The cosmetics industry shifted when a new deodorant hit the market in 2015. Native came in as an all-natural product with honest ingredients. But did it listen to the modern consumer and develop a cruelty-free and vegan product too?
Native is cruelty-free. It doesn't conduct animal testing on its products, nor does it distribute its cosmetics where animal testing is required by law. While Native does offer a range of vegan cosmetics, it is not considered a vegan brand.
Moiz Ali saw a huge gap in the market for natural deodorants a few years ago and decided to take a shot at it. It took him two years to build an empire, and in 2017, he sold the brand to Proctor & Gamble for about $100 million.
Today, Native's product variety has expanded and offers modern consumers affordable, natural toiletry alternatives.
But before deciding on what to buy, here's what you need to know about Native's current animal testing policies, vegan ranges, formulation, and sustainability.
Is Native Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Native is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Native is an American-born company that was recently bought by Proctor & Gamble (P&G). Since its launch, it has been 100% cruelty-free.
In saying that, there are two important things to consider:
- P&G is not a cruelty-free parent company.
- It claims to be cruelty-free but does not have any certification. We discuss why this is problematic under certification.
This brings us to the next point:
Native Beauty is Not Vegan
Although the brand is not entirely vegan, Native does have great vegan ranges.
Its haircare, deodorant (except for sensitive skin), and body wash are 100% vegan.
You'll find Native's vegan products and ranges are marked on its website. You can see this information once you've selected the product of your choice.
If a product is vegan, you'll find the information underneath its picture.
Some of the most common animal-derived ingredients that Native uses include:
If you're interested in which products are vegan or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Native vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Native has been committed to creating modern, exciting and innovative cosmetics that are also cruelty-free. This has been their intention since it was founded in 2015.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2021
Here is a screenshot of Native's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from their website:
Certification
Native has got no cruelty-free certification. Although it claims to be cruelty-free – there's no third party there to confirm it.
It would be nice to see more certification from Native.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn't hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations out there. So having certification from an association like Leaping Bunny or Choose Cruelty-Free, is ideal.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
If you see a bunny stamp at the back of your product bottle – that's a really good sign. But don't be fooled by the image itself. A lot of brands are using fake logos to fool 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 Native Beauty Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Native does not distribute any of its products to China or any country that requires animal testing on any cosmetics by law.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most amount of 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 to be aware of. Here's how to find cruelty-free cosmetics in China: Are Cosmetics Made in China Cruelty-Free?
What Native Beauty Products Are Vegan?
Native has a great range of vegan products that continues to expand. It seems like every time they launch something new – they want to make it cruelty-free and vegan!
Here are Native's current vegan ranges:
For all of Native's vegan products, you can find them on Native's website.
Vegan Alternatives to Native Beauty
Native has a good track record and noteworthy transparency with its consumers. For a multi-million dollar brand – it's commendable.
While we love that it is cruelty-free and offers vegan options – it would be great to see some more certification behind the claims.
If you don't support brand that aren't 100% vegan – Native might not be your first choice.
If you're looking for vegan brands within the same price range and offer simple yet effective products, you might like these options.
Is Native Beauty Natural and Organic?
While Native does not use organic ingredients, it considers itself a "natural" brand that uses safe ingredients.
While the term "organic" is regulated by the USDA and means an ingredient is free of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or non-organic substances. The term "clean" or "natural" is not regulated for cosmetics and skincare.
In other words, it doesn't hold one specific meaning.
In Native's case, natural cosmetics means:
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas, and Native is no exception – but it chooses to use clean synthetics.
Clean synthetic ingredients are safe and non-toxic, which actually preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
Native's Famous Natural Deodorant
Native entered the market with its famous all-natural deodorant that took off very quickly.
Where an antiperspirant uses aluminum in its formula to prevent your body from releasing sweat, a natural deodorant simply neutralizes the odor from sweating.
Native's perspective is that your body knows itself best. So if it's telling you to sweat to balance your core temperature – that's what it should do.
For this reason, all of Native's deodorants are made without aluminum or talc.
If you're looking for a completely organic brand, one of your best options is Dr Organic skincare.
Does Native Beauty Use Safe Ingredients?
Yes, Native uses very safe ingredients that are good for your skin's health. It avoids using allergens where possible.
According to Skin Safe, all Native's products have a very high 91% allergen-free ranking.
All its products are free of allergens such as common preservatives, gluten, nickel, parabens, soy, MCI, propylene glycol, and lanolin.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Native is not free of irritants or fragrance, which means some products may not be suitable for people with sensitive skin.
The UK & EU Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
As a conscientious shopper, you need to 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, on the other hand, has banned 1,328!
With cosmetics, here are some ingredients you want to avoid:
Luckily, all Native's products are free of these harmful ingredients, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't check. All ingredients are subject to change so keep your eyes open.
Are Cruelty-Free Ingredients Safe?
If you're worried about how safe it is to use cosmetics that are not tested on animals – please relax and take a sigh of relief.
There is no reason why cruelty-free products shouldn't be just as safe, if not safer, than anything tested on an animal.
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 Native Beauty Sustainable and Ethical?
It's no secret that the world has a huge waste problem, and cosmetic brands are only making it worse by using unsustainable packaging and harmful ingredients.
Native has made a huge point to be transparent with its customers about the ingredients it uses, and it's attempting to do the same with its sustainable initiatives too.
As it stands, the brand has:
Another awesome cruelty-free brand that is part of this initiative is Ilia – it makes gorgeous makeup!
In saying this, Native has not jumped on the sustainability bandwagon altogether yet
While the brand is cruelty-free, has vegan options, and is making an effort to improve sustainable packaging – it does not have a great deal of supply chain transparency.
One of the most notable issues is that it still uses palm oil as one of its main ingredients – this is a huge deforestation contributor.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Native is a well-developed cosmetics brand that takes various needs of the modern consumer into account.
It's no wonder it became successful so quickly – it filled an urgent gap in the market for a natural yet effective alternative to antiperspirant.
The fact that it is cruelty-free is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
We also love that it has developed so many vegan options, but those who follow a vegan lifestyle might be deterred by Native's lack of supply chain transparency – especially knowing they use palm oil.
Finally, it would also be nice to see cruelty-free accreditation from a reputable organization like Leaping Bunny. It would help verify its claims and improve its supply chain transparency.
So let's push to make that happen!
