Laura Geller is famous for easy-wearing makeup that embraces aging. We can get behind that! But can we get behind their cruelty-free and vegan stance?
Laura Geller 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.
Laura Geller is a makeup artist and industry veteran who started her brand 25 years ago. During that time, the brand pioneered primers and bought baked makeup for the mass in America.
“We want to make all women feel beautiful and worthy, whether they’re 19 or 90,” proclaims Laura.
In 2021, the cosmetics house made the decision to use only used women over 40 in marketing and advertising. They claim to be cruelty-free. Let's dig deeper to see if they have what it takes to back it up.
But before you get too excited about buying these inclusive products – you need to understand what you’re buying into (and it might not be so pretty).
Laura Geller's Ethical Overview
Laura Geller 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
In 2019, Laura Geller was acquired by AS Beauty, a company not associated with animal testing.
Does Laura Geller Test on Animals?
Laura Geller has been committed to creating effective and affordable cosmetics that are also cruelty-free. This has been its intention since it was founded.
What Is Laura Geller’s Cruelty-Free Status in 2022?
Here is a screenshot of Laura Geller’s official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Laura Geller Has No Cruelty-Free Certification
Now, when a multi-million dollar brand that could easily be certified and claims to make “cruelty-free products” without any backing – we have to ask ourselves why?
Ideally, all brands that consider themselves cruelty-free should be Leaping Bunny certified.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn't hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. Leaping Bunny certification is the gold standard to live up to.
Is Laura Geller Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Laura Geller 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.
Please note that while some Laura Geller products are manufactured in China, it does not test on animals at all.
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?
Laura Geller is Not Vegan
None of Laura Gellar's products are marked vegan, except for a few brushes. This is even on products with ingredient lists that don’t feature animal by-products.
Some of the most common animal-derived ingredients that Laura Geller uses are beeswax, lanolin, squalane, carmine.
What Laura Geller Products Are Vegan?
If you love Laura Geller’s products but want to support its vegan ranges – we’ve got your back. All of the brushes are vegan, but very few products are vegan.
To save you some time, here is some of Laura Geller’s most popular and award-winning products to choose from
Laura Geller does not have a dedicated page for its vegan products.
However, you can email customer service, and they will send you an extensive list of exactly what you want to know.
Vegan Alternatives to Laura Geller
Brand | price range | 100% vegan | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
$5 - $15 | Yes | PETA, Leaping Bunny | |
$20 - $50 | Yes | Leaping Bunny | |
$17 - $100 | No | PETA | |
Delilah | $25 - $75 | Yes | PETA |
$10 - $75 | Yes | Leaping Bunny |
Laura Geller is Not Considered Natural, or Organic
Laura Geller claims 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. Laura Geller 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.
Laura Geller Has a 82% Allergen-free Ranking
According to Skin Safe; Laura Geller has an 82% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Many of Laura Geller’s products are free of allergens such as parabens, topical antibiotics, gluten, nickel, MCI/MI, soy, and SLS.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Laura Geller 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
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!
Laura Geller doesn’t claim to be a clean beauty brand. While we don’t think you should worry about any serious hidden nasties in its products, here’s a little guide to help you make sure it’s right for you.
With makeup, you want to avoid these ingredients:
Laura Geller Has Some Sustainable & Ethical Initiatives
Laura Geller does not mention any sustainability and ethical initiatives on their website. We also checked their Instagram but found a mix of beauty content with pro-aging quotes and tutorials.
We emailed to enquire about their social, environmental, and governance commitments but have received no response.
Laura Geller takes environmental accountability by using fully recyclable shipping packaging.
Final Thoughts
While we love seeing the wholehearted embrace of aging in their product formulas and online presence- Laura Gellar is not the right fit for animal advocates for vegans.
With no cruelty-free certification and very little transparency on their supply chain, we don’t know if we can trust them.
They say their vegan products are clearly marked – but they only stock vegan brushes. Not one color cosmetics product is marked vegan.
Not knowing about their palm oil or mica suppliers is also disappointing.
The lack of feedback after multiple attempts at corresponding with Laura Geller leaves us with a sinking feeling that the brand is happy in its comfort zone.
That comfort zone excludes animal rights, vegan customers, sustainability, or charity initiatives.
