NUXE

If you’re wondering, “Is NUXE cruelty-free?” you’ve come to the right place. At Conscious Bunny, we’re dedicated to providing thorough and reliable information about various brands. We research whether NUXE is cruelty-free, vegan, clean, and conscious.

Additionally, we examine if a brand is sustainable, contributes to the community, and considers allergens in its products.

The world of cruelty-free, vegan, and clean beauty can be complex. With so many unregulated terms and labels, it can be challenging to know what to trust. Our mission is to make it easier for you by providing clear, fact-based insights. We delve into the details so you can make informed choices with confidence.

By relying on our comprehensive research, you can be sure you’re supporting brands aligning with your values. We believe in transparency and aim to empower you with the knowledge you need to choose products that are genuinely cruelty-free and conscious.

Is NUXE Cruelty-Free? 

No, NUXE is not cruelty-free. They state: “NUXE does not test any of its products or raw materials on animals and, therefore, complies with current European regulations. Since 2018, a selection of Nuxe products has been distributed in China.

China has different regulations from the other countries where we operate: some imported cosmetics are tested on animals, which we disapprove of. We would very much like to see these practices disappear in favor of alternative methods and are trying to contribute to the evolution of the Chinese authorities’ position on this issue.”

Is NUXE Owned By A Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

NUXE is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals.

In the beauty industry, brands are often owned by larger parent companies like L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, or Procter & Gamble, many of which conduct animal testing to some extent.

While most parent companies are not cruelty-free, some of the brands they own adhere to strict policies against animal testing. This means that brands under these parent companies are still cruelty-free.

However, this gives you as a consumer two choices: You can choose not to support these brands because they’re part of a bigger, animal-testing parent company, or you can choose to support them because they are 100% cruelty-free even though their parent company is not.

We personally believe that since these brands operate independently from the parent company, you can support them as they’re cruelty-free. However, a small group of shoppers choose to boycott brands owned by a parent company that tests on animals.

We don’t mind which option you choose; we want to make it easy for all our readers. That’s why we decided to mention whether or not a parent company is involved.

Is NUXE Cruelty-Free Certified?

No, NUXE is not certified by any organization.

Companies can be fully cruelty-free without being certified, but certifications are a good indicator of their ethical practices. The most trusted organizations that give out certifications are PETA and Leaping Bunny.

Is NUXE Sold Where Animal Testing Is Required By Law?

NUXE is available for sale in countries with mandatory animal testing, including China. Based on their own statement, they test on animals if it’s required by law.

In countries like China, certain cosmetic products may be subject to mandatory animal testing regulations. If a brand wants to sell its products in physical stores in China, it has to comply with these regulations, where animal testing may occur.

Starting in 2023, brands have the opportunity to enter the Chinese market without funding animal cruelty. However, not every brand may qualify. Certain ingredients, products, and claims may still trigger animal tests during the registration process, and post-market testing involving animals, while rare, is still a possibility.

To avoid animal testing in China, companies must meet specific criteria:

• Sell only ‘general’ cosmetics in China (such as makeup, skincare, haircare, nail polish, and perfumes).
• Avoid selling ‘special’ cosmetics like sunscreens or hair dye.
• Refrain from selling products for infants, children, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, or products containing ‘New Cosmetic Ingredients.’
• Have a policy in place to recall products if post-market testing is required rather than allowing them to be tested on animals.

Furthermore, products can avoid animal testing in China if they are manufactured in China or if their final assembly occurs in China. If manufactured outside of China, companies must obtain the proper safety certificates from their country of origin.

Brands that have been selling in China must ensure that all their products meet the exemption criteria while providing the proper safety certificates from specific authorities. This means that many brands currently sold in China may not yet be entirely cruelty-free.

It’s essential to note that while China is gradually relaxing its animal testing laws, it does not mean that all brands sold in China are now cruelty-free. While this phase may raise questions, brands selling in China no longer have to be an immediate no-no for cruelty-free shoppers.

To provide shoppers with extra assurance, Leaping Bunny offers the China Qualification Program, which you can check before purchasing. This program ensures that Leaping Bunny-certified companies selling domestically in China remain cruelty-free.

Is NUXE Vegan? 

NUXE is not 100% vegan. NUXE does not use ingredients of animal origin, with the exception of products derived from bees (honey, beeswax, propolis). Therefore, all NUXE products are vegetarian (they contain no animal ingredients), but not all of them are 100% vegan (formulated without ingredients or derivatives of animal origin).

A company can have vegan products even if not all their products are vegan. If all their products are vegan, the brand is considered “100% vegan.” 

Several organizations, similar to PETA and Leaping Bunny, offer vegan certifications to help you identify vegan brands. For example, Vegan Action, The Vegan Society, and The Vegetarian Society provide a Vegan Trademark to companies that use no animal-derived ingredients.

Check out our 100% Vegan Beauty Brands A-Z list, or use our free Vegan Ingredient Checker to determine whether a specific product contains animal-derived ingredients.

Is NUXE Clean?

NUXE is quite a clean brand, but I need to explain it more. The brand uses only vegetable oil, not mineral oils, and it doesn’t use synthetic dyes, sulfates, or silicones. NUXE has also never used plastic microbeads (polyethylene or polypropylene) in any of its exfoliating or rinsing products. However, some formulas contain phenoxyethanol as a preservative.

The brand never mentions whether it uses parabens, formaldehyde, and other chemicals in its products (except for the ones above), so I had to do research myself to see if it’s rightfully claiming to be a clean brand.

I checked their products randomly, and I couldn’t find any harmful ingredients except for Phenoxyethanol (which NUXE is transparent about). Based on my research, I do think NUXE can be considered clean.

The term “clean beauty” is controversial because it isn’t regulated; this means that brands can label their products as ‘clean,’ ‘green,’ ‘organic,’ and ‘natural’ without strict guidelines.

For us, clean beauty means choosing products made without ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances that have been shown or even suspected to harm human health, animal health, or the environment.

Check out our Clean Beauty Brands A-Z list, or use our free Clean Ingredients Checker to determine whether a specific product contains toxic ingredients.

Is NUXE Fragrance-Free? 

No, NUXE is not fragrance-free, and the brand is transparent about this. They share that, as NUXE products are fragranced, they may contain certain allergens. These are listed at the end of the composition to make it easier for allergy sufferers to identify them.

I reached out to NUXE to ask what ingredients may fall under their “fragrance/parfum,” and they’ve given me a very thorough response:

WHY FRAGRANCE COMPOSITION IS NOT MORE TRANSPARENT ?

According to the European Cosmetic Regulation (CE n° 1223/2009), cosmetic brands must label the presence of fragrance in their products by using the INCI Name FRAGRANCE/PARFUM in the ingredient list.

This is due to the confidentiality of perfumers’ creation. Perfumers are allowed to keep their formula secret and have no obligation to communicate the exact composition of their blend to the brand.  They only need to provide the percentage of the 82 official allergens required by the European regulation. If their final concentrations in the finished product are above 0.001% (for a leave-on product) or 0.01 % (for a rinse-off product), the brand must list them in the ingredient list to inform people who could be allergic to these molecules.

NB : The most common allergens are linalool, limonene, citral, citronellol, eugenol and geraniol. These molecules are naturally present in the natural essential oils used in perfumery.

HOW TO BE SURE OF THE SECURITY OF THE FRAGRANCE IN A SKINCARE WITHOUT KNOWING ITS EXACT COMPOSITION ?

First, there are international fragrance standards called IFRA that ban, limit or set criteria for the use of certain ingredients in fragrances, based on scientific evidence and consumer insights. These standards are constantly evolving, and fragrances in cosmetics must follow these standards to comply with the European cosmetic regulation.

At NUXE, we require an even stricter safety charter from our perfumers that goes beyond IFRA standards, notably by providing them with an additional list of substances not to be used in our scents. For instance, we demand them to create fragrances that are FREE FROM PHTALATES, NITROUS AND POLYCYCLIC MUSKS, BHA, BHT, ANIMAL-ORIGIN DERIVATIVES, METHYLSALICYLATE, etc. (non-exhaustive list)

Moreover, all our scents undergo safety assessments by a toxicologist, and at the end, all our products are routinely tested under dermatological supervision to guarantee optimum safety.

We are also committed to limiting the number of allergens to reach as many people as possible. We inform allergy sufferers by clearly identifying the names of allergens at the end of the list of ingredients, with full transparency.

Is NUXE Paraben-Free? 

Yes, NUXE is paraben-free. While they do not share this on their website, I checked most of their products’ ingredient lists and can confirm I couldn’t find parabens.

Is NUXE Talc-Free? 

No, NUXE is not fully talc-free. However, the brand does offer products without talc as well.

We mention this information because it might be important to some beauty consumers who are concerned about the potential health risks of talc. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to read my in-depth article about talc in makeup.

Is NUXE Non-Comedogenic?

NUXE’s products are non-comedogenic. The brand claims to test its products. However, I recommend checking the ingredients of the specific product you want to purchase to be sure.

Is NUXE Allergy-Safe?

Besides letting you know whether a product contains harmful ingredients, we also understand that living with allergies can be tough. That’s why we discuss whether the brand contains any allergens in its products, helping you make informed decisions that suit your individual needs and preferences.

*The information provided is not medical advice. For any health concerns, please consult with your doctor before using the products.

Is NUXE Gluten-Free? 

No, NUXE is not gluten-free. NUXE products are mostly of natural origin, so they cannot guarantee that their formulas are completely gluten-free.

Is NUXE Nut-Free? 

No, NUXE is not fully nut-free but may have nut-free products. The brand shares: “If this person knows the precise molecule to which he or she is allergic, we advise him or her to refer to the list of ingredients on each product or to contact our Customer Service team.”

Is NUXE Soy-Free? 

No, NUXE is not fully soy-free but may have soy-free products. The brand shares: “If this person knows the precise molecule to which he or she is allergic, we advise him or her to refer to the list of ingredients on each product or to contact our Customer Service team.”

Is NUXE Conscious? 

At Conscious Bunny, we’re all about supporting brands that do good. We believe that brands who are conscious show this with their actions in environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing, social responsibility, transparency, and accountability.

For those of us who care about making conscious choices, we’ve done our homework on these topics. We’ve answered the big questions to help you pick products that match your values.

NUXE is conscious – the only thing that’s not conscious is they still test on animals when required by law. This is based on the following:  

Where Is NUXE Manufactured? 

All NUXE products are formulated and manufactured in France, mainly in their factory in Brittany.

Is NUXE Sustainable? 

Yes, NUXE is committed to sustainability. NUXE promotes sustainable and responsible sourcing of ingredients, exceeding current regulations to ensure quality and safety. The brand evaluates suppliers using the independent rating organization Ecovadis.

Selected partners sign an ethical charter, committing to complex issues like compliance with the Nagoya Protocol (biodiversity) and the CITES Convention (endangered species).

NUXE selects active ingredients based on strict criteria: geographical origin, social and environmental actions, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. For example, Huile Prodigieuse® contains Argan Oil sourced from OLVEA Morocco, which supports projects to protect the argan grove and promote socio-economic development through the MarocaVie association.

NUXE aims to ensure 100% traceability of its ingredients by 2025 using DNA analysis in collaboration with DNA Gensee laboratory. This ensures the specific geographical origin and quality of each plant.

NUXE is a member of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) and the ASD (Action for Sustainable Derivatives) initiative.

The brand is also a founding member of the Trasce Consortium, which aims to improve the environmental and social impact of the cosmetics supply chain.

NUXE continuously improves its packaging, using the SPICE tool (Sustainable Packaging Initiative for Cosmetics) to measure environmental impact. The brand reduces over-packaging by fitting cases closely to product jars.

In 2022, NUXE reduced plastic in Merveillance Lift packaging by 35% and created fully recyclable Christmas gift boxes. By 2025, NUXE aims to reduce plastic usage in packaging by an additional 20%.

Is NUXE Socially Responsible? 

Yes, NUXE is socially responsible. NUXE focuses on employee well-being and development, committing to diversity and inclusion with a gender equality score of 97/100. The brand supports employees with disabilities through Handifeels and prioritizes occupational health as part of its inclusion policy.

NUXE partners with the Institut Curie in the fight against breast cancer (In 2023, NUXE and the OLVEA Foundation launched a breast cancer awareness and screening campaign for rural populations) and with the Foundation for Research on Endometriosis to support employees with this condition.

NUXE’s social commitments extend globally. The brand organizes fund-raising events with the Institut Curie during Pink October and supports cancer patients through CEW (International Network of Beauty Professionals) programs in hospitals.

NUXE collaborates with Agence du Don en Nature to redistribute surplus products to French charities, distributing over 129,000 products in 2022. Additionally, NUXE supports the 1001 Fontaines Association, which provides clean drinking water in Africa and Asia, benefiting nearly 72,000 people, including 38,000 schoolchildren.

NUXE partners with the GoodPlanet Foundation on the ‘Women, actors in the agroecological transition’ project, working with female farmers to promote sustainable agriculture.

The brand sponsors beehives through Un toit pour les abeilles to preserve biodiversity and collaborates with NGO OCEANOPLASTIC to combat ocean plastic pollution, organizing waste collections that removed nearly 60M³ of plastic from the Caribbean Sea.

Is NUXE’s Mica Sourced Ethically? 

The brand uses mica in its products, but it is unclear whether this mica is ethically sourced. The brand has not provided specific details regarding their mica’s sourcing practices.

Is NUXE B Corp Certified? 

NUXE is not B Corp Certified. However, a brand can still be conscious without this certification.

When a brand earns B Corp certification, it pledges to consider everyone impacted by its decisions, beyond just its owners. This entails workers, the communities in which they operate, suppliers, consumers, and the environment. This certification can reassure consumers, emphasizing the brand’s dedication to considering the broader impact of its decisions.

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