Prestige quality with affordable pricing? Milani has our attention! Is this super accessible makeup brand cruelty-free and vegan?
Milani 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.
Laurie Minc founded Milani in 2002 with the dream of making high-quality cosmetics and skincare accessible and inclusive for all.
By investing more in its labs and ingredients and less in packaging and marketing – Milani passes savings on to its fans.
Its self-service retail environment cuts overheads, and social media helps spread the word about its unique shopping experience.
But fun branding doesn’t make a product ethical, sustainable, or kind. Can you trust Milani’s cruelty-free and vegan policies?
Milani's Ethical Overview
Milani Is 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
Milani is privately owned by a firm that isn’t associated with animal testing.
This brings us to our next point:
Does Milani Test on Animals?
Milani has been committed to creating clean, effective, and affordable cosmetics that are also cruelty-free. This has been its intention since it was founded.
What Is Milani Cruelty-Free Status in 2022?
Here is a screenshot of Milani’s official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Milani is Leaping Bunny and PETA Certified
Milani is Leaping Bunny certified (and PETA certified).
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 Milani Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Milani 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?
Milani is Not Vegan
Although Milani is not entirely vegan – it has many options for you to choose from.
You’ll easily spot whether a product is vegan or not once you’re on its web page:
What Milani Products Are Vegan?
Although Milani uses a couple of animal-derived ingredients – a vast range of its products are vegan.
To save you some time trying to make a decision, here are some of Milani’s most popular products to choose from:
You can find a complete list of Milani’s vegan products on its website.
Milani is an excellent option for vegans – don’t discredit them so quickly.
But if you’d prefer to support a vegan brand or if Milani isn’t readily available – we have some alternatives you’ll love!
Vegan Alternatives to Milani
Brand | price range | 100% vegan | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
$15 - $200 | Yes | PETA, Choose Cruelty-Free | |
$20 - $50 | Yes | Leaping Bunny | |
$5 - $20 | Yes | PETA | |
$15 - $70 | Yes | Leaping Bunny | |
$5 - $20 | Yes | Leaping Bunny |
Milani Isn't Considered Natural or Organic
Milani isn’t considered natural or organic.
However, it claims to use safe, simple, 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. Milani 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.
Milani Has an 82-100% Allergen-free Ranking
According to Skin Safe, Milani has an 82- 100% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Milani also avoids allergens such as parabens, topical antibiotics, fragrances, coconut, MCI/MI, nickel, gluten, irritants, and SLS.
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!
Milani sets out to keep products safe, so you shouldn’t worry about any serious hidden nasties in its products.
With skincare and cosmetics, you want to avoid these ingredients:
Milani Has Minimal Sustainable & Ethical Initiatives
Milani supports various ethical causes, including the LGBTQI+ community, animal-cruelty charities, child education, mental health awareness, immigrant and refugee support.
For Black History Month, Milani worked with the NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Coloured People), JEI (Justice Equity Initiative), and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Unfortunately, Milani does not talk about their environmental policies online. All we know is that it prohibits the use of synthetic microbeads that pollute our waters and harm marine life.
Final Thoughts
Milani is a well-developed cosmetics brand with vegan options. The fact that it is cruelty-free is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
Unfortunately, Milani is not 100% vegan. It uses mica and palm oil as ingredients and it shares very few sustainable initiatives (if it has any).
Still, we wouldn't shut the brand down so quickly if we were you. It is developing and listening to your needs, so keep following its movements.
