This article was reviewed by David Brillant, a lawyer at Brillant Law.
Lawsuit 1
In June 2024 a lawsuit was filed against Native in New York with the following complaints:
“This action seeks to redress the false, misleading, and deceptive advertising and packaging claims that Native has made in connection with the sale of its “whole body deodorant” that purports to be “clinically proven 72-hour odor protection for pits, privates, and more.”
“Native’s bold claim to have a clinical study proving that its whole body deodorant lasts for three days is false. Native has never clinically tested its whole body deodorant. Instead, Native has simply copied the “72-hour protection” claim by a number of different deodorants in the market, added the false “clinically proven” claim, and then charged over 100% more than its competitors based on that false claim.”
Outcome
Since this lawsuit was recently initiated at the time of the writing of this article we do not yet know the outcome.
(Source)
See my review of Native for a closer look at the ingredients and effectiveness.
Lawsuit 2
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are “looking into whether certain Native products contain toxic ‘forever’ chemicals known as PFAS despite claims that they’re made with ‘naturally derived’ and ‘simple’ ingredients.
It’s possible that a class action lawsuit could be filed, they say on their website. (Source)
PFAS Testing Results
In Mamavation’s test of Native Deodorant Coconut & Vanilla (purchased between February 2023 and February 2024), it came up non-detect for organic fluorine. Indicating no PFAS were used in that product at that time, according to the lab they used.
According to lab tests initiated by Mamavation, the following deodorants purchased between February 2023 and February 2024 tested positive for fluorine, an indicator of PFAS in small amounts, pointing to possible unintentional contamination:
- Dr. Teals Aluminum Free Deodorant Magnesium Eucalyptus & Essential Oils — 34 ppm organic fluorine.
- Each & Every Rose & Vanilla Deodorant — 12 ppm organic fluorine.
- Hello Sweet Coconut Deodorant — 14 ppm organic fluorine.
- Hey Humans Sandalwood Cypress Deodorant — 14 ppm organic fluorine.
- Lume Whole Body Deodorant — 32 ppm organic fluorine.
- Secret Lavender 48 HR Invisible solid Antiperspirant — 11 ppm organic fluorine.
National Advertising Division Problems
Tom’s of Maine took Native Cosmetics to the National Advertising Division (NAD) in June, 2019.
Tom’s of Maine, which also makes a natural deodorant, thought that Native went too far with their marketing claims, such as:
“Effective Protection. We tested thousands of ingredients before finding a recipe that feels light and fresh under your arms but provides you with effective protection against odor and wetness,” and “We use baking soda to neutralize odors, arrowroot powder to absorb moisture and acidophilus, a naturally occurring probiotic found in your intestines.”
Tom’s claimed to the NAD that Native’s anti-wetness claims were not valid.
NAD agreed that Native’s claims were problematic, including how their “in vitro testing using a back-skin mimic in the Water Vapor Transmission Rate test” was relevant to consumers.
NAD also agrees that Native’s testing of individual ingredients rather than the final deodorant wasn’t able to substantiate its claims, plus significant potential biases existed in the screening questions for the tests.
Native appealed the decision to the National Advertising Review Board.
The decision held up on appeal.
Current Claims, 2024
As of 2024, the copy on their website for the deodorant sticks does not say it fights wetness. The claims are as follows:
“Odor protection for up to 72 hours”
“Our simple formula is … made to fight stink”
“Non-greasy and lightweight”
“Not sticky and feels dry while applying”
“Keeps you feeling and smelling fresh all day”
See my review of Native deodorant for a full list of claims, ingredients, and how well it worked for me.
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
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