You can find Buxom’s cruelty-free products at buxomcosmetics.com, Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta.

Buxom is *Cruelty-Free

Buxom has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.

By our standards, we would consider Buxom to be *Cruelty-Free but note that they sell makeup brushes made with animal hair.

Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Buxom’s website about its animal testing policy:

*Buxom is owned by Shiseido, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.

It’s your choice whether you want to support or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to this. I encourage you to do what you’re comfortable with, but I think it’s important to disclose that Shiseido owns Buxom.

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

Buxom has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2022.

Cruelty-Free Policies

Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.’ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.

At ethical elephant, we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand itself, its suppliers, and by any third parties.

Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.

Buxom is Not 100% Vegan

‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.

In the case of Buxom, most of their products are not vegan as they’re made with some animal-derived ingredients or by-products. They also sell some makeup brushes made of animal hair.

How to know which of Buxom’s products are vegan?

The one and only product BUXOM claims to be vegan is their Buxom Lash Waterproof Mascara.

The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Buxom’s website about its vegan claims:

When I emailed Buxom to ask for a list of their vegan-friendly products, they replied stating

“We have many Buxom products that are suitable for vegan customers. However, some of our products do contain one or more of the following: Carmine, Beeswax, or Lanolin-derived ingredients. Such ingredients are clearly identified on our website and can be found on the product page. Our Buxom Lash Waterproof Mascara is completely vegan-free and does not contain any of the animal ingredients listed above.“

At this time, Buxom’s Lash Waterproof Mascara (not to be confused with their other mascara that isn’t a waterproof formula) is the only product from BUXOM that we would classify as vegan, in which it doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

Hopefully Buxom will release more vegan-friendly makeup products in the future!

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.

Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.

There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.

So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.

Where are Buxom’s products made?

I asked Buxom where their products are manufactured and they told me:

“All of our products are manufactured in the United States.”

Ethical Mica Mining Policy

Mica is a mineral that’s used in cosmetics to add a shimmery effect. But the mining of natural mica has been linked to child labor and human rights violations.

Unless the company discloses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.

So I asked Buxom if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

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I hope this article helped you to understand Buxom’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!