A guide to some of the best cruelty-free makeup brands that don’t test their cosmetics on animals.
While many can see the reasoning behind testing life-saving medication on animals, it’s hard to argue the same for the sake of a new eyeshadow or moisturiser.
Though it’s illegal under European (and New Zealand) law for cosmetic brands to test their products on little fuzzy creatures the same is not the case around the world.
Contrary to what we think, the majority of beauty lines we see lining the shelves of big cosmetics stores have gone out of their way in recent years to move towards cruelty-free production. Not only does it benefit them because animal trials are imprecise and expensive, but let’s be honest it’s a PR disaster that’s hard to justify.
Nonetheless, discovering if a brand is against animal testing for beauty products can be difficult. Though animal testing has been banned on all cosmetic products in the EU since 2004 (New Zealand added a change to the animal welfare bill in 2015 banning all animal testing of cosmetics) and all of their ingredients since 2013, that’s not the case globally. Some countries require animal testing before the product is taken to market, which means some brands aren’t fully cruelty-free. And, to make it murkier, most of the components that go into contemporary beauty products were probably tested on animals before the 2013 deadline.
We’re not here to name and shame, but to inform. So, next time you’re wandering around the beauty, haircare and skincare aisles asking yourself does this brand or that test on animals you’ll have a definitive answer. Whether you chose to buy with these brands or not, at least we’re all a little more informed now.
Aesop
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Ardekk
Australis
Aveda
bareMinerals
Batiste
Beautyblender
BECCA
Benefit
Bioré
Bite Beauty
Blinc
Bondi Sands
Bumble & bumble.
Butter LONDON
Cacharel
Carmex
Ciate London
Cloud 9
COLAB
Collection Cosmetics
Colourpop
Coola
Cover FX
Dermalogica
Designer Brands
Diesel
Dr Brandt Skincare
Dr Dennis Gross
Dr Hauschka
Dr Teal
Drunk Elephant
E.L.F.
Essence Cosmetics
Essie
Eve Lom
Eyeko
Formula 10.0.6
frank body
Fudge
Garnier
Georgio Armani Beauty
Glossier
Hourglass
Illamasqua
Inglot
Inika
Jane Iredale
John Frieda
Karen Murrell
Kérastase
KEVIN.MURPHY
Kiehl’s
KMS
KOH GEN DO
Kylie Cosmetics
L.A. Girl
L’Oréal Paris
L’Oréal Professionnel
La Prairie
Lancôme Paris
Laura Geller
Le Labo
Lipstick Queen
Living Proof
Lush
Makeup Geek
Malin + Goetz
Marc Jacobs Beauty
Mario Badescu
Matrix
Maybelline
Mellow Cosmetics
Milani
ModelCo – selection of products
Models Own
Molton Brown
Moroccanoil
Murad
NARS
Nivea
NYX
Olaplex
Oribe
Original & Mineral
Palmer’s
Perricone MD
Pixi
Pure Fiji
Pureology
R+Co
Ralph Lauren Fragrances
Real Techniques
Redken
Ren
RevitaLash
Revlon Professional
RMS Beauty
Rosie For Autograph
Schwarzkopf
Sisley
Skin Laundry
Sleek MakeUP
Smashbox
St Tropez
Stila
Sukin
Sunday Riley
Tanya Burr Cosmetics
Tarte
The Body Shop
The Brow Gal
theBalm
Too Faced
Ultraceuticals
Urban Decay
Viktor & Rolf
WellCo
Yes To
Yves Saint Laurent
Zoella Beauty
