Method is a home and personal care brand that claims to be affordable, ethical, and sustainable! Oh yes – they have it all! But is it really the cruelty-free and vegan brand you think it is? Surely a brand this clean must have some skeletons in its closet – here’s what we found.
Method is cruelty-free. It doesn't conduct animal testing on its products nor distribute its cosmetics where animal testing is required by law. Method is also 100% vegan and doesn't use animal-derived ingredients.
Method was founded in 2001 by two former roommates, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, in their San Francisco apartment.
While Eric wondered why most cleaning products were so ugly at the time, Adam wanted to make effective clean and green alternatives.
Their vision was to create a line of clean, biodegradable, and non-toxic cleaning products. Since then, the brand has expanded to household cleaners, laundry supplies, soaps, and personal care products.
But 21 years later – has this brand kept up with the times and improved its cruelty-free and vegan policies?Is Method Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Method is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
We asked for the best, and Method has delivered it!
This brand is 100% cruelty-free, with Leaping Bunny and PETA certification to prove it. There is no third-party testing on their behalf or testing products required by law.
Unfortunately, Method is owned by SC Johnson. This company is not cruelty-free, and owns other brands that allow animal testing.
This brings us to our next point:
Method is Vegan
Yup – this well-priced and accessible home and personal care brand is entirely vegan. It does not use any animal-derived ingredients in any of its products.
However, it's worth knowing that Method is the exception, not the rule.
Most mainstream skincare brands are not 100% vegan. These are certain animal-derived ingredients to look out for in general:
If you're interested in exploring Method's best vegan products or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Method vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Method has been making clean, ethical, and environmentally friendly products since the beginning. They have been certified with Leaping Bunny since 2003 to prove it.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Method's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Certification
Method is Leaping Bunny and PETA certified.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn’t hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. It only requires a brand’s written consent that abides by the PETA code of conduct.
(We still find it cute that Method’s founders were named PETA’s People of the Year in 2006.)
Certification from Leaping Bunny is ideal because it holds rigorous standards and does regular audits to ensure they are upheld.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
If you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that's an excellent sign. But don't be fooled by the image itself. A lot of brands are using fake logos to mislead consumers.
Do your homework and see which products are genuinely cruelty-free first. This article will help you: Which Cruelty-Free Logos Can You Trust?
Is Method Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Method does not distribute its products to China or any country requiring animal testing on cosmetics by law.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year.
However, if you live in China or are concerned about its cruel beauty policies, there are a couple of loopholes.
Here’s how to find cruelty-free cosmetics in China: Are Cosmetics Made in China Cruelty-Free?
The Best Vegan Method Products
Method has a great range of vegan products that continues to expand. It prides itself in developing a product with you (the consumer) and the planet in mind.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular home and skincare products:
For a full list of Method's vegan products, you can find them listed on its website.
Vegan Alternatives to Method
Method is a brand that stands out for being a strong advocate of clean, cruelty-free, and vegan household cleaning supplies and personal care products.
The products are effective and a favorite in many homes.
But if the brand is not easily accessible to you, here are some alternatives in the same price range to choose from:Is Method Natural and Organic?
Method is very transparent about all their ingredients. It aims to formulate products that are clean, safe for the skin, and biodegradable.
While it is not considered a natural or organic brand – it does use a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients and clean synthetic replacements where necessary.
Clean vs. Natural Ingredients
The term "natural" is not regulated for cosmetics and skincare. In other words, it doesn't hold one specific meaning.
Usually, it means a product is free of certain more toxic synthetic ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more. But people also interpret "natural" as ingredients of immediate plant origin.
Here's the thing: "natural" is not necessarily good. Just because an ingredient is natural (take lemon juice, for example) doesn't mean you should rub it on your skin.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. Method is no exception – but it can choose to use better or clean synthetics.
If a synthetic ingredient is "clean," it means it is safe and non-toxic for us. Its purpose is to preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
Does Method Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, Method has a 73-100% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Many of Method’s products are free of allergens such as parabens, lanolin, nickel, gluten, soy, oil, propylene glycol, topical antibiotics, dyes, and fragrances.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Method is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
The EU/UK Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
As a conscientious shopper, you must read up on any brand's ingredient list before you make a purchase – especially if you live within the United States.
This is because the FDA has only banned or restricted 11 harmful chemicals from cosmetics within the country. Europe and the UK, on the other hand, have banned 1,328!
While you can trust Method’s ingredients for the most part, here are some of the ingredients you really want to avoid in skincare for good measure:
Are Cruelty-Free Ingredients Safe?
If you’re worried about how safe it is to use cosmetics not tested on animals – please relax and take a sigh of relief.
There is no reason why cruelty-free products shouldn’t be as safe as anything tested on animals.
Not only is it easy to test ingredients without using animals altogether, but there are so many pre-approved ingredients you can use to make cosmetics that there is no need.
If you’re interested, here’s more on the subject: Are Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Safe?
Is Method Sustainable and Ethical?
Method’s company values are tied strongly to its sustainability and ethical initiatives. They are also transparent about how they want to be more planet-friendly.
It's no secret that the world has a huge waste problem, and cosmetic brands only make it worse by using unsustainable packaging and harmful ingredients.
Some of the ways Method is taking strong environmental accountability is by:
Final Thoughts
Method really stands out in the home and personal care department. They are a well-developed and transparent brand that seems to be going above and beyond to reinforce its values on ethics and sustainability.
What more could you want from your soap?
They are clean, cruelty-free, vegan, and prioritize being planet-friendly. Perhaps the biggest complaint is that Method is owned by a parent company that does not have all the same values.
Method can be hard to find worldwide, but if you can get your hands on their products, then there’s very little reason not to try them.
