You can find ILIA cruelty-free products at iliabeautycom, Amazon, Sephora, Well.ca, Beautylish, The Detox Market, and Petit Vour.

ILIA is *Cruelty-Free

ILIA 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 ILIA to be *Cruelty-Free.

Update! ILIA is now owned by Courtin-Clarins family holding company, Famille C, which also owns the Clarins brand. Clarins 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 Clarins owns ILIA.

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

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

ILIA 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.

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

The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on ILIA’s official website about its vegan products:

How to know which of ILIA products are vegan?

All of ILIA’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website. See below for an example.

ILIA Vegan Product List

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of ILIA 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.

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

• Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil
• Clean Line Gel Liner
• Clean Line Liquid Liner
• Color Block High Impact Lipstick
• Color Haze Multi-Matte Pigment
• DayLite Highlighting Powder
• Essential Brow Gel
• Liquid Light Serum Highlighter
• Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint
• Natural Brightening Eye Primer
• NightLite Bronzing Powder
• Radiant Translucent Powder SPF 20
• Radiant Translucent Powder SPF 20 | Flow-Thru
• Soft Focus Finishing Powder
• Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
• The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette
• True Skin Serum Concealer
• True Skin Serum Foundation

Not Vegan – ILIA Beauty

The following products from ILIA contain beeswax and are not suitable for vegans.

• Illuminator – not vegan
• Limitless Lash Mascara – not vegan
• Lip Conditioner Balmy Days – not vegan
• Lip Exfoliator – not vegan
• Multi-Stick – not vegan
• Pure Eyeliner – not vegan
• Tinted Lip Conditioner – 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 ILIA’s products made?

“Most of our products are made in the U.S.! However, our Limitless Lash Mascara and Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tints are made in Italy. The Necessary Eyeshadow Palettes, Clean Line Gel Liner, and Clean Line Liquid Liner are made in Korea. The Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil is made in Canada and our brushes are made in China.”

*Note: Cosmetics made in China are not required to be tested on animals. Only cosmetics that are imported and sold in physical stores in mainland China are required to be tested on animals according to China’s animal testing laws.

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

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