This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
You can find Grande Cosmetics cruelty-free products at Sephora, Ulta, and Amazon.
Grande Cosmetics is Cruelty-Free
Grande Cosmetics 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 Grande Cosmetics to be Cruelty-Free.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Grande Cosmetics has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“We do not offer our products retail in China as we currently do not offer international shipping and do not have any distributors in China.”
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, or any third parties.
Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.
Grande Cosmetics 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 Grande Cosmetics, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Grande Cosmetics’ products are vegan?
I tried asking Grande Cosmetics which of their products are vegan-friendly and they told me GrandeLASH-MD and GrandeBrow are vegan. However, these products aren’t labeled or marked as ‘vegan’ on their website. So I would advise messaging the company directly for the most updated information about their vegan products and ingredients.
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 Grande Cosmetics’ products made?
When I asked Grande Cosmetics where their products are manufactured, they told me:
“Our GrandeLASH-MD and GrandeBROW serum is made in America. The GrandeMASCARA Lash Boosting formula is made in Italy.”
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 Grande Cosmetics if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“You asked if the mica in our products is ethically sourced so we went straight to our mica supplier. They sent us a full declaration letter that I cannot attach to this email as it will disclose the name of our supplier. However, I lifted the information below directly from the letter. Yes, our mica is ethically sourced and our supplier feels so strongly about this that they have established a policy and require written certificates in regard to the fact that child labor is not used in their mica mining.
As part of our values and principles, XXXXX Products, Inc. and its affiliates are committed to being socially responsible, and have established a written policy regarding Child Labor and Forced Labor. We condemn the use of child labor in particular, in manufacture and service of any raw materials. All of our mica suppliers are required to annually provide certificates that child labor is not used in mica mining and the subsequent manufacturing processes.”
I hope this article helped you to understand Grande Cosmetics’ cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
