Cruelty free makeup, has been on people’s minds for years; it now seems more popular than ever before! For decades, companies have been testing their finished products on animals, from rabbits and mice to guinea pigs and hamsters. Some studies suggest that thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands of animals die each year due to testing. In America, animal testing is not required of cosmetic companies to prove that their products are safe for consumers to use. The Humane Society of The United States claims there are upwards of 50 different tests cosmetic companies can perform that do not involve the use of animals in any way. As of today, there are close to over 100 brands that claim to be either cruelty free, vegan or both!
Here is a small list of makeup brands that have joined the fight for animal rights. These brands are striving to make an impact in the war against animal cruelty in their industries.
First things first, here are a few symbols to look for while you are shopping for cosmetic products. Each one signifies that the brand is cruelty free but not necessarily vegan. Note that some individual products from these brands may be cruelty free but not vegan, so check before you buy if you are looking to buy a product that supports both.
This makeup brand is animal and cruelty free, but currently working on becoming completely vegan from the makeup brushes to the actual makeup itself. Kat Von D Beauty sells numerous products from waterproof eyeliner to liquid lipstick, all in various eye-catching shades! Kat Von D beauty is sold at Sephora and on the official Kat Von D Beauty website.
Urban Decay, although it comes from a brand that still tests on animals (L’Oréal), UD is proud to say that they are different. Urban Decay continues the fight toward ending animal testing and has been certified by PETA as cruelty free. At this time, they carry different types of products that are 100% vegan as well. This brand is sold at multiple locations including, Sephora, Ulta, Macys and more.
This brand, like Kat Von D, really loves their animals! Their makeup brushes are made “with the softest and gentlest teddy bear hair.” They have a complete list that contains all their vegan based products on their website under the FAQ section. You can find PETA’s “Beauty Without Bunnies” logo on the bottom of their website, which signifies that PETA supports this product as a cruelty free option. Too Faced items can be purchased at their website as well as Macy’s, Sephora, Ulta and more.
This brand is making leaps and bounds to make sure their product applies to all types of consumers, no matter their preference. Along with the “Beauty Without Bunnies” logo on their website, shoppers will also find a “Vegan Friendly” logo as well. Consumers will not find any parabens, GMO’S, gluten, mineral oil, phthalates or synthetic fragrances in their products. Their items have even been dermatologist tested! Tarte products can be found at Ulta, Macy’s, Sephora and more.
More of a lipstick fan than anything else when it comes to makeup? Then Bite Beauty is a brand you should consider checking out. The “Leaping Bunny” logo can be found at the bottom of their page. Note, none of their lipsticks are completely vegan. They do carry “Lush Lip Wipes” though, which is their only 100% vegan product at the moment. Bite Beauty can be found at Sephora.
Although Lush focuses more on body products, they do carry a small amount of makeup and deserve to be on this list too! Lush is involved in the fight against animal testing and is completely vegetarian. They value ethical purchasing while buying ingredients for their products and want to help create a positive impact on every community they source ingredients from. Lush products are all handmade and up to 35% of their products are shipped “naked”, leading to less waste from shipping materials. Lush products can be found on their website as well as in stores.
Wet n Wild is a popular brand that can be found in most drug stores, unlike the other brands stated above. Wet n Wild is proud to be a cruelty free brand and have earned their “Beauty Without Bunnies” logo from PETA. This brand has never tested on animals and does not plan to change that. You can find a list of their vegan and non-vegan items on their website under the “about” section. This brand is rather inexpensive, but still good quality.
Do you prefer to keep your nails more colorful than your eyeshadow? Unfortunately, many popular nail polish brands test on animals, but thankfully Ciaté London does not. Ciaté London is completely cruelty free and has also been certified by PETA. Ciaté London has been known for their nail polish selection, but does carry makeup products as well. This brand offers a vast amount of nail color options to choose from! Ciaté London products can be purchased at Sephora as well as on their website.
This list could go on and on for numerous pages, but I’ll stop here. If you ever come across a brand you have never heard of, but your curious if they are cruelty free/vegan, then do not hesitate to do a quick search about it. For the most part, brands tend to place the logos proving they are cruelty free/vegan somewhere on their home page, usually at the bottom. If you still cannot find what you are looking for, check out the FAQ’s section, which may contain the answer (hopefully)! Whether you barely wear makeup or cannot live without it, consider checking out an option that is cruelty free, the animals will thank you for it.