beautyblender became the must-have application tool in the early 2000s and is still a staple in most makeup bags. But after all this time – we want to know if the all-mighty beautyblender is actually cruelty-free and vegan? What we found will shock you!
beautyblender 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. beautyblender does offer a range of vegan cosmetics, but it is not a vegan brand.
When famous makeup artist Rea Ann Silva developed beautyblender back in 2003, she changed the cosmetic application process as we know it.
After many years of struggling to create the perfect foundation application for her celebrity clients, Rea would cut up makeup sponges to improve her technique.
Her jerry-rigged sponges achieved an airbrushed effect with a streak-free finish, and all her clients were obsessed.
Instead of keeping this creation to herself, she used it to develop her own type of makeup sponge, and voila – beautyblender was born.
No one should say, "oh, your foundation looks good." Instead, people should be saying, "Wow, your skin looks incredible," says Ria.
Today, beautyblender was expanded across the globe and reportedly reached a net revenue of $175 million in 2019
Before deciding on what to buy, here's what you need to know about beautyblender's current animal testing policies, vegan ranges, formulation, and sustainability.
Is beautyblender Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
beautyblender is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
beautyblender is cruelty-free and has PETA accreditation to back up its claims. This may be a start, but it's definitely not the best certification out there – but we'll get to that later.
The brand is also owned by HSN, a US-based television network that allows for lifestyle goods teleshopping.
The company is not known to be associated with animal testing, but they do promote products from brands that are.
What can be misleading is that HSN lists many of those brands as "cruelty-free beauty" when they're definitely not.
This brings us to our next point:
beautyblender is Not Vegan
As of 2022, beautyblender claims to be 100% vegan meaning no animal-derived ingredients are in their products.
However, it's worth noting that we could find at least one beautyblender product with animal-derived ingredients. It also doesn't have the all-important vegan indicator on its product page.
While almost all their vegan products are marked like this:
The one product we could find without a "vegan" stamp next to it did have an animal-derived ingredient.
The animal-derived ingredient we could find is:
If you're interested in which products are vegan or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: beautyblender vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
beautyblender's first product was not tested on animals. As the brand has grown with an extensive product offering, they've stayed committed to being cruelty-free. However, they also claim to be vegan when it is not true.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of beautyblender's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from their website.
Certification
beautyblender is PETA certified, which is not a bad start. However, it would be nice to see more certification from beautyblender 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 is very strict and reliable, which ensures that:
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 beautyblender Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
beautyblender does not distribute any of its color cosmetics or cleansing products to retail stores in mainland China or any country that requires animal testing on cosmetics by law.
It does sell its application tools, and cleaning tools as those do not require animal testing to be sold.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year.
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?What beautyblender Products Are Vegan?
Beautyblender has an extensive range of vegan products that continues to grow.
It claims to be 100% vegan, but it is not.
To save you some time, here are some of beautyblender's most popular and award-winning products to choose from:
You can visit their website for a full list of beautyblender's vegan products.
Vegan Alternatives to beautyblender
Overall, beautyblender is a great option for vegans and provides great vegan alternatives that other brands haven't cared to try yet.
For a multi-million dollar brand – it's commendable. We know of at least one product with animal-based ingredients by the brand, so if you'd like to look at alternatives, here are a few:Is beautyblender Natural and Organic?
beautyblender does claim to use safe, simple, and effective ingredients. However, it is not considered natural or organic, nor does it market itself as such.
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.
Here's the thing: "natural" is not necessarily good. Just because an ingredient is natural (take chili peppers, for example) doesn't mean you should rub it on your skin.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas, and beautyblender is no exception – but it can choose to use better or clean synthetics.
If a synthetic ingredient is "clean," it is safe and non-toxic. Its purpose is to preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
Does beautyblender Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, beautyblender has a 91- 100% allergen-free ranking for each product (which is really good).
All beautyblender products are free of gluten, sulfates, parabens, formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, hydroquinone, triclosan, triclocarban, and coal tar.
beautyblender also avoids allergens such as top common preservatives, Propylene Glycol, MCI/MI, irritants, oils, nickel, and dyes
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because beautyblender is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
However, certain products are specifically for these concerns, so make sure you buy what your skin needs.
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 UK, on the other hand, have banned 1,328!
Although beautyblender has some strict policies – you should always avoid these cosmetic ingredients for good measure:
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 just 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 beautyblender Sustainable and Ethical?
The beautyblender brand was founded at a time when plastic awareness was building.
Unfortunately, the pink sponge they're most famous for is plastic, and it needs to be replaced every 6 months. Yikes!
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.
Luckily, it's good to see that beautyblender does have sustainability initiatives to try and counteract this.
As it stands, the brand:
The BIO PURE Makeup Sponge is made from 60% sugarcane-based materials, cutting its petroleum plastic content down to 40% compared to the original beautyblender makeup sponge.
beautyblender also has a recycling program and claims to have cut down on 80% of original plastic packaging. They also give their customers many ideas on how to reuse old sponges.
Finally, beautyblender has partnered with Top Rock Renewables – a waste-to-energy power and carbon emissions reduction program.
Final Thoughts
All in all, beautyblender is a reliable cosmetics brand that has expanded to make a relatively ethical product for a reasonable price.
The fact that they are cruelty-free is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
Since beautyblender is not 100% vegan but claims to be, we'd like to see more transparency from them. It might not be the best choice for any activists who go the extra mile because of this.
The brand is working towards sustainable packaging and has invested in a lower plastic alternative to its iconic makeup sponge. We also love to see how safe its formulations are for allergy sufferers.
As with almost all brands, there are pros and cons to beautyblender, but we're pleasantly surprised.
Finally, it would also be nice to see some further cruelty-free accreditation from other reputable organizations. So let's push to make that happen!
