You know it, we know it, and Skinny Tan knows it – baking in the sun is out, and tanning creams are in! This brand was born to give us a healthy glow without risking too much sun exposure. But do they know how important it is to be cruelty-free and vegan?
Is Skinny Tan Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Skinny Tan 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. Skinny Tan is also 100% vegan and doesn't use animal-derived ingredients.
When Louise Ferguson and Kate Cotton launched Skinny Tan back in 2012, they wanted to create a fake tanning product that did three huge things:
Talk about making bold claims! The hopes of MILLIONS rest on such statements.
But the duo was so confident about the product line that they decided to get the whole world’s attention by appearing on the hit TV series Dragon’s Den in 2013.
Their bravery paid off, and Skinny Tan has been a growing success.
We believe it’s because they’ve kept to their founding principles: making products that are 100% cruelty-free, vegan, and free of nasty chemicals.
But before we get too excited, let’s take a closer look and see if there’s a catch (spoiler – there is!).
Is Skinny Tan Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Skinny Tan is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Skinny Tan is passionate about its cruelty-free message and has Leaping Bunny approval to back it up (This is the best certification, and we’ll explain why shortly.)
The brand is also owned by InnovaDerma, a cruelty-free developer and marketer of personal care products.
This brings us to our next point:
Skinny Tan is Vegan
Yup – this well-priced and accessible skincare brand is entirely vegan. It does not use any animal-derived ingredients in any of its products.
If you’re ever in doubt – just check the little vegan stamp next to each product page on their website:
It's worth knowing that Skinny Tan is the exception, not the rule.
Most mainstream skincare brands are not 100% vegan. These are certain animal-derived ingredients to look out for in general:
If you're interested in the best Skinny Tan vegan products or finding brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Skinny Tan's best vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Skinny Tan is committed to making clean, effective products that are also 100% cruelty-free. You can rest assured the brand has never conducted animal testing.
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Skinny Tan's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Certification
Skinny Tan is Leaping Bunny certified
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn’t hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. It only requires 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.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
If you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that's an excellent sign. 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 Skinny Tan Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Skinny Tan 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?
The Best Vegan Skinny Tan Products
Choosing one product from the Skinny Tan range is hard because they work so well together.
Ultimately, it’s not only about what kind of tan you’d like to achieve but all the products that help you maintain it.
To save you some time, here are some of their most popular tanning and skincare products:
You can find everything on the website for a complete list of Skinny Tan vegan products.
Vegan Alternatives to Skinny Tan
Overall, Skinny Tan is an excellent option for vegans who want to get that summer tan look without compromising their values.
It's 100% cruelty-free, vegan, and affordable. Plus, users claim it to be effective too.
But if the brand is not easily accessible to you, here are some other options to choose from:
Is Skinny Tan Natural and Organic?
Skinny Tan claims to be a natural brand. They state that all their products are 99% naturally derived!
Although Skinny Tan might use some organic ingredients, it is not certified organic, nor does it advertise itself as an organic cosmetics brand.
Skinny Tan’s Natural Claim Dilemma
Skinny Tan even named itself after the skinny latte – inspired by all that dark coffee goodness without any harmful fats.
Skinny Tan is free of nasties AND makes you look slimmer and more toned at the same time.
Clever, no?!
We love all of this – BUT
While they state that all products are free from ‘nasties’ and made with up to 99% naturally derived ingredients… we need to face one sour fact:
All these avowals are self-claimed.
Meaning they don’t actually have any certification to prove they’re natural.
Hmmm….
We feel they need to up their game here and get some proof.
Skinny Tan’s DHA-Free Controversy
The natural claims are not all people have complained about.
In 2017 Skinny Tan took their advertising too far by claiming that its products were DHA-free!
DHA is the only effective self-tanning agent on the market. This popular chemical reacts with the surface of your skin cells to create a darkening effect.
Now, one of the things that set Skinny Tan apart from other brands is its use of naturally-derived DHA (dihydroxyacetone)… But it’s still DHA!
Luckily, this is all over, and the brand is very clear that it uses DHA, but it is a naturally derived one made from renewable vegetable material.
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 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" is not necessarily good. Just because an ingredient is natural (take olive oil, for example) doesn't mean you should rub it on your skin and sit in the sun, so you fry like a chicken breast!
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. Skinny Tan 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.
A few naturally-derived ingredients Skinny Tan uses to enhance its cosmetics include:
Does Skinny Tan Use Safe Ingredients?
Unfortunately, only one Skinny Tan product is listed on Skin Safe, but it received a whopping 91% allergen-free ranking.
And after doing some digging on Skinny Tan’s ingredient policies – we feel comfortable stating that they have a generally high allergen-free ranking.
All of Skinny Tan’s products are free of allergens such as parabens, nickel, gluten, soy, propylene glycol, dye, and common preservatives.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Skinny Tan 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!
Luckily, Skinny Tan sets a great example of what true clean beauty is meant to be. So, you shouldn’t have to worry about any serious hidden nasties in its products.
With personal care products, you want to avoid these ingredients:
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 Skinny Tan Sustainable and Ethical?
Here’s the catch – Skinny Tan doesn’t have much in their sustainability and ethical initiatives department.
For a brand that’s so big on going au naturale… this is highly disappointing.
They claim that they have “lots of plans in the pipeline” to reduce plastics and become more sustainable but have given little information to back it up.
They also claim to source their ingredients ethically and sustainably but provide no real information about their manufacturing process.
One of their biggest sustainable claims is that their natural DHA made from renewable vegetable materials minimizes their environmental footprint.
How?
We’re not sure.
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.
Some of the ways Skinny Tan could take strong environmental accountability is by:
Final Thoughts
Skinny Tan had an exciting start and has become a fast-growing brand. Even with their big, hard-to-prove claims, Skinny Tan isn’t doing too badly for themselves.
They’ve been around for 10 years now and have become a well-developed cosmetics brand that takes various ethical factors into consideration.
The fact that they are cruelty-free and vegan is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
The biggest criticism is that we would like to see a more transparent supply chain open to the public about its testing, purchasing, and distribution policies.
They like to state all the things they’re doing but haven’t taken steps to prove it to us.
Hopefully, we will see them take a more considerable interest in some sustainability and ethical initiatives in time. Especially since they would go hand in hand with their openly stated brand values.
