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Molly Weinfurter

10 Best Cruelty Free Makeup Brands for Animal Lovers

I’ve recently been trying to be more conscious about the products I buy because there are so many brands out there that test on animals. Animal testing puts innocent animals through unnecessary torture. Since there are ways to avoid that process, I don’t understand why more companies don’t make the effort to be cruelty free. So, I decided to write an article featuring some of the best cruelty free makeup brands to help more people buy ethical products.


white bunny sitting in grass

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Best Cruelty Free Makeup Brands

Looking good doesn’t have to involve hurting animals. I wear a little makeup almost every time I leave the house, so I always double check makeup products to ensure they’re cruelty free before I buy them. Below are just a few great cruelty makeup companies that animal lovers should consider.


1. E.l.f.

e.l.f. glow reviver lip oil

E.l.f. is one of the most popular vegan and cruelty free cosmetic brands. This company’s products aren’t tested on animals at any point. I regularly use e.l.f. products, especially the eyeliner and mascara, because they’re good quality products that are easy to find at most stores.


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2. Hourglass

Hourglass ambient lighting palette

Hourglass actively supports animal welfare by not allowing any animal testing on its products. It’s also one of the most popular vegan makeup brands. To further help animals in need, Hourglass donates 1% of its profits to the Nonhuman Rights Project, which helps fight for animal rights.


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3. Milk Makeup

Milk Makeup Primer cruelty free makeup brand

Milk Makeup is a brand that’s 100% vegan and cruelty free. The name is a little misleading since milk isn’t vegan, but it got that name because it was created by the founders of Milk Studios. This company's products are beneficial for your skin and style while also ensuring that no animals are harmed in the process. 


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4. ILIA

ILIA super serum skin tint

ILIA strives to be an entirely cruelty free brand by not selling to any countries that require animal testing. Almost all ILIA’s products are also vegan, with the exception of a few. ILIA is known for its natural and organic beauty products.


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5. Axiology

Axiology Multi Stick Crayons

Axiology is an award-winning makeup brand that doesn’t use any plastics to make the products and packaging sustainable. Since the creators care about the environment, they also care about animals, which is why the brand’s products are all cruelty free and vegan. Thus, this brand is excellent for our planet and all the creatures on it.


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6. Too Faced

Too Faced Born This Way

Too Faced is a brand that's vocal about the company's love for animals. To show that love, the company is completely cruelty free to put customers at ease. While this makeup company isn’t completely vegan, it offers lots of vegan options, so it's headed in the right direction for animal welfare.


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7. Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anastasia contour kit cruelty free

Anastasia is a fancy and popular makeup company, but it’s still one of the best cruelty free makeup brands. It’s 100% cruelty free and doesn’t test on animals at any point during or after production. The company also has many vegan options, but a few items are still make with animal products.


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8. Glossier

Glossier boy brow cruelty free

Glossier offers a wide range of makeup and skincare products, and they never test on animals at any stage. The company isn’t considered 100% vegan, but about half of the products are. If you’re looking for vegan products, make sure you double check Glossier makeup items before purchasing them.


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9. Revolution

Revolution Powder Face Blusher

Revolution is another cruelty free makeup brand that I frequently use because it’s easy to find and all the products I’ve used from them have been of great quality. This company has always avoided testing on animals. While some of its products are vegan, not all of them are.


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10. Urban Decay

Urban Decay cruelty free foundation

Urban Decay is a brand known for being cruelty free and high pigment. The company’s products have always been 100% cruelty free. Not all of Urban’s Decay’s makeup is vegan, but they try to create vegan products whenever possible.


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Frequently Asked Questions


What Does Cruelty Free Mean?

Cruelty free is a loose term that simply refers to products that weren’t developed or manufactured by conducting experiments on animals. Animals involved in testing are treated very poorly, so cruelty free products are for people who don’t want their purchases to harm animals.


How are Cruelty Free Products Tested?

Cruelty free products include alternate methods of testing. The most common types of alternate testing are in vitro tests, which test on human tissues and cells or bacteria, and in silico and in chemico tests, which use computer models and chemicals for testing.


Are Cruelty Free Products More Expensive?

Not always. Cruelty free products can sometimes be more expensive because they choose ethical ingredients and procedures instead of taking the cheapest route, but cruelty free products come in a variety of price ranges.


Are Cruelty Free Products Vegan?

While many cruelty free products are also vegan, being cruelty free doesn’t guarantee that something is also vegan. So, always check to make sure a product is vegan rather than assuming.


Is MAC Makeup Cruelty Free?

MAC claims to be cruelty free, but it’s not an entirely cruelty free makeup brand. MAC’s parent company tests on animals and MAC still tests on animals for countries that require it (instead of not distributing to those places). 


Love Animals? Choose Cruelty Free Makeup Brands!

The animals that are put through animal testing become severely injured and likely won’t survive. No animal deserves to go through that pain and suffering. Luckily, there are a lot of cruelty free makeup brands out there so you can still look your best without supporting animal cruelty. 


Any of the best cruelty free makeup brands listed above are great choices, but they're not the only options. I use the Cruelty Cutter app to double check if products are cruelty free before I buy them.


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