Avon

How ethical are Avon’s make up products?

Avon, a make-up brand owned by Natura Cosméticos S.A., is one of The Good Shopping Guide’s independently-researched brands. The brand receives a poor Good Shopping Guide ethical score in our Ethical Make Up Ratings Table and therefore misses our ethical benchmark. Additionally, this means that Avon cannot yet apply for Ethical Accreditation; if Avon were to improve its score, this brand could consider gaining this prestigious certification.

We encourage all companies in the Make Up sector to keep pushing for higher ethical standards.

The History of Avon

David H. McConnell, the entrepreneur who founded Avon, began the business by going door to door in New York neighbourhoods to sell books. He made the decision to sell perfumes rather than books in September 1886, and this ‘direct-to-customer’, door-to-door sales model has stuck around.

In which categories does Avon perform well?

Avon performs well across several categories of our research. This includes Animal Welfare, as it is a cruelty-free brand, and Genetic Modification.

How could Avon improve its rating?

To improve its ethical score and achieve our Ethical Accreditation Award, Avon could invest in gaining Organic-certification across some of its products. Avon, so far, does not have strong history of creating Organic products. Without using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or other agrochemicals that are harmful to both people and wildlife, makeup ingredients can be more ethically grown and produced.

Avon and political donations

According to Open Secrets, individuals with ties to Avon have a history of financially supporting party elections in the US. The democratic process is disrupted and interfered with when political parties receive donations, so we urge Avon and its affiliates to rethink this aspect of its corporate policy.

We encourage companies and brands to continue to improve their Good Shopping Guide score; investors, consumers and reporters are all demanding products and services that are considerate towards the Environment, Animals and People.