Kaja Beauty has the perfect bite-sized, easy-to-apply products for anyone on the go, and they are so close to being 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Kaja Beauty 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.
This led to their iconic Cheeky Stamp that got Kaja Beauty on the map. Social media fell in love with the cute heart shape stamps that were easy to apply and blend.
They’ve made an image for themselves as cute and made for any person on the go. They are cruelty-free and almost 100% vegan, but why have they left sustainability out of the conversation?
Looking for the best vegan alternatives? We preselected the best ones, click here.
Kaja Beauty Ethical Overview
Kaja Beauty is 100% Cruelty-Free
Test any of its products or ingredients on animals
NO
Purchase any ingredients tested on animals within its supply chain
MAYBE
Distribute its products to any countries that require animal testing by law.
YES
Kaja Beauty could be a bit clearer when it comes to their cruelty-free policy, but at least you’ll find some mentions of it. We can confirm that the brand is cruelty-free throughout.
Kaja Beauty is, however, owned by MBX, which can’t be considered cruelty-free when they own other brands that are associated with animal testing.
Kaja Beauty Does Not Test on Animals?
Since 2018 Kaja Beauty has been a cruelty-free brand. They do not test any products themselves or pay for third-party testing.
What Is Kaja Beauty’s Cruelty-Free Status in 2023?
Kaja Beauty doesn’t have any standalone statements regarding its cruelty-free policy on its website, but Kaja Beauty clearly states in every product description that it is a cruelty-free brand.
Kaja Beauty Has No Cruelty-Free Certification
After 5 years of being a cruelty-free brand, Kaja Beauty has still not gotten any cruelty-free certification to verify their policy.
Any brand that claims to be cruelty-free should get certification to prove it because there is no real regulation without one.
Ideally, we’d like to see Leaping Bunny certification because not all companies are as thorough.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
Kaja Beauty Is Not Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Kaja Beauty does not distribute any of its products to China or any country that requires 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?
Kaja Beauty is Not Vegan
Kaja Beauty is so close to being 100% vegan. There is an extensive range of vegan products to choose from, and they’re easy to identify.
The only animal-derived ingredient that Kaja Beauty uses is carmine.
You’ll only find this ingredient in 5 of the 11 Beauty Bento eyeshadows. Be sure to stay away from these 5 shade stacks:
If you're interested in which products are vegan or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Kaja Beauty vegan products.
What Kaja Beauty Products Are Vegan?
Other than the 5 Beauty Bento eyeshadows, Kaja Beauty is all vegan. You’re sure to find something you like.
To save you some time, here are some of Kaja Beauty's most popular and award-winning products to choose from:
Kaja Beauty doesn’t have a dedicated page for the vegan products, but there’s so many of them that they are easy to find.
We suggest scrolling through Kaja Beauty’s website and seeing which products are vegan once you've selected them.
But you can also email customer service, and they will send you an extensive list telling you exactly what you want to know.
Vegan Alternatives to Kaja Beauty
Brand | price range | 100% vegan | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
$10 - $45 | Yes | PETA | |
$15 - $40 | Yes | PETA | |
$15 - $45 | Yes | PETA | |
$5 - $180 | Yes | PETA, Choose Cruelty Free | |
$20 - $70 | Yes | Leaping Bunny |
Kaja Beauty is Not Natural and Organic
If you’re looking for high percentage natural and organic ingredients then Kaja Beauty is not the brand you’re looking for.
The aim is easy-to-apply and fun products that are safe for anyone.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. Kaja Beauty is no exception but chooses 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.
Kaja Beauty Has a 91 – 100% Allergen-Free Ranking
According to Skin Safe, Kaja Beauty has a 91 – 100% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Many of Kaja Beauty's products are free of allergens such as fragrance, gluten, coconut, nickel, top common allergy-causing preservatives, lanolin, paraben, topical antibiotic, MCI/MI, soy, propylene glycol, balsam of Peru, oil, and SLS.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Kaja Beauty is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
However, certain products specifically address these concerns, so buy what your skin needs.
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, Kaja Beauty 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.
But it’s still worth knowing that with makeup, you want to avoid these ingredients:
Kaja Beauty is Not Sustainable and Ethical
We wouldn’t consider Kaja Beauty a sustainable brand but at least they don’t market themselves as one.
Of course, Kaja Beauty could be doing more, but they aren’t trying to fool you into thinking they are doing more than they are.
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.
At least when it comes to ethical initiatives, Kaja Beauty has been up to something.
Kaja Beauty has donated up to $15,000 to GLAAD and will continue to donate. GLAAD has been pushing cultural change and accelerating acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community for over 30 years.
Final Thoughts
Kaja Beauty is cute, on-the-go makeup for anyone to use. Their bite-sized products and cute heart-shaped stamps have caught social media's attention.
Beyond the cute packaging, Kaja Beauty has at least thought about ethics. They are so close to being 100% vegan, and it’s definitely achievable. With only 5 products that are not vegan and with only one animal-derived ingredient, it wouldn’t take a lot to make the move.
Also, Kaja Beauty is cruelty-free, but we’d like to see some certification to really cement it.
These relatively minor changes would be a major step in the right direction.
Where Kaja Beauty is failing a bit is its sustainability department. If sustainability is a major concern for you and a factor in what brands you support, Kaja Beauty won’t be your first choice.
Kaja Beauty can make major changes in a short time, and that will only happen if their buyers speak up.
