical sensitivities, ingredient-level checks are still important.

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Here are the non-toxic & low-tox products I’d buy from Target

Below are brands and product types I’ve purchased or would choose at Target when aiming for lower-tox options. Many of my top non-toxic picks are sold direct-to-consumer and aren’t at Target, so these are the best available at this retailer. Always scan ingredient lists if you have specific sensitivities (for example, limonene or other known allergens).

I’m encouraged to see cleaner options become more mainstream and accessible—hopefully more categories will continue to improve.

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Personal Care:

Skincare:

• Acure — face washes, moisturizers, serums
• Cocokind — cleansers, toners, serums, sunscreen
• Honest — cleansers, serums, wipes, moisturizers, masks
• Juice Beauty — cleansers, masks, peels, serums
• Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay — clay face mask
• Hero Cosmetics — acne-targeted patches
• Andalou Naturals — available online at Target in some areas (some products use natural fragrance)
• Beauty By Earth — mostly online selection

Shampoo & Conditioner:

• Honest — shampoo and conditioner options
• Acure — shampoo options
• Andalou Naturals — online-only selection at times
• Shea Moisture — styling products (note: many include undisclosed fragrance; they do avoid sulfates and parabens)

Body Wash & Bar Soap:

• Dr. Bronner’s — bar and liquid soaps, including unscented (check for “natural fragrance” in scented versions)
• Native — select scents only
• Honest — body washes and gels
• Dr. Squatch — bar soaps preferred over some scented bottled products
• Andalou Naturals — online options

Body Lotion:

• Acure — body lotions and butters
• Honest — lotions and balms
• Cocokind — ceramide body oil stick
• Dr. Bronner’s — lotions and balms
• Badger — body creams and oils
• Egyptian Magic — multi-use balm (online availability)

Lip Balm:

• Dr. Bronner’s — lip balms
• Honest — tinted lip balms
• W3ll People — tinted lip balms
• Burt’s Bees — original variety (see ingredient notes before buying)

Deodorant:

• Native — select scents (unscented or specific scent lines are preferable)
• Dr. Squatch — men’s deodorant (contains naturally derived fragrance in many formulas)
• Cleo + Coco — natural deodorant options (online availability)
• Earth Mama Organics — natural deodorants (online availability)

Sunscreen: Choose lotion formulas over aerosols. Good options at Target include mineral sunscreens from brands such as All Good, Badger, Thinksport/Thinkbaby, Pipette, and unscented Native. Lotion is recommended to reduce inhalation risk and improve coverage.

Oral Care:

• Toothpaste — fluoride-free options like hello and Tom’s exist, but ingredient lists vary; read labels if you prefer specific ingredients
• Mouthwash — Tom’s adult and kids versions and some online brands are available; check flavoring ingredients

Period Care:

• Natracare — organic pads
• Saalt and Lunette — menstrual cups
• Intimina — discs
• Cora and Rael — pads and tampons (note: past testing has detected trace PFAS contamination in some samples; brands do not intentionally add PFAS)

Hand Sanitizer:

• Dr. Bronner’s — sanitizer options
• Honest — scented hand sanitizers

Makeup:

• Honest — select makeup products
• W3ll People — cleaner makeup options

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Home & Garden:

Cleaning Supplies:

There aren’t many perfect cleaning products at big-box stores, but some better choices exist. Notes on problematic ingredients are included where relevant.

• 9 Elements — laundry detergents with cleaner formulations
• Healthybaby — laundry detergent options
• Everspring Unscented — hand soaps (foaming & liquid), dish soap, laundry detergent (unscented lines reduce fragrance exposure)
• Everspring Lemon & Mint All Purpose Cleaner — a practical option, though it contains undisclosed fragrance
• Seventh Generation Lemon Dishwasher Gel — better than conventional options, but check for preservative types

Notes: Some products use isothiazolinone preservatives or ethoxylated ingredients; these can irritate sensitive skin or raise contamination concerns in manufacturing. If you have eczema or serious sensitivities, look for fully fragrance-free, preservative-minimal formulations.

Bed & Bath:

For textiles, look for GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and OEKO-TEX certifications. Some Target brands to consider include Purity Home and Bare Home for sheets, Threshold organic cotton or TENCEL options, Anact and Madison Park for towels, and Casaluna—checking each product’s certification is important.

Cookware & Bakeware:

• Lodge cast iron — top choice for durable cookware
• Pyrex glass bakeware — safe, non-reactive option
• Caraway and GreenPan — PFAS-free coated cookware (note: longevity and durability vary)

Food Storage:

• Pyrex — glass storage
• Ello — glass containers with silicone sleeves
• Stasher — silicone reusable bags as an alternative to single-use plastics

Water Bottles & Tumblers:

• Klean Kanteen — stainless steel, lead-free
• Owalla — stainless steel, lead-free

Pest Control & Bug Repellents:

• Murphy’s Naturals — body sprays and candles
• Mighty Mint — pest and weed repellents for yard and garden
• Zevo — sticky traps for flying insects
• Yaya Organics — body sprays (online availability)
• Arber — OMRI-certified garden products (ingredient transparency varies)

Avoid aerosol insect sprays when possible; choose pump sprays or lotions to reduce inhalation exposure. If you want a deeper review of active ingredients and safety, consult an insect-repellent guide.

Other Home Goods:

• Reel — sustainable tissue paper and paper towels
• Grosche — manual glass and stainless coffee and tea gear
• Rowenta — irons marketed as PFAS-free for clothing care
• YumEarth — organic, allergy-friendly candy

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Babies & Kids:

Baby skincare:

• Healthybaby — gentle shampoo/body wash and moisturizers
• Honest — baby shampoos, lotions, and balms
• Pipette — lotion, shampoo, and body wash formulated for infants
• Earth Mama Organics — diaper balm, nipple butter, baby lotion (online availability)

Diapers & Wipes:

• Healthybaby — disposable diaper options
• Honest — diapers and wipes
• Esembly — reusable diapers and wipes
• Millie Moon — natural-feeling disposable options
• Dyper — plant-based disposable diapers

Bottles: Prefer glass bottles with 100% silicone nipples where possible. Options at Target include Evenflo vented glass bottles with silicone nipples, Philips Avent glass bottles and sets (some include silicone sleeves), Dr. Brown’s anti-colic glass bottles, and Comotomo silicone bottles for travel needs.

Car Seats & Strollers:

• Chicco ClearTex collection — marketed as free from intentionally added flame retardants and PFAS

I’ll update this guide periodically. If you have category requests or know of non-toxic brands not listed here, let me know in the comments.