You can find ColourPop products at colourpop.com or at Ulta.

ColourPop is Cruelty-Free

ColourPop 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 ColourPop to be Cruelty-Free.

Below is a screenshot of ColourPop’s official animal testing statement:

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

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.

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

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.

ColourPop 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 ColourPop, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.

How to know which of ColourPop products are vegan?

ColourPop clearly marks all of its vegan products on its website. See below for an example.

Also, on ColourPop’s website, they have a list of their products that are NOT vegan. That means the products on that list contain some type of animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

When I asked how often the non-vegan list is updated, a representative from ColourPop told me they update this list prior to every new product/shade launch so it’s the most reliable and up-to-date list available.

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it usually means no 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.

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 a 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 ColourPop if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“Thank you for reaching out! Mica in our products is sourced from the U.S., Japan, and Europe.”

ColourPop did not specifically address how they audit or trace to ensure no child labor was involved in mining their mica.