You can find CoverGirl cruelty-free products at most drugstores including Walmart, Target, Ulta, Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, and on Amazon.

CoverGirl is *Cruelty-Free

In 2018, CoverGirl officially became certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and Cruelty-Free International. As a result, CoverGirl 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 CoverGirl to be *Cruelty-Free.

*CoverGirl is owned by Coty, a corporation that 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 Coty owns CoverGirl.

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

“COVERGIRL is not sold in China. When it comes to other brands in our portfolio, we understand consumers’ concerns regarding animal testing in China. As a company, we do not test our products on animals and are committed to ending animal testing across our industry. We continue to be involved in dialogue with the Chinese authorities to find alternatives to their current approach. Our strategic partnership with Cruelty Free International will also include working together to advocate for regulatory change to end animal testing globally.”

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.

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

How to know which of CoverGirl products are vegan?

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

CoverGirl Vegan Product List

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

Below is a list of CoverGirl products that are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

• Clean Fresh Cooling Glow Highlighter Stick
• Clean Fresh Cream Blush
• Clean Fresh Hydrating Concealer
• Clean Fresh Prep & Set Water Setting Spray
• Clean Fresh Pressed Powder
• Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation
• Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Oil
• Exhibitionist Lid Paint Cream Eyeshadow
• Exhibitionist Mascara
• Exhibitionist Waterproof Mascara
• Full Spectrum Matte Idol Liquid Lipstick
• Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara
• Lash Blast Lash & Brow Serum
• Outlast UltiMatte Liquid Lipstick
• TruBlend Undercover Concealer

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 CoverGirl’s products made?

I’ve asked CoverGirl a couple of times where their products are made and the first time, they told me “unfortunately that information is proprietary and we are unable to share.”

And the next time I asked them, they said “A large majority of our products are manufactured in Hunt Valley, Maryland. If there was a specific product you were inquiring about we’d be happy to provide further info.”

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

“Vy, we are more than happy to assist you with your question, we are going to look further into the mica ingredient for you and see what we can find. Coty has been working, as part of the Responsible Mica Initiative, with our suppliers, as well as competitors to address these complex issues with the aim of working conditions in Indian. 

Please visit http://www.responsible-mica-initiative.com, to learn more and let your feelings be known directly to the initiative.”

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