Secret
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About Secret
Secret represents one of the longest-established antiperspirant brands in the US market, operating under Procter & Gamble's extensive personal care portfolio since 1956. The brand maintains significant market presence through widespread retail availability and diverse product formats targeting women's antiperspirant and deodorant needs.
Sustainability performance reveals a complex picture, with strong commitments to animal welfare through verified cruelty-free certification and water stewardship initiatives, while facing significant challenges in ingredient safety, supply chain transparency, and climate action. The brand benefits from P&G's broader environmental initiatives, including biodiversity conservation partnerships and water-positive targets, yet struggles with product-level sustainability disclosure and chemical safety concerns.
As part of P&G's global operations, Secret inherits both the advantages of corporate-scale environmental programs and the limitations of a traditional consumer goods approach to sustainability. The brand's positioning reflects this duality—achieving meaningful progress in specific areas while maintaining conventional formulation and transparency practices that limit overall sustainability performance.
The Good Stuff
Where Secret appears to be making meaningful progress. We cross-referenced these findings with multiple independent sources.
Third-Party Cruelty-Free Certification
Externally verified no-animal-testing policies across all formula development and ingredient sourcing through recognized certification programs
Water-Positive Conservation Impact
Contributing to P&G's 2030 water-positivity target, restoring more water than consumed across 18 water-stressed basins with measurable progress reporting
Biodiversity Partnership Investment
Supporting extensive habitat restoration through Conservation International partnership, demonstrating landscape-level wildlife protection commitment across significant conservation areas
The Reality Check
Areas where the publicly available data gets murky, incomplete, or concerning. We're transparent about the limitations of our analysis.
PFAS Contamination Detection
Independent testing revealed PFAS presence in Secret Lavender variant, raising concerns about chemical safety protocols and ingredient screening practices
Supply Chain Transparency Void
No third-party supply chain audits or sourcing transparency disclosed at product level, limiting visibility into labor practices and ingredient origins
Vegan Certification Absence
Contains mineral oil and unspecified fragrance components without vegan certification or sustainable sourcing standards for animal-derived ingredients
Secret's
Impact Aura
A visual representation of Secret's positive impact
across People, Planet and Animals
Each colored area represents the brand's performance in that sustainability category. The size and intensity of each blob corresponds to their score—larger, more vibrant areas indicate stronger performance.
Our Research
Key findings from our comprehensive analysis of Secret's sustainability performance across People, Planet & Animals impact.
Positive Impact on People
Research Highlights
- Third-party cruelty-free certification through external verification programs confirmed
- Social impact initiatives include partnerships with Let's Talk Menopause for awareness and education
- Ingredient formulations include talc, mineral oil, and fragrance components without PFAS-free policies
- Labor practices and supply chain transparency lack independent verification with no third-party audits disclosed
Evidence Strength
Strong verification for cruelty-free claims and social partnerships, significant gaps in labor standards and supply chain documentation
Positive Impact on Planet
Research Highlights
- Water stewardship through P&G's 2030 water-positivity target restoring more water than consumed in 18 stressed basins
- Biodiversity conservation through five-year partnership with Conservation International in the Philippines
- Conservation funding supporting over 1.5 million acres of habitat restoration and landscape protection
- Climate action lacks brand-specific targets with no Scope 3 emissions disclosure for Secret products
- Chemical safety concerns with independent testing detecting PFAS contamination in Secret Lavender variant
Evidence Strength
Excellent documentation for water initiatives and conservation partnerships, concerning gaps in climate action and chemical safety verification
Positive Impact on Animals
Research Highlights
- Comprehensive cruelty-free certification through external verification with no-testing policies across formula development
- Wildlife conservation investment funding habitat protection across biodiverse landscapes globally
- Vegan certification absent with ingredients including mineral oil and unspecified fragrances
- Sustainable sourcing standards not disclosed for animal-derived components used in formulations
Evidence Strength
Strong third-party verification for cruelty-free standards and conservation funding, gaps in vegan certification and sustainable sourcing practices
See the Receipts
We don't just make claims—here are the official certifications that prove Secret's sustainability commitments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Secret deodorant sustainable?
Secret demonstrates mixed sustainability performance with strong animal welfare commitments through PETA cruelty-free certification and participation in P&G's water conservation initiatives. However, the brand faces significant challenges including PFAS contamination detection, limited supply chain transparency, and absence of climate-specific targets that impact overall sustainability assessment.
Is Secret cruelty-free?
Yes, Secret is certified cruelty-free through PETA's Global Beauty Without Bunnies program, confirming no animal testing in formula development or ingredient sourcing. This third-party verification provides high confidence in the brand's animal welfare commitments.
Does Secret support wildlife conservation?
Secret contributes to wildlife protection through P&G's biodiversity partnership with Conservation International, supporting extensive habitat restoration across significant conservation areas. This landscape-level conservation approach demonstrates meaningful investment in wildlife habitat protection beyond product formulation.
Is Secret environmentally friendly?
Secret shows environmental commitment in specific areas including water stewardship and biodiversity conservation, but faces challenges with chemical safety concerns, limited climate action, and packaging sustainability. The brand benefits from P&G's broader environmental initiatives while lacking product-specific sustainability disclosure.
Are Secret products vegan?
Secret products are not certified vegan and contain ingredients including mineral oil and unspecified fragrances without vegan verification. The brand lacks sustainable sourcing standards for potential animal-derived components in their formulations.
What chemicals does Secret avoid?
Secret follows P&G's banned chemical list, but independent testing has detected PFAS in Secret Lavender variant, indicating gaps between corporate policies and product reality. The brand lacks comprehensive chemical safety verification beyond internal standards.
Does Secret have sustainable packaging?
Secret mentions a 'plastic-free' product line but lacks transparent data on recycled content, refill programs, or comprehensive packaging sustainability metrics. This limited disclosure prevents full assessment of packaging environmental impact.
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The Bottom Line
Secret delivers on animal welfare through verified cruelty-free certification and contributes to meaningful conservation efforts, yet faces serious sustainability challenges including PFAS contamination, supply chain opacity, and limited climate action. The brand represents the complexity of traditional consumer goods sustainability—achieving progress in specific areas while maintaining practices that limit overall environmental and social impact.
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