iUNIK is all about natural ingredients, minimal routines, and letting skin breathe. Let’s find out if this science-meets-simple K-beauty brand is vegan and cruelty-free.
iUNIK is cruelty-free but not 100% vegan, meaning some products contain animal-derived ingredients. It does not conduct animal testing on its products or distribute cosmetics where animal testing is required by law.
Why did such a simple brand prioritize cruelty-free policies but not veganism? And can we trust them?
Looking for the best vegan alternatives? We preselected the best ones, click here.
iUNIKEthical Overview
iUNIK is 100% Cruelty-Free
Test any of its products or ingredients on animals
NO
Purchase any ingredients tested on animals within its supply chain
NO
Distribute its products to any countries that require animal testing by law.
NO
iUnik is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
Does iUNIK Test on Animals?
iUnik has been committed to creating clean, effective, and affordable skincare that is also cruelty-free since it was founded.
What Is iUNIK Cruelty-Free Status in 2022?
Here’s iUnik's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies on its website:
iUnik is PETA Certified
iUNIK is PETA certified.
In an ideal world, all cruelty-free brands would be Leaping Bunny certified
Why?
Certification from Leaping Bunny is ideal – even more so than PETA – because it holds rigorous standards and does regular audits to ensure they are upheld.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
Is iUNIK Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
iUNIK is sold online in China but does not distribute any of its products to brick-and-mortar stores in China or any country that requires animal testing on cosmetics by law.
Choosing to have an online presence for Chinese citizens means iUnik has bypassed the mandated animal testing that imported beauty products undergo.
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?
iUNIK is Not Vegan
Although the brand is not entirely vegan, iUnik has many vegan products from which to choose.
Some of the most common animal-derived ingredients that iUnik uses are: propolis and snail mucin.
If you're interested in finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: iUnik vegan brand alternatives.
What iUNIK Products Are Vegan?
Although iUnik uses some animal-derived ingredients – it has many choices for vegan customers.
To save you some time, here are the iUnik products which are not vegan:
Unfortunately, iUNIK does not have a dedicated page for its vegan products. They also don’t mark which products are vegan.
Vegan Alternatives to iUNIK
Brand | price range | 100% vegan | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
$5 - $15 | Yes | PETA, Leaping Bunny | |
$16 - $28 | Yes | PETA | |
$5 - $30 | Yes | PETA, KARA | |
$5 - $70 | Yes | Leaping Bunny | |
$15 - $30 | Yes | Leaping Bunny |
iUNIK is Considered Natural and but not Organic
iUNIK uses high amounts of natural ingredients- the whole brand is centered around that- but it isn’t considered organic.
However, it does claim to use safe, simple, and clean ingredients.
Its whole ethos is to make clean formulas and products that anyone can use.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. iUnik is no exception – but it does choose to use better or clean synthetics.If a synthetic ingredient is "clean," it means it is safe and non-toxic for us.
Its purpose is to preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
iUNIK Has An 91% Allergen-Free Ranking
According to Skin Safe, iUNIK has a 91% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Many of iUNIK's products are free of allergens such as parabens, lanolin, topical antibiotics, MCI/MI, nickel, coconut, gluten, soy, propylene glycol, irritants, dyes, and SLS.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because while iUnik is completely hypoallergenic, it's not always non-comedogenic.
We recommend reading a product’s ingredient list before purchasing, as formulas can be subject to change.
The EU/UK Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
We don’t want to scare you, but you HAVE to read up on any product’s ingredient list before you make a purchase – especially if you live within the United States. The reason why will shock you.
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!
Luckily, iUnik sets a great example of what true clean beauty is meant to be, and you shouldn’t have to worry about any serious hidden nasties in its products.
With skincare, you want to avoid these ingredients:
iUNIK Is Minimally Sustainable and Ethical
iUNIK does not mention any sustainability and ethical initiatives on their website. We also checked their Instagram but found a mix of beauty content with influencer collabs and lifestyle tips.
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.
iUNIK could begin to take environmental accountability by:
Final Thoughts
It’s fantastic to see another cruelty-free certified K-beauty brand with loads of 4-star and 5-star reviews!
Even though not all of the products are vegan, most are, with work happening to certify vegan products for extra assurance.
But the good news ends there.
Without more ethical policies or environmental goals and actions, iUNIK has a lot of work to do. From packaging to ingredient transparency (like palm oil is RSPO certified), to social causes- and getting another reputable cruelty-free certification.
The brand does respond to Q&As that are sent on the website, so let's keep telling them what we want to see!
