(Please note points at the foot of this article, as Ecozone appear to have changed some formulations, and have repeatedly failed to respond to enquiries.)
Many in the UK will be familiar with Ecozone — a British company established at the turn of the millennium, and which focuses mainly on eco / planet friendly products for the home. They have around 60 products, including personal care products for babies and children, and of course products for laundry, bathroom and kitchen — including some unusual products, such as a coffee machine cleaner and descaler.
It is not an isothiazolinone-free brand, but has been taking steps to become one, which is good news.
For example, its Dry and Shine Rinse Aid Dishwasher used to contain isothiazolinones — but has in recent years been reformulated, and no longer does.
I was last in touch with Ecozone at the start of 2016, when the only products which were still problematic were the Limescale Remover / Bathroom Cleaner, the Multisurface Cleaner, and the 3-in-1 Kitchen Cleaner & Degreaser – three spray cleaners which contained both methylisothiazolinone (MI) and benzisothiazolinone (BIT) — and I was told that these last three products would be reformulated by the end of 2016.
I emailed them yesterday to ask for an update, and here is their response:
We are still pushing ahead with our plan and have been able to remove MI from all of the sprays except the kitchen spray (this will happen during the course of next year) (ed. i.e. 2018). We have been able to remove MI but are currently still using BIT in the sprays. We have a number of alternatives being tested now which will enable us to completely remove all isothiazolinone preservatives and as soon as they pass our testing we will be launching with these. This means that we are not currently isothiazolinone free but we are well on our way.
So, progress — but slow progress. Reformulation (of cosmetics, as well as household products) can be a complicated, time-consuming business, so we should be understanding of brands who are looking to make more of their products safer for those with isothiazolinone allergy.
In the meantime, remember that most of their products should be safe — unless of course you have other allergies which you need to check — and of course, remember to avoid the sprays mentioned above for now. Full declaration of ingredients is given for their products on their site — another reason to commend them — and in my limited experience, their customer service response time is excellent.
Update April 2019:
Disappointingly, it seems that progress has halted and reversed at Ecozone. Searching their website, it seems the following products have benzisothiazolinone, and most have methylisothiazolinone too:
Tough Degreaser – Kitchen Cleaner
Fast Action – Bathroom Cleaner
Multi Surface Cleaner
Ocean Breeze – Toilet Cleaner
Window & Glass Cleaner
Anti-Bacterial Multi-Surface Wipes
Update June 2019:
Despite repeated communications, Ecozone have failed to respond to requests for clarifications on the situation, therefore we can only advise extreme care and checking ingredients before purchasing.
You can browse and order Ecozone’s products through Ecozone Direct or Amazon UK.