Coola

Last Updated: February 2, 2022

Is Coola Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

Make a positive impact by supporting companies with the same values and ethics as what matters most to you. To navigate and find ethical brands, here’s a summary of Coola’s ethics and initiatives.

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Ethical Analysis

Is Coola cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Coola’s policies.
Coola is cruelty-free. None of Coola’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
Not all of Coola’s products are vegan but they have some vegan options.
Coola’s formulas are made with at least 70% certified organic ingredients and they’re committed to using ingredients that follow sustainable farming practices and support local communities.

Coola states they are “deeply committed to improving the health and safety of our communities, waterways, and habitats through responsible ingredient sourcing and sustainable packaging wherever possible.”
Coola claims their mica is ethically-sourced without the use of child labor. See their ethical mica mining policy here.
Over 80% of Coola’s products come in glass bottles and jars and they only use plastic packaging when needed but state they strive to use the most responsible option available. And Coola’s secondary packaging is made using recyclable materials.

Currently, over 75% of their containers are fully recyclable but their goal is to make it 100% recyclable by 2023.

About Coola

COOLA is the quintessential slice of California life. Coola embodies the best parts of living in California: a fusion of organic wellness, an outdoor, active lifestyle, and supporting local and diverse communities—passions they want to share with you through their products.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
PRODUCTS: Sun Care, Skincare
CERTIFICATIONS: PETA-Certified

Coola

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

You can find cruelty-free products at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Dermstore, and on Amazon.

Coola is Cruelty-Free

Coola 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 Coola to be Cruelty-Free.

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

COOLA Cruelty-Free Claims

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

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

We are available in Hong Kong where animal-testing is not required.

Hong Kong is not part of mainland China so, they don’t have the same animal testing laws as mainland China. Therefore, Coola is 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.

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

How to know which of Coola products are vegan?

All of Coola’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website.

In addition, the following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on COOLA’s official website about its vegan products:

COOLA Vegan Claims

COOLA Vegan Product List

The following COOLA products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Coola’s vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.

Sunscreen – COOLA Vegan

Face

Body

Beauty & Hair – COOLA Vegan

Self-Tanners – COOLA Vegan


Not Vegan – COOLA

The following products from COOLA are not considered to be vegan as they contain some animal-derived ingredients or by-products:

  • Classic Liplux Organic Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 30 (contains beeswax) – not vegan
  • Mineral Baby Organic Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 (contains beeswax) – not vegan
  • Mineral Baby Organic Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 (contains beeswax) – not vegan
  • Mineral Liplux Organic Tinted Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 30 (contains beeswax) – not vegan

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 Coola’s products made?

Coola states on its website,

“All of our products are made in the USA!”

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

“Thank you for contacting us at COOLA! We only use natural micas in cases when we can ensure they are mined responsibly, and we require full documentation verifying the sourcing and sustainability of our micas.“


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

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