Clean Faced Cosmetics (CFC) is a micro-beauty brand that prides itself in no-nonsense marketing and honest product information. To honor that – we took a bs-free approach to get more information on CFC’s cruelty-free and vegan policies.
Clean Faced Cosmetics (CFC) 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. CFC is also 100% vegan – it doesn't use any animal-derived ingredients.
What started as a small online Esty store has now become a thriving business. Clean Faced Cosmetics is all about producing small-batch, vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil-free makeup in refillable, recyclable packaging.
Can we just say – wow!
This brand’s story proves that anything is possible if you want something badly enough and are genuine about your intentions. We’ve done a good deal of research on its founder, Laura Earle, and what makes it so successful.
Yes, we know it’s still a young company and does not have certification to back up its claims?
But we still feel you should give this brand a chance, which is why we cover everything you need to know about CFC in this article.
Then it is up to you if you want to support the brand or not.
Either way, we have you covered as we provide some similar alternative certified vegan brands below.
Is Clean Faced Cosmetics Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Clean Faced Cosmetics is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Clean Faced Cosmetics has a solid cruelty-free message, and we love the way its founder, Laura, goes about sharing her views.
The brand is so small that the manufacturing facility comes straight from Laura’s kitchen. So, there’s definitely no animal testing happening there!
The good news is that CFC is privately owned, meaning we don’t need to worry about giant parent companies with dodgy claims.
But the bad news is that it still has no cruelty-free certification. Although the brand can make claims – there’s no proof they’re true.
In saying this, Laura does step up to the plate as a small business owner to ensure she does everything in her power to ensure her products are cruelty-free.
This brings us to our next point:
Clean Faced Cosmetics is Vegan
Yup – this well-priced and zero-waste makeup line is entirely vegan. It does not use animal-derived ingredients in any of its products.
However, it's worth knowing that Clean Faced Cosmetics is the exception, 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 finding CFC’s best vegan products or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Clean Faced Cosmetics’ vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Clean Faced Cosmetics states that they have been committed to creating cruelty-free cosmetics since it launched in 2014. They are cruelty-free and always will be.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Clean Faced Cosmetics' official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Certification
Clean Faced Cosmetics has no cruelty-free certification. Although they claim to be cruelty-free – there's no third party there to confirm it.
It would be nice to see more certification from CFC soon since they are proudly cruelty-free. We know it's an added cost but it's a good future goal.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn't hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. So having certification from an association like Leaping Bunny or Choose Cruelty-Free, is ideal.
Certification from Leaping Bunny is ideal because it holds rigorous standards and does regular audits to ensure they are upheld.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
If you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that's an excellent sign. But don't be fooled by the image itself. A lot of brands are using fake logos to mislead 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 CFC Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Clean Faced Cosmetics does not distribute its products to China or any country requiring animal testing on 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.
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 CFC Products
(@cleanfacedcosmetics)Clean Faced Cosmetics has a small but expanding range of vegan products that took years of experimentation to create. It prides itself in developing a product with you (the consumer) and the planet in mind.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular skincare products:
You can find everything on Clean Faced Cosmetics's website for a complete list of their vegan products.
Vegan Alternatives to Clean Faced Cosmetics
We love all the vegan products that Clean Faced Cosmetics has made so far. They’re all about developing effective formulas for people who don’t want to cause their skin any damage.
At this stage, CFC is not certified cruelty-free. So if you’re a skeptic who relies on certification, this might not be your brand.
If this is you, we still urge you to trust humanity and give the brand a shot – it’s worth it. Check them out on Instagram and you'll see why we feel this way.
And if it’s really out of reach in your area, here are some similar vegan alternatives you can look at that are within the same price range:
Is Clean Faced Cosmetics Natural and Organic?
Clean Faced Cosmetics is natural and refers to itself as ‘mostly organic.’ And we love how they share this information with you on their website:
The term "organic" is regulated by the USDA. It means an ingredient is free of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or non-organic substances.
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.
And Laura even speaks about this on the brand's website:
Don't you love this honesty?
A few naturally-derived Clean Faced Cosmetics uses to enhance its cosmetics include:
Does CFC Use Safe Ingredients?
Unfortunately, CFC is still a bit too small to be listed on Skin Safe, but we’ve done a little digging to get an idea of what’s inside each product.
And let’s just say that Laura likes to keep her ingredients simple and clean.
From what we can see, the brand avoids irritants like fragrance, parabens, phthalates, and sulfates.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Clean Faced Cosmetics is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
However, they do give ingredient lists for each product. These are simple and easy to read, 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 making a purchase – especially if you live in 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 Clean Faced Cosmetics is a natural brand that prides itself in using clean ingredients – it’s worth knowing 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 animals.
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 is no need.
If you’re interested, here’s more on the subject: Are Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Safe?
Is Clean Faced Cosmetics Sustainable and Ethical?
Clean Faced Cosmetics has strong sustainability and ethical initiatives as it ties in with the company values.
As it stands, the brand:
It's no secret that the world has a huge waste problem, and cosmetic brands only make it worse by using unsustainable packaging and harmful ingredients.
Some of the ways Clean Faced Cosmetics is taking strong environmental accountability is by:
Final Thoughts
For a micro-business, Clean Faced Cosmetics does an impressive amount to consider various ethical factors. The fact that they are cruelty-free and 100% 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.
Seeing accreditation would help, but we understand that it’s an intense process.
Choosing to limit waste as far as possible in production and opting for natural and organic ingredients is a fantastic start for any hand-made, batch-prepared beauty line.
Finding ways to package minimally and sustainably and use ethically sourced ingredients has us optimistic for the future.
We’d like to see more from Clean Faced Cosmetics as it develops and listens to your needs, so let’s push to make that happen!
