Base Coat is Cruelty-Free

Base Coat 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 Base Coat to be Cruelty-Free.

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.

Base Coat is 100% Vegan

Base Coat has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

“I am proud to inform you that all of our products & those that we carry are vegan and cruelty-free.”

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.

Where are Base Coat’s products made?

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

“We do our best to source locally, ethically, and sustainably. Our spa products are made in Colorado, our polishes are made in the US, and our sister store Matriarch Mercantile features diverse products from locally owned, women owned, and BIPOC owned vendors.”

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

“That is a great question, and although I do not know the immediate answer, I will do my best to get some information on this! We will reach back out once we can give you an accurate response. Let me know if you have any other questions in the meantime!”

Unfortunately, I never heard back from the brand again.

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