Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Eco Elsie
Yes! Suave is certified by PETA as cruelty free. This means that Suave do not test their products on animals. Nor do they allow third parties to test their products on animals.
This is different from many other companies that sell their products in countries that require imported cosmetics to be tested on animals.
This also means that they do not include any ingredients in their products that have been tested on animals.
But, Suave’s cruelty free status is tainted by its parent company. Suave is owned by the parent company Unilever. Unilever does own cruelty free companies. But Unilever itself cannot be declared to be cruelty free.
This cruelty free status is also tainted by the organization that has declared it cruelty free. In 2020, Suave joined PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies program. But PETA is an organization that is not considered to be free from cruelty itself.
Suave was founded in 1937. But only became cruelty free in 2020. Testing on animals has been considered unacceptable by many for a very long time before this.
It was of course less considered in the early and mid-20th century. And it can take a while to eradicate cruel practices from the entire manufacturing process. But, 2020 is a little late to have achieved this status.
Is Suave Vegan?
No. Suave is not a vegan company. They do have some vegan products. But this is not an intentional attempt to remove animal products from their products.
Any Suave products that are vegan are only accidentally so. So you will always need to double-check the ingredients list.
It is difficult to find any Suave products that are even labelled as vegan. So this is clearly not an issue that they are particularly concerned about.
Due to this, it’s best to look for more specifically vegan companies. Or at least companies that have vegan lines and products. These companies might be greenwashing.
But it’s definitely better than a company that doesn’t make any attempt to provide any kind of vegan products.
Suave products contain a range of non-vegan ingredients. The main ones to look out for are:
- Collagen – This is a structural protein found in connective tissue. Collagen is derived from different animals from cows to fish.
- Lanolin – This is a wax derived from wool.
- Silk – As silk is made by silkworms for their own offspring, it is not considered vegan.
- Keratin – This is a protein derived from hair, hooves, feathers, and horns. But there are some vegan alternatives available.
- Honey – As honey is made by bees for themselves, it is considered exploitative to use this in beauty products.
- Elastin – This is a protein found in elastic connective tissue in skin. But there are some vegan alternatives available.
Is Suave An Ethical Company?
This is a little difficult to answer. In terms of being cruelty free, Suave doesn’t test on animals. But there are other factors that can determine whether a company is ethical.
If you are a vegan, then you will definitely not consider Suave to be an ethical company. They do not attempt to make their products vegan. They include ingredients that are not only derived from animals, but require animals to be killed in order for them to be used.
In terms of being an eco-friendly company, there is little information available about Suave. Many companies are making great strides in making their products and packaging more sustainable.
But this does not seem to be a priority for Suave.
Their parent company, Unilever, also doesn’t have a great record in terms of sustainability. But, since 2010, they have become dedicated to becoming a more sustainable company.
Unilever claims to have a “Zero-Waste Mindset” and began a Sustainable Living Plan in 2010.
In terms of treating workers in an ethical manner, Unilever has not done well. In 2019, the company hired security guards to protect company grounds in South Africa during a legal strike. The security guards shot rubber bullets at strikers and sprayed them with pepper spray.
Does Suave Test On Animals?
Since 2020, Suave have eradicated animal testing throughout their supply chain.
This means that they do not use ingredients that have been tested on animals, do not test their products on animals themselves, and do not allow third parties to test their products on animals.
Unilever, the parent company of Suave, does own brands that still allow for testing on animals. This is primarily through the sale of products in countries that require imported cosmetics to be tested on animals.
Are Suave Products Toxic?
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), some Suave products do contain potentially toxic ingredients.
It might be easy to assume that any product that is allowed to be sold won’t have any toxic ingredients. But this isn’t always the case.
Especially if you consider their toxicity to those who use and produce the products and the impact of their ingredients on the environment. The EWG monitors the use of potentially harmful ingredients.
It lists only two products (Suave Skin Solutions, Body Lotion, Revitalizing with Vitamin E and Suave Skin Solutions Advanced Therapy Body Lotion) as a “high hazard” on their hazard scale. There are more than 150 products on the scale that are rated as a “moderate hazard” on their scale.
There are only a handful of products that are rated as “low hazard”. These are the potential hazards that the scale takes into account:
- Developmental and reproductive toxicity
- Allergies and immunotoxicity
- Use restrictions
- Endocrine disruption
- Neurotoxicity
- Organ system toxicity
- Biochemical or cellular level changes
- Persistence and bioaccumulation
- Ecotoxicity
- Irritation
- Occupational hazards
- Enhanced skin absorption
- Contamination concerns
Organizations like the EWG are useful for considering the toxicity of cosmetic products. They take into account a wide range of factors. They also provide a detailed explanation of why the ingredients can be toxic and what this can cause.
So, it’s important to check out sites like this. But, as with any organization, it’s still important to consider the factors behind the ratings. The EWG is an organization that is funded by the organic food industry.
