Trinny London wants people to rethink their beauty regimes by offering simpler and more personalized cosmetics – which we love! But why won’t it get cruelty-free or vegan accreditation?
Trinny London 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. While Trinny London does offer a range of vegan cosmetics, it is not considered a vegan brand.
Trinny London launched in 2017, starting with cream-based color cosmetics for eyes, lips, and cheeks in stackable tubs. The brand is primarily available online and has a color matching service to personalize the experience.
This article helps you understand who you are supporting by looking at Trinny London’s animal testing policies and its cruelty-free and vegan status.
We share some of the brand's most recommended vegan products or alternatives if it's not easily accessible to you.
We then look at how safe the brand's ingredient choices are, what to avoid, and whether you can confidently spend your money knowing animal welfare and the environment are considered too.
In the end, you'll know whether to click "add to cart" for your next Trinny London buy or if you need to fill out a feedback form with the words, " we think you can do better."
Is Trinny London Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Trinny London is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Trinny London claims to be cruelty-free but has opted out of getting accreditation from an internationally recognized anti-animal testing agency.
More on that later.
The brand is privately owned, so there is no need to worry about a parent company with murky cruelty-free policies or histories.
This brings us to our next point:
Trinny London is Not Vegan
Although the brand is not entirely vegan, Trinny London has an extensive range of vegan products from which to choose.
While it doesn’t mark each vegan product clearly on its website – you can find the entire list of non-vegan items here.
The only animal-derived ingredients that Trinny London uses include:
If you're interested in which products are vegan or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Trinny London vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Trinny London has claimed to be cruelty-free since it was founded and has a strong stance on the subject too!
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Trinny London's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from its website:
Certification
Trinny London has no cruelty-free certification.
Considering that Trinny London was reportedly worth $250 million in 2021, not wanting to pay for the use of a logo seems a little – oh, we don’t know… penny-pinching.
Some cruelty-free organizations only charge admin fees (so their bases are covered, and staff is paid) for membership.
Our preferred cruelty-free accreditation, Leaping Bunny, is free! The only cost is it a brand wants to use the logo.
Something doesn’t add up…
In short, Trinny London could easily be certified and claims to make “cruelty-free products” without any backing.
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 ideal because it proves that:
Unfortunately, you won’t find any bunny stamps on the back of these product bottles. But if you find a cruelty-free brand with one, it’s a good sign – just don't let the image fool you. A lot of brands are using fake logos to mislead 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 Trinny London Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Trinny London 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?
What Trinny London Products Are Vegan?
Trinny London has an extensive range of vegan products. We hope they opt for fewer animal-based formulas as their range continues to grow.
To save you some time, these are Trinny London’s most popular and award-winning products to choose from:
You can find a complete list of Trinny London's non-vegan products on its website.
Vegan Alternatives to Trinny London
Trinny London does have some great vegan options. But if you will not support a brand that isn't entirely vegan, we have some alternatives for you to try.
Here are some 100% vegan brands that will fit perfectly in your makeup bag:
Is Trinny London Natural and Organic?
Trinny London doesn’t call itself a natural or organic brand.
However, it does claim to use quite a few natural ingredients. Especially when they are animal-derived, as opposed to synthetic.
Its whole ethos is to make clean products that anyone can use to rethink their routine.
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 certain 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. Trinny London 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 Trinny London uses to enhance its cosmetics include:
Does Trinny London Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, Trinny London has an 82- 100% allergen-free ranking across products.
Many of Trinny London’s products are free of allergens such as parabens, gluten, MCI/ MI, nickel, soy, propylene glycol, and oils.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Trinny London 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!
Given Trinny London is a UK-based brand produced in the EU under strict ingredient policies – you don't need to worry too much.
But it’s still worth knowing which ingredients to avoid with skincare and cosmetics:
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 Trinny London Sustainable and Ethical?
Trinny London has some sustainability and ethical initiatives as it ties in with the company values.
One of the ethical causes Trinny London supports is Breast Cancer Now by making a 10% donation from every purchase of Lip2Cheek Sherin.
This shade was named after a member of the ‘Trinny Tribe’ to raise awareness of her cancer story so far.
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 Trinny London is taking strong environmental accountability is by:
But that’s about it… We’d love to see Trinny London start to include some measures like:
Final Thoughts
Trinny London is a well-loved cosmetics brand that can make a relatively ethical product for a fair price. The fact that they claim to be cruelty-free is a step towards a more sustainable future in cosmetics.
We would like to see a more transparent supply chain open to the public about its testing, purchasing, and distribution policies.
Since Trinny London is not 100% vegan – it might not be the best choice for activists who go the extra mile. Especially since the brand also uses palm oil and mica as ingredients – without third-party tracing measures.
Refillable packaging is an ideal start to the brand becoming more sustainable, so we’re excited about their future developments.
Finally, it would also be nice to see some cruelty-free accreditation from reputable organizations. So let's push to make that happen!
