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You can find Formula 10.0.6 products on at Ulta, Target, Beauty Bay, and Amazon.
Formula 10.0.6 is Cruelty-Free
Formula 10.0.6 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 Formula 10.0.6 to be Cruelty-Free.
“thank you for reaching out to us and inquiring about Formula 10.0.6! We do not sell Formula 10.0.6 items to mainland China and we do not test on animals. We also require our suppliers follow the same procedures.”
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 Formula 10.0.6 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.
Formula 10.0.6 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 Formula 10.0.6, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
“Are our products considered vegan?
We are vegan on the majority of our products. We do have beeswax in a couple of our products.”
How to know which of Formula 10.0.6 products are vegan?
Unfortunately, Formula 10.0.6 doesn’t clearly mark or label which of their products are vegan on their website. But you can easily spot beeswax or cera alba in their ingredient list so any product containing beeswax is 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 Formula 10.0.6 products made?
“All of our products except our wipes and pore strips are made in the USA. Our wipes/pore strips are made in South Korea, which is known for producing high quality cosmetic products!”
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 publicly addresses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.
So I asked Formula 10.0.6 if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“We purchase our mica from a company called X. They partner with Y to provide us Mica and they are both part of the Responsible Mica Initiative. Please see the attached. In addition, Y further certified that they do not use child labor earlier this year. Please see their attached letter.”
*X and Y, I’ve omitted the name of their suppliers as I’m not sure if they want this information to be publicly available.
