Inglot is all about letting individual beauty shine through the expression of makeup. But for such a proudly cruelty-free brand, is their certification good enough? And can we trust their vegan products?
Inglot 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. Inglot does offer a range of vegan cosmetics, but it is not considered a vegan brand.
Inglot was founded by Polish chemist and entrepreneur Wojciech Inglot in 1983. But the brand was not an overnight global sensation – it took years of hard work before anything happened.
In 2006, 23 years after it launched, Inglot finally opened a store in Montreal, Canada, and slowly became recognized as the brand we all love.
Today, this cosmetics house focuses on customization and has worked with many designer fashion brands like Kenzo, Coach, and Badgley Mishka.
Inglot has also been the makeup partner for world-renowned theatre productions like Mama Mia! and The Lion King. But how has it kept up with the times?
We all know Inglot says it’s cruelty-free. But can we trust these claims? You’ll need to decide based on the information we’ve found – and you may not like it all!
Is Inglot Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Inglot is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Inglot is classified as cruelty-free with accreditation PETA. While this is a great start, it’s not the gold standard of cruelty-free certification. We’ll explain why later, but in this case, it has to do with Inglot’s suppliers.
Fortunately, the brand is privately owned, so we don’t have to worry about pesky parent companies with less ethical values.
This brings us to our next point:
Inglot is Not Vegan
Although the brand is not entirely vegan, Inglot has an extensive range of vegan products from which to choose.
They claim that 60% of all their products are vegan at this stage. And to help prove it, all those products are V-Label certified too. This is simply an internationally recognized seal for vegan products!
We cannot tell you how to find Inglot’s vegan products on its hundreds of websites since each country it distributes to has its own website.
But we can show you how easy it is to identify their vegan products on their USA and UK sites.
For the UK, you can identify if a product is vegan once you’re on its individual page. The V-Label stamp is placed underneath the product.
For the USA, both the product lists and individual pages have got a green stamp if they’re vegan. It will also tell you what shades of a specific product (like lipsticks) are vegan in that range.
Here are the animal-derived ingredients that are still in some Hourglass products:
If you're interested in which products are vegan or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Inglot vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find a brand's animal testing history when it’s been around for decades.
So while we couldn’t find the exact date that Inglot joined the PETA program – we can guarantee that it’s been cruelty-free for the last 10 years or more.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Inglot's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from their website:
Certification
Inglot is PETA certified, which is not a bad start. However, seeing more certification from them would be nice since they’re 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:
One of the issues that Inglot faces is that they check every product ingredient they purchase. But, they cannot guarantee that their suppliers are not conducting animal testing because no audit is done.
Basically, they’re relying on good faith that their suppliers are honest with them.
Nonetheless, if you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that's a good reminder that Inglot is PETA certified. 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 Inglot Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Inglot does not distribute any of its products to China or any country requiring animal testing on cosmetics by law.
However, certain online stores do sell Inglot direct from the factory, meaning products will not be tested before arriving at a shopper's delivery address.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year.
Inglot states that 95% of their products are manufactured in Poland or the EU; they don’t specify other manufacturing locations.
Please note that if any Inglot products are manufactured in China, they would not be tested on animals.
This law is purely enforced on international cosmetic products entering China and not on products being made within the country itself.
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 Inglot Products Are Vegan?
(@inglot_cosmetics)Inglot has an extensive range of vegan products that continues to grow. Right now, 60% of their product offerings are vegan!
It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but we’re eager to see more from them.
Since Inglot uses beeswax and lanolin derivatives in some of its products, it could be considered vegetarian. However, some of its makeup brushes are made from animal fibers.
Although they don’t have dedicated pages for vegan products, all of the vegan products are marked clearly, including their makeup brushes.
But to save you some time, here are some of Inglot’s most popular and award-winning products to choose from:
Vegan Alternatives to Inglot
We love the vegan products that Inglot has put forward. They’ve made some effective alternative formulas at mid-level prices.
We also love that they are transparent with consumers about all their certifications and supply chains.
For a multi-million dollar brand – it's commendable.
But if you won’t support a brand that isn't 100% vegan – Inglot might not be your first choice. Here are some similar vegan alternatives within the same price range for you to try out:
Is Inglot Natural and Organic?
While Inglot claims to use safe ingredients, it is not considered natural or organic.
Its whole ethos is to make high pigment formulas and effective products to bring out each individual’s own beauty.
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" doesn't mean it's good for you. Take gluten, for example. It's a natural protein in wheat that certain people are highly allergic to. Even topical application can lead to terrible health issues.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas, and Inglot 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 Inglot Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, Inglot has an 82-100% allergen-free ranking across the products listed.
Many Inglot products are free of allergens such as common preservatives, parabens, lanolin, nickel, MCI/MI, gluten, soy, and propylene glycol.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Inglot 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 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!
Given Inglot is an EU-based brand with strict ingredient policies – you don't need to worry too much.
But for good measure, here are some ingredients to avoid in skincare and cosmetics:
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 Inglot Sustainable and Ethical?
Inglot is not as sustainable or ethical as you might have hoped – but not all hope is lost.
However, 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.
And right now, there is no information available about what Inglot does to work on the problem.
Some of the ways Inglot could take strong environmental accountability is by:
Final Thoughts
Inglot is a reliable cosmetics brand that makes high-quality products with innovative technology. The fact that they are cruelty-free is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
We like that Inglot has gone through the long and intense process of getting V-Label certification for each vegan product.
Since Inglot is not 100% vegan – it might not be the best choice for activists who go the extra mile. Especially since the brand still uses palm oil and mica and has unsustainable packaging.
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!