Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Eco Elsie
As of right now, NYX claims to be 100% cruelty-free. This is certified by PETA, which proves they do not test any of their products on animals – and they have never tested their products on animals.
NYX has been working alongside PETA for just over a decade, featuring PETA’s famous bunny icon on some of their products between 2010 and 2014.
However, the lines blur when we consider the parent company. NYX is owned by L’Oreal who decided to maintain the cruelty-free status for the drugstore brand.
L’Oreal, on the other hand, is not 100% cruelty-free. As it is an umbrella company that owns multiple brands, some of which are and aren’t cruelty-free, they cannot be considered cruelty-free.
L’Oreal does sell some of their products to countries such as China who have rules about mandatory animal testing on products they are allowed to pull from the shelves. However, NYX does not sell any of its products in such countries.
It all comes down to personal preference. As NYX is 100% cruelty-free, buyers are not contributing to the animal testing industry.
However, some may feel uncomfortable with subsequently supporting the parent brand that does allow animal testing with other brands and countries.
Whether you consider NYX to be a passive animal testing brand because of L’Oreal is up to you!
Is NYX vegan?
Not all of NYX’s products are vegan. These products include honey, beeswax, carmine, and other animal by-products on the ingredients list on some of their products.
However, NYX does have a wide range of vegan products available. These are marked as vegan both on the packaging and on their website.
These products aren’t limited to the popular eyeshadows and lipsticks, as NYX also has vegan foundations, primers, concealers, contours, blushes, bronzers, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrow products, and even makeup remover.
If you want to have a full face of NYX makeup whilst sticking to vegan products, you can!
As NYX isn’t 100% vegan, the same argument goes for whether one would consider NYX 100% cruelty-free.
Whilst your money is being spent on vegan cosmetics, one could argue that your money is still going towards a brand that does use animal products in other cosmetics.
Some may argue that, because NYX is 100% cruelty-free, that excuses buying some of their non-vegan products. The vegan debate is about ethical standards as well as physical ones.
If you are concerned about making sure the product you want is 100% vegan, it is recommended to look at their full ingredients list on NYX’s official website or to ask a customer service representative.
Is NYX an ethical company?
As NYX is 100% cruelty-free and certified by PETA as cruelty-free, one could argue that they are an ethical company. However, there are other factors worth considering before one says they are 100% ethical.
These include whether the brand’s products are vegan, what the packaging is like, whether they use palm oil, and the parent company of NYX.
NYX is not a 100% vegan brand, but they do have a wide range of vegan products. Non-vegan products can contain beeswax, honey, and other animal-derived ingredients.
Whilst one could argue the vegan products are ethical, another could argue that your money is still going to support a non-vegan brand.
NYX does not claim to use organic or natural ingredients. Whether or not they use palm oil in their products is fairly difficult to find out. Palm oil is a large contributor to deforestation and animal cruelty.
NYX does not explicitly state where their products are made, other than “globally”. It is therefore safe to say the brand isn’t local or USA-based. They also don’t claim to be sustainable, as they still use single-use plastic on their products for safety purposes.
Despite this, NYX’s parent company L’Oreal claims to ethically source their ingredients globally to prevent the spread of illegal child labor.
Does NYX test on animals?
No, NYX does not test on animals. NYX is a PETA-certified cruelty-free brand that does not test any of its products on animals, nor does it sell its products to countries that require mandatory animal testing by law.
NYX has also stated that they do not allow others to test animals, nor any of their suppliers to test ingredients on animals. They are 100% cruelty-free.
Whilst NYX doesn’t test on animals, their parent company L’Oreal is guilty of this. L’Oreal owns a multitude of cosmetic brands, some of which test on animals. L’Oreal is also partly owned by Nestlé who is neither vegan nor cruelty-free.
Whether or not you choose to agree or disagree that NYX is 100% cruelty-free or not is up to you. As NYX has been certified as cruelty-free by PETA since 2010, some may feel comfortable buying their products.
Others such as strict vegans or those with strict ethical standards may argue that, by buying NYX products, you are contributing towards supporting L’Oreal, which isn’t 100% cruelty-free.
Furthermore, NYX is not 100% vegan – though they do have a vast range of vegan products available. Whilst this doesn’t contribute to testing on animals, some could argue that the use of animal by-products is technically not cruelty-free.
Are NYX products toxic?
NYX does not claim to be an organic or natural brand. If we take NYX’s beloved lip products, they are paraben-free but contain BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole). BHA works as an antioxidant that prevents foul smells from emitting from the products, however, it isn’t technically safe.
BHA is banned in Europe and is considered a concerning health hazard by the Environmental Health Group.
Not only this, but other NYX products include BTA (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) which is also found in rubber and jet fuel. Toluene-based ingredients are neurotoxic and should be avoided by pregnant women as it attacks the nervous system.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find nontoxic cosmetic products. Toxins are cheap for brands and can enhance the appearance of makeup on the skin, but that doesn’t mean they are 100% safe to use.
It is recommended to never consume these products orally to prevent the harmful toxins from entering the body.
