Axiology grabbed everyone’s attention after announcing they were plastic-free, zero-waste, cruelty-free, and vegan. Yup – you read right! But with such a strict focus, has their product range fallen short? Read on to find out if the brand is worth the fuss.
Axiology is cruelty-free. It doesn't conduct animal testing on its products, nor does it distribute its cosmetics where animal testing is required by law. Axiology is also 100% vegan – it doesn't use any animal-derived ingredients.
Ericka Rodriguez founded Axiology out of frustration when she couldn’t find a single high-quality vegan and cruelty-free lipstick that wasn’t drying.
In 2013, she got to work on making the brand’s Lid to Lip Balmies in their signature zero-waste tubes.
At that time, people had to buy most vegan makeup on Etsy, and it didn’t have the “x-factor” that other more popular brands did.
Ericka’s innovation paid off, and today, Axiology’s range has expanded to 12 shades, and the brand is available in 19 countries.
For such a simple product, is Axiology worth the hype? Read on to decide if they measure up to your cruelty-free and vegan expectations.Is Axiology Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Axiology is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Axiology comes from the Greek root word “Axios,” or the philosophical study of goodness or value. CEO and Founder Ericka was horrified when she found her lipsticks had been tested on animals.
The brand puts its values first, with cruelty-free accreditation from PETA. They also regularly donate to animal rights organizations.
Axiology is privately owned, so there is no pesky parent company with a dodgy animal-testing history to worry about here.
This brings us to our next point:
Axiology is Vegan
This small-batch cosmetics brand is entirely vegan. It does not use any animal-derived ingredients in any of its products.
However, it's worth knowing that Axiology is the exception and not the rule.
Most mainstream skincare brands are not 100% vegan. These are certain animal-derived ingredients to look out for in general:
If you're interested in their best vegan products or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Axiology vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Axiology has been committed to creating fun, functional and organic cosmetics that are also cruelty-free since it was founded.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Axiology's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from their website:
Certification
Currently, Axiology is PETA-approved which is not a bad start. But we would love to see more certification from them since it’s a proudly cruelty-free brand.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn't hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. It seems only to require a brand's written consent that abides by the PETA code of conduct.
Certification from Leaping Bunny is ideal because it holds rigorous standards and does regular audits to ensure they are upheld.
The Leaping Bunny association’s strict and reliable regulations stipulate that:
But some certification is better than nothing at all.
If you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that's an excellent sign.
But don't let the image itself fool you. A lot of brands are using fake logos to deceive consumers.
Do your homework and see which products are genuinely cruelty-free first. This article will help you: Which Cruelty-Free Logos Can You Trust?
Is Axiology Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Axiology does not distribute any of its products to China or any country that requires animal testing on any cosmetics by law.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year. The U.S. doesn't sit far behind that, with 17 million animals killed yearly for experimentation and testing.
However, if you live in China or are concerned about its cruel beauty policies, there are a couple of loopholes.
Here’s how to find cruelty-free cosmetics in China: Are Cosmetics Made in China Cruelty-Free?
The Best Vegan Axiology Products
Axiology has a great range of vegan ‘balmies’ that highlight with shimmer or tint lips, lids, and cheeks in a semi-matte finish.
There are currently 19 color options available.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular shades:
You can find everything on their website for a complete list of Axiology’s vegan products, you can find everything on their website.
Vegan Alternatives to Axiology
Overall, Axiology has a good track record and noteworthy transparency with its consumers.
We love that it is cruelty-free, vegan, and waste-free.
Although the brand does have strong cruelty-free and vegan principles that act in its favor – it might not be not easily accessible to you.
If that's the case, here are some alternatives we recommend:
Is Axiology Natural and Organic?
Axiology claims to be a natural brand. It uses as few synthetic ingredients as possible so that it doesn't compromise the natural properties of its products.
Although Axiology might use many organic ingredients, it is not certified organic, nor does it advertise itself as an organic cosmetics brand.
Clean vs. Natural Ingredients
The term "natural" is not regulated for cosmetics and skincare. In other words, it doesn't hold one specific meaning.
Usually, it means a product is free of certain more toxic synthetic ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more. But people also interpret "natural" to mean ingredients of immediate plant origin.
To Axiology – it means both.
Here's the thing: "natural" doesn't mean it's good for you. Take gluten, for example. It's a natural protein that certain people are highly allergic to in wheat. Even topical application can lead to terrible health issues.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. Axiology is no exception – but it chooses to use a few of the safest synthetics possible.
If a synthetic ingredient is "clean," it is safe and non-toxic. Its purpose is to preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
A few naturally-derived Axiology uses to enhance its cosmetics include:
Does Axiology Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, Axiology has a 91% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Axiology’s products are free of allergens such as common preservatives, parabens, MCI/MI, nickel, gluten, coconut, and propylene glycol.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Axiology is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
The EU/UK Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
As a conscientious shopper, you must read up on any brand's ingredient list before you make a purchase – especially if you live within the United States.
This is because the FDA has only banned or restricted 11 harmful chemicals from cosmetics within the country. Europe and the U.K., on the other hand, have banned 1,328!
Although Axiology is a natural brand that prides itself in using clean ingredients – it’s worth which toxins or allergens to avoid for good measure. These include:
Are Cruelty-Free Ingredients Safe?
If you’re worried about how safe it is to use cosmetics not tested on animals – please relax and take a sigh of relief.
There is no reason why cruelty-free products shouldn’t be as safe as anything tested on an animal.
Not only is it easy to test ingredients without using animals altogether, but there are so many pre-approved ingredients you can use to make cosmetics that there really is no need.
If you’re interested, here’s more on the subject: Are Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Safe?
Is Axiology Sustainable and Ethical?
Axiology is the first beauty brand we’ve ever heard of that’s waste-free.
It surpasses our expectations from a beauty brand. It sets the bar high for any competitors out there – a gold medal from us!
Axiology is all about makeup that’s safe for the people who wear it, animals, the planet, and the people who make it.
It's no secret that the world has a huge waste problem, and cosmetic brands are only making it worse by using unsustainable packaging and harmful ingredients.
Some of the ways Axiology is taking strong environmental accountability is by:
Final Thoughts
Axiology is a conscientious consumer's dream. It’s a brand that takes various ethical and sustainability factors into consideration.
The fact that they are cruelty-free and vegan is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
We appreciate that it has a transparent supply chain and is open to the public about its testing, purchasing, and distribution policies.
Axiology has thought of every part of the process, and you can see they aim to do as little harm as possible when making products.
Purchasing these multi-functional balmies is a great way to support critical environmental and social causes.
Our only concern would be how well the balmies travel since they don’t come with a lid to protect the product or anything it touches.
I.e., How do you keep it in your handbag without making a sheer mess?
Other than that, we hope their list of suppliers (and products) grows, and we can’t wait to see this brand flourish!
