The short answer: "natural" has no legal definition on Australian shampoo labels, and "organic" only means something when there is a certification logo behind it. So the front of the bottle tells you very little. The ingredient list tells you a lot, and an app like Yuka can help you read it in seconds. Here is how to check any shampoo yourself, what Yuka actually measures, and what it said when we scanned our own range.
"Natural", "organic" and "chemical-free": what the labels really mean
These three words do a lot of selling and very little explaining.
- Natural. There is no legal standard for a "natural" cosmetic in Australia. A brand can use the word with one plant extract in an otherwise conventional formula. It is a claim to check, not a fact to trust.
- Organic. A product can contain organic ingredients without being certified organic. Certification means an independent body has checked the whole formula and the supply chain against a standard. If there is no certification logo, "organic" usually refers to some of the ingredients, not the product.
- Chemical-free. Nothing is chemical-free. Water is a chemical, and so is lavender oil. What people usually mean is "free from harsh synthetic ingredients", and that is something you can check on the label.
Where Pure Earth sits. We are not certified organic, and we would rather say so plainly. Some of our ingredients are organic and others are not, so we have not pursued certification for the range. Our Kakadu Plum Hair Oil, for example, uses eight certified organic oils out of eleven. What we can promise across the hair range is plant-based, vegan, sulphate-free (no SLS or SLES), silicone-free and paraben-free formulas, with no synthetic fragrance, made in Australia.
How to read a shampoo label in two minutes
Ingredients are listed from most to least. The first five or so make up most of the bottle, so start there. You do not need to know every name, just a few to look out for.
| On the label | What it is | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) | Strong detergents that create a big lather | Effective, but can leave dry, coloured or curly hair feeling stripped, and can irritate sensitive scalps |
| Anything ending in -cone or -siloxane (e.g. dimethicone) | Silicones | Make hair feel slippery and smooth by coating it. Not harmful, but can build up over time |
| Anything ending in -paraben | Preservatives | Widely debated. Many people prefer to avoid them, and good alternatives exist |
| "Parfum" or "fragrance" | A blend of scent ingredients under one word | Can hide dozens of components and is a common cause of scalp irritation. Essential oils listed by name are more transparent |
| Cocamidopropyl betaine, glucosides, alpha olefin sulfonate | Plant-derived cleansers | Gentler options, often coconut-derived. This is what our shampoos use |
None of this is about fear. Plenty of conventional ingredients are safe at the levels used. It is about knowing what you are buying and choosing what suits your hair, your scalp and your values.
What is Yuka, and how does it score shampoo?
Yuka is a free app, launched in France in 2017, that scores food and cosmetics out of 100 when you scan the barcode. For cosmetics, the score is based entirely on the ingredient list. Each ingredient is given a risk level, looking at things like potential endocrine disruptors, allergens, irritants and pollutants, and the product's score reflects the riskiest ingredients it contains.
- Excellent: 75 to 100
- Good: 50 to 74
- Poor or bad: below 50
Its limits, honestly. Yuka is not a regulator, and its score is an algorithm's opinion. It takes a cautious approach to ingredients, and it does not measure how well a product performs or how much of an ingredient is used. A product can score well and still not suit your hair. We think of it as a useful first filter, not the final word.
What we found when we scanned our own range
We scanned every Pure Earth product in the Yuka app. Here is what came back.
| Product | Yuka rating |
|---|---|
| Natural Shampoo, Extra Gentle (Lavender, Chamomile & Rosemary) | Excellent |
| Natural Conditioner, Extra Gentle (Lavender, Chamomile & Rosemary) | Excellent |
| Natural Shampoo, Extra Hydrating (Lemon Myrtle & Emu Apple) | Excellent |
| Natural Conditioner, Extra Hydrating (Lemon Myrtle & Emu Apple) | Excellent |
| Deep Repair Hair Treatment | Good |
| Natural Body Wash, Lavender & Rosemary | Excellent |
| Natural Body Wash, Bergamot & Mandarin | Excellent |
| Natural Body Lotion, Lime | Excellent |
| Natural Hand Wash, Lemon Myrtle | Excellent |
Ratings as shown in the Yuka app, October 2026. Yuka updates its database from time to time, so scan the bottle yourself for the latest result.
Why Deep Repair scored Good, not Excellent. We are not going to hide this one. A deep conditioning treatment needs conditioning agents and an emulsifier to do its job, and Yuka is cautious about some of these. Good is still a positive rating, and Deep Repair is a Gold winner at the Clean + Conscious Awards. If you want to see exactly which ingredients Yuka flagged, scan the bottle: the app shows every one and why.
Why customers choose Pure Earth
- Clean formulas that still work. No sulphates, silicones, parabens or synthetic fragrance, with native Australian botanicals like Lemon Myrtle, Emu Apple and Kakadu Plum doing the nourishing.
- Refillable, not disposable. Our 500ml bottles are infinitely recyclable aluminium, and you can refill them from our 5L bulk sizes.
- Made here, made carefully. Australian-made in a 6 Star Enviro-rated facility, by a small family business in the Northern Rivers.
- Award-recognised. Our Deep Repair Hair Treatment is a Gold winner at the Clean + Conscious Awards.
- Low risk to try. Every order is covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee.
What customers say
At the time of writing, our Extra Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner have 34 reviews between them, every one of them five stars. Here are three, in customers' own words.
"I'd been searching for hair products without all the 'nasties,' and out of the countless options available, Pure Earth was the only brand that truly passed the test for me. Because I have very oily hair, I was worried the products might feel too heavy, but I was pleasantly surprised. The shampoo and conditioner cleaned my hair thoroughly without leaving it fluffy, dry, or weighed down."
— Marilyn, Retreat Sample Pack ★★★★★
"I have used this shampoo for years as I have a sensitive scalp and react to most other shampoos. I don't use anything else. So grateful to have found this!"
— Verified customer, Extra Gentle Shampoo ★★★★★
"It smells so good (fresh, herbal, lemony without being fake), and it's genuinely super hydrating on my very thick, long, curly hair … I also love that it's plant-based and free from silicones, sulphates and parabens, so my hair feels nourished and clean, not coated."
— Raini, Extra Hydrating Conditioner ★★★★★
A good way to start
Our range is small on purpose. Pick by hair type, not by scent.
| If your hair is… | Start with | Yuka |
|---|---|---|
| Fine to normal, or your scalp is sensitive | Extra Gentle Shampoo & Conditioner Duo | Excellent |
| Normal to dry, frizz-prone, wavy or curly | Extra Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner Duo | Excellent |
| Dry, damaged, heat-styled or often in salt water | Add Deep Repair Hair Treatment once or twice a week in place of conditioner. Now also in a 100ml size | Good |
| Not sure yet | Retreat Sample Pack: travel sizes of hair, body and skin products to try first | — |
Once you have found your match, Subscribe & Save takes 15% off so you never run out, and the 5L refills bring the cost per wash down further.
When not to buy. If you love a big, dense foam, plant-based cleansers lather more softly and may take a wash or two to get used to. And if you have a diagnosed scalp condition, persistent itching or sudden hair shedding, see your GP or a dermatologist first.
For a full guide to choosing and using natural hair care, see our Natural Hair Care Guide.
FAQ
What is a good Yuka score for shampoo?
Anything 75 or above is rated Excellent, and 50 to 74 is Good. Both mean Yuka found no high-risk ingredients. Below 50 means the app flagged at least one ingredient it considers a moderate or high risk.
Is Pure Earth certified organic?
No. Some of our ingredients are organic, but not all of them, so we have not pursued organic certification yet. Our formulas are plant-based, vegan and cruelty-free, and free from sulphates, silicones, parabens and synthetic fragrance.
Is alpha olefin sulfonate a sulphate?
No. It is a sulfonate, a different, coconut-derived cleanser, and it is not SLS or SLES. It is generally considered gentler than SLS while still cleansing properly, which is why our shampoos have a soft lather. Yuka rates both our shampoos Excellent with it on the label.
Do I need a sulphate-free conditioner?
Honestly, most conditioners do not contain sulphates in the first place, because their job is to condition, not cleanse. "Sulphate-free" matters most for shampoo. For conditioner, look instead for silicone-free and paraben-free formulas if those matter to you. Ours are both.
Is natural shampoo safe for colour-treated hair?
Yes. Without sulphates to strip the hair, natural shampoos are generally kinder to colour. Both of our shampoos and conditioners are suitable for colour-treated hair.
Can I check other products with Yuka?
Yes. Scan the barcode of anything in your bathroom. If a product is not in the database yet, the app lets you add it by photographing the label.
Further reading
