Many of Und Gretel products are vegan and all are 100% cruelty free. Not all cosmetics of this brand are vegan because sometimes honey or beeswax are being used, for example in lipsticks. Beeswax has a soothing effect on skin irritation and dryness, that’s why the brand chooses to use this animal-based but natural ingredient. The use of materials derived from dead animals (like collagen) isn’t permitted though.
The brand also guarantees that animal testing is not allowed in the production, development or testing of products and ingredients. Each product has been individually developed, improved and perfected in a careful long process and tested on celebrities, models, friends and family but never on animals.
Und Gretel is not really transparent about where their cosmetics are produced. They don’t mention any information about their supply chain so it is difficult to know whether their supply chain is short and local or not. At COSH! we think that’s a pity because the brand is very transparent about their ingredients and seems to have an eco-friendly heart.
Ethical
Unfortunately Und Gretel does not communicate about where their products are made. We therefore can’t state that they are produced ethically although the brand has mentioned ethical production as part of their mission. Und Gretel does comply with BDIH but this certification does not set any standards to guarantee ethical working circumstances.
Materials
Und Gretel makes a great effort eliminating and circumventing harmful substances in their products. They also explain the most important pollutants (like microplastics and perfumes) in cosmetics on their website and therefore we can say they are perfectly aware of the issues with polluting makeup in the industry.
Every Und Gretel product is BDIH or COSMOS certified. This is a certification for natural cosmetics that has strict rules regarding the biodegradability and toxicity for waterlife in the products. Nanomaterials and ingredients derived from dead animals are prohibited and there are requirements for packaging, palm oil and synthetic ingredients. Unnatural ingredients are only allowed if no natural alternatives are available. This way you can be sure that your natural makeup is not harming your skin and contributing to extreme water pollution caused by the many toxic cosmetics on the market. Substances like organic synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, ethoxylated raw materials, silicones, paraffins and other petroleum products are prohibited for products that carry the BDIH label. The only disadvantage of the label is that microplastics still have a chance of slipping through, although a maximum of 2% of the product is allowed to be synthetic.
Und Gretel only uses natural fragrances in their certified cosmetics and instead of mineral oils, the brand uses natural oils such as babassu oil, Canauba wax, miracle tree seed oil, olive oil or avocado oil. Und Gretel prefers to use natural ingredients only, good for your skin and good to the environment.
Circular economy
Und Gretel feels responsible towards the planet and is certified climate neutral. They’ve measured their emissions and have reduced and eliminated them when possible. The brand offsets emissions that couldn’t be reduced any further by supporting internationally recognized climate protection projects like 1 PERCENT FOR THE PLANET. Their goal is to reduce net CO₂ emissions as much as possible. In this way Und Gretel contributes to a climate neutral and sustainable future, we love to see that!
As far as packaging is concerned, Und Gretel is honest about the fact that they weren’t able yet to fully eliminate plastics. The products themselves are mostly packaged in recyclable materials like metal, cardboard, porcelain and glass. For outer packaging they avoid using extra plastic wrapping materials.
Unfortunately for the zero-waste fanatics, Und Gretel cosmetics aren’t refillable. However, the brand did look into incorporating refills and has an explanation for why they don’t do this. The material and energy consumption involved in refilling would be almost equal to that of the original packaging according to Und Gretel.
Slow fashion
The Und Gretel look is generally to be called classic and modern. For example, lipsticks are available in red- pink- and apricot shades, so nothing too trend dependent. The brand also encourages to blend different shades and products like lipstick and lipgloss so you can enjoy as large a color palette as possible with as few products as possible. For foundations Und Gretel doesn’t offer a great variety of shades, at the moment they have 10 different shades.
Looking for natural professional makeup? Und Gretel might be the right brand for you, because this natural cosmetic brand doesn’t want to compromise on quality! Find shops where you can buy these BDIH-certified natural products on the COSH! map below.
