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Is IT Cosmetics Cruelty-Free?
🐰 IT Cosmetics is a *cruelty-free brand. None of IT Cosmetics’ ingredients or products are tested on animals. IT Cosmetics has met all the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included in our Cruelty-Free Directory.
Does IT Cosmetics Test on Animals?
When asking, does IT Cosmetics test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of IT Cosmetics’ ingredients or suppliers test on animals. And they don’t sell in any country or under conditions that may require animal testing by law.
In our research, we discovered the following:
- ✓ IT Cosmetics confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf.
- ✓ IT Cosmetics confirmed all their ingredient suppliers do not test on animals
- ✓ IT Cosmetics confirmed they do not allow or sell their products under conditions where animal testing is required by law
By meeting all of our Cruelty-Free Criteria, IT Cosmetics is a *cruelty-free brand by our standards.
*IT Cosmetics is owned by L’Oreal, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.
The decision is yours 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. Do what you’re comfortable with. I just thought it was important to disclose that L’Oreal owns IT Cosmetics.
What is IT Cosmetics’ Animal Testing Policy?
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on IT Cosmetics’ website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
IT Cosmetics has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“IT Cosmetics is not sold in China.”
With the current changes to China’s animal testing laws, some cosmetics sold in China can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, without meeting those conditions, animal testing is still legally required for most cosmetics sold in China in 2023.
Is IT Cosmetics Certified Cruelty-Free?
IT Cosmetics is certified cruelty-free by PETA, but not Leaping Bunny certified.
Cruelty-Free Policies 2023
Just because a brand claims it is ‘Cruelty-Free,’ doesn’t always mean that’s the case.
That’s because 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.
How We Assess Cruelty-Free Policies
Since 2015, the start of my blog, I’ve been emailing companies asking about their animal testing policies and cruelty-free commitments.
And based on the responses I receive from companies, I’ll research to find any supporting facts needed before concluding whether the brand should be classified as “Cruelty-Free,” “Animal-Tested,” or “Grey Area – Unclear Policies.”
☕️ Every week, I continue to reach out to new brands while trying my best to keep current brands updated. If you found any of my posts or guides helpful, consider Buying Me A Coffee! I would greatly appreciate it! ❤️
What about Vegan?
Just because something is called Cruelty-Free, doesn’t always mean it’s Vegan. And vice versa.
Cruelty-Free only refers to no animal testing, while Vegan means formulated without animal products.
Some brands are Cruelty-Free, but not Vegan.
And some are Vegan, but not Cruelty-Free.
Another important distinction to know is, Vegan in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand is 100% Vegan or a specific product is Vegan.
Is IT Cosmetics Vegan?
⭐️ IT Cosmetics is NOT an entirely vegan brand. But IT Cosmetics offers some vegan options that are free of animal products.
How to know which of IT Cosmetics products are vegan?
All of IT Cosmetics’ vegan products are clearly marked on their website. See below for an example.
Where to buy IT Cosmetics? Check out itcosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta, Target, and on Amazon!
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But Vegan is generally used to mean formulated without animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Some common animal products 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 unless a brand explicitly labels its ingredients or product as Vegan, it’s often 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 chose were from non-animal sources.
Where are IT Cosmetics’ products made?
I asked IT Cosmetics where their products are manufactured and they told me:
“While the majority of our products are made in the United States, we do also manufacture in several countries around the world. We are truly committed to sharing beauty with all and want to assure you that IT Cosmetics is upholding the highest standards of safety and quality for all the products it makes and sells. Ingredients used in our products, regardless of the country of origin, are thoroughly reviewed and tested by our internal safety team made up of toxicologists, clinicians, pharmacists and physicians.”
Ethical Mica Mining Policy
Mica is a mineral 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 IT Cosmetics if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating their parent company, L’Oreal’s ethical mica mining policy:
“Mica is a mineral used across various industries, including to a small extent, in the cosmetics industry, where it can be used as an effect pigment. L’Oréal’s usage of mica represents less than 0.05% of the worldwide mica market, 98% of these quantities come from secured sources.
Today, more than 60% of L’Oréal’s natural mica comes from the United States while the rest is from other countries, including India. In India, mica mainly originates from socially and economically challenged regions where there is a risk of child labor, unsafe working conditions, and where the supply chain involves multiple people. In spite of these challenges, L’Oréal has committed to remain in India and ensure the traceability and transparency of our supply chain. We believe that discontinuing the use of Indian mica would further weaken the situation in the region. In addition, local NGOs and expert organizations are supportive of efforts made to secure the mica supply chain and thus improve the living and working conditions in the region.
To learn more about our sustainable sourcing, please visit https://www.loreal.com/suppliers/our-sustainable-procurement-policy which will provide you with other specific information on:
-Our Mutual Ethical Commitment Letter, highlighting L’Oréal key values and safe working conditions for employees.
-Social audit program and the focus on minimum wages, working hours, health and safety.
-The way we buy in Sourcing.“
I hope this article helped you to understand IT Cosmetics’ cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
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