Sukin is internationally renowned for its affordable and eco-friendly skincare. But has this brand stayed true to its cruelty-free and vegan commitments as its grown?
Sukin is 100% cruelty-free and vegan. It doesn't conduct animal testing on its products or use any animal-derived ingredients.
Siblings Alison Goodger and Simon O’Connor were looking for ways to live more naturally and sustainably and couldn’t find beauty products to match.
In 2007 they launched a clean, eco-conscious, natural skincare brand called Sukin. They felt that “people had the right to know what ingredients are potentially doing more harm than good in their beauty regimes.”
Since then, the line has expanded to hair and body care, and there’s a men’s range too. In 2015, Sukin was bought out for a whopping $53 million!
But why did such a simple brand prioritize cruelty-free policies and veganism? And can we still trust them under new ownership?
Sukin Ethical Overview
Sukin Is Cruelty-Free
Test any of its products or ingredients on animals
NO
Purchase any ingredients tested on animals within its supply chain
No
Distribute its products to any countries that require animal testing by law.
No
Sukin is owned by BWX, an Australian natural beauty company that does not test on animals or own any brands that support animal testing in any way.
Does Sukin Test on Animals?
Sukin has been committed to creating clean, effective, and affordable cosmetics that are also cruelty-free. This has been its intention since it was founded.
What Is Sukin's Cruelty-Free Status in 2022?
Here is a screenshot of Sukin’s official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Sukin is Leaping Bunny & Choose Cruelty-Free Certified.
Sukin goes above and beyond in the best way! It's Leaping Bunny, and Choose Cruelty-Free certified.
Certification from Leaping Bunny is ideal – even more so than PETA – because it holds rigorous standards and does regular audits to ensure they are upheld.
Is Sukin Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Sukin does not distribute any of its products to brick and motor stores in China or any country that requires animal testing on cosmetics by law.
It ships orders directly to customers, bypassing strict animal testing laws.
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?
Sukin is Vegan
Yup – this well-priced and sustainable skincare brand is entirely vegan. It does not use any animal-derived ingredients in any of its products.
However, it's worth knowing that Sukin is the exception and not the rule.
Most mainstream skincare brands are not 100% vegan. Some animal-derived ingredients to look out for in general include honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, squalane, and carmine.
If you're interested in the best Sukin vegan products or finding brand alternatives – keep reading.
The Best Vegan Sukin Products
With a brand like Sukin, that’s all vegan, cruelty-free, and natural – there’s little room for ethical error. So it’s more about choosing something for your skin and hair needs.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular skincare products:
Vegan Alternatives to Sukin
With a brand like Sukin, that’s all vegan, cruelty-free, and natural – there’s little room for ethical error. So it’s more about choosing something for your skin and hair needs.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular skincare products:
Brand | price range | 100% vegan | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
$10 - $30 | Yes | PETA, Leaping Bunny | |
$5 - $20 | Yes | PETA | |
$20 - $60 | Yes | Leaping Bunny | |
$15 - $40 | Yes | PETA, Leaping Bunny | |
$10 - $40 | No | PETA, Cruelty Free International, Leaping Bunny |
Sukin Isn't Considered Natural or Organic
Sukin is a natural brand. It claims to use a minimum of 95% natural ingredients in each product.
Although Sukin might use some organic ingredients, it is not certified as an organic brand. Sukin does specify when ingredients (or whole products) are organic.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. Sukin is no exception – but it does 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.
A few naturally-derived ingredients Sukin uses to enhance its cosmetics include:
Sukin Has a 91% Allergen-free Ranking
According to Skin Safe, Sukin has a 91% allergen-free ranking for each product.
All Sukin products are free of parabens, petrolatum or mineral oils, sulfates, synthetic fragrances or artificial ccolors propylene glycol, DEA/TEA/ MEA, phthalates, triclosan, silicones, and EDTA.
In saying this, Sukin is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic (and it doesn’t claim to be).
But certain products are specifically for these concerns, so make sure you buy what your skin needs.
The EU/UK Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
We don’t want to scare you, but you HAVE to read up on any product’s ingredient list before you make a purchase – especially if you live within the United States. The reason why will shock you.
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!
Luckily, Sukin sets a great example of what true clean beauty is meant to be. You shouldn’t have to worry about any serious hidden nasties in its products.
With skincare, you want to avoid these ingredients:
Sukin Has Some Sustainable & Ethical Initiatives
Some / one of the ethical causes Sukin supports are…
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.
Sukin takes environmental accountability by:
Final Thoughts
Sukin is the kind of brand we can get behind! It started with the goal of being cruelty-free, vegan, clean, natural, and sustainable – and it’s stuck to that. It’s not easy to do all of that, but Sukin shows that it IS possible.
The clean skincare brand is transparent about how ingredient sourcing and eco-policies. It’s also honest about learning and improving as it goes.
We don’t love that palm oil derivatives are used, even if it’s from RSPO suppliers. But other than that, Sukin is doing amazing things.
We can’t wait to see what it does next and how it continues to do more good while making customers feel good.