Marc Jacobs Beauty

Last Updated: January 6, 2022

How Ethical Is Marc Jacobs Beauty?

Make a positive impact by supporting companies with the same values and ethics as what matters most to you. To navigate and find ethical brands, here's a summary of Marc Jacobs Beauty's ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is Marc Jacobs Beauty cruelty-free or vegan? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Marc Jacobs Beauty’s policies.
None of Marc Jacobs Beauty’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world. But the brand sells makeup brushes made with animal hair. Also, Marc Jacobs Beauty is owned by Kendo and LVMH, a company that is NOT cruelty-free.
Marc Jacobs Beauty claims to have some vegan options, but they also sell animal hair makeup brushes.

About Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty is a luxury cosmetics brand created by the American fashion designer.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
CERTIFICATIONS: N/A

Marc Jacobs Beauty

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Does Marc Jacobs Beauty Test on Animals?

Marc Jacobs Beauty is a luxury cosmetics brand created by the American fashion designer but is Marc Jacobs Beauty cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable in 2022? We’ve got the answers here!

Is Marc Jacobs Beauty Cruelty-Free?

Marc Jacobs Beauty does not conduct, commission, or allow their products or ingredients to be tested on animals, anywhere in the world.

However, it should be noted that Marc Jacobs Beauty is owned by Kendo, a subsidiary of LVMH. And LVMH is not a cruelty-free corporation because they own several other brands that do test on animals when required by law.

And Marc Jacobs Fragrances are not cruelty-free because they’re sold in China where animal testing is mandatory. But their fragrances are licensed, sold, and managed by another company (Coty) therefore they’re not considered part of Marc Jacobs Beauty’s operation.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Cruelty-Free Status

Marc Jacobs Beauty has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their manufacturers 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.

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

Marc Jacobs Beauty Cruelty-Free Claims

Marc Jacobs Beauty has been on my Grey Area brand list since 2016 because they were unable to comment on their third-party ingredient suppliers’ animal testing policy. I’ve been trying to get more information from the brand since and just recently received a response from the brand that I’m finally happy with!

Below is a snippet of the email response I received from Marc Jacobs Beauty confirming their manufacturers and raw materials are not tested on animals.

“Marc Jacobs Beauty does not test our products on animals, nor do we test the ingredients on animals. Our manufacturers do not test our products on animals. We sell the same products in Europe and the cosmetic regulations in the EU require that we (and our manufacturers) do NOT test products on animals.

In addition, we are NOT allowed to use raw materials that are tested on animals for cosmetic purposes.”

Is Marc Jacobs Beauty Sold in China?

Most imported cosmetics sold in mainland China are required by law to be tested on animals in 2022. However, Marc Jacobs Beauty has confirmed they do not sell their makeup products in retail stores in mainland China and therefore they are not required to test on animals.

But it should be noted that Marc Jacobs Fragrances are licensed by Coty and their fragrance line is sold in China, where they are required to be animal-tested. Therefore Marc Jacobs’s fragrance line is not cruelty-free.

Because there isn’t a standard definition for the term ‘cruelty-free’ and it can mean different things to different people, Marc Jacobs Beauty’s cruelty-free status is a matter of personal preference of whether you would consider their makeup brand to be cruelty-free knowing that their fragrance collection is not.

Also, keep in mind that Marc Jacobs Beauty is owned by a corporation that isn’t cruelty-free.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Owned by Kendo, LVMH

Marc Jacobs Beauty is owned by Kendo, a subsidiary of French conglomerate LVMH.

LVMH is not considered a cruelty-free corporation because they test on animals when required by law. LVMH also owns several other cosmetics brands that sell in China where animal testing is required for most cosmetics. Some of LVMH non-cruelty-free brands include Guerlain, Benefit Cosmetics, and Fresh.

Marc Jacobs Beauty is owned by Kendo, which has been considered the “cruelty-free” division of LVMH. That’s because Kendo’s brand portfolio is mostly made up of cosmetic brands that don’t sell in China and are marketed as ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘vegan’ brands like KVD Vegan Beauty, Ole Henriksen, and Bite Beauty.

Is Marc Jacobs Beauty Vegan?

Not all of Marc Jacobs Beauty’s products are vegan as some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients or by-products. However, Marc Jacobs Beauty does have a small selection of vegan options.

Below is a list of Marc Jacobs Beauty’s vegan products.

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

Marc Jacobs Beauty Vegan Claims

Marc Jacobs Beauty’s Vegan Product List

The following Marc Jacobs Beauty’s products are marketed as ‘vegan’ meaning they do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products and are presumably suitable for vegans.

Note that Marc Jacobs Beauty offers some vegan makeup brushes but they also sell natural fiber brushes made with animal hair. If you prefer to support and buy from a 100% vegan makeup brush brand, check out these options instead.


Is Marc Jacobs Beauty Sustainable?

Based in: the US

Made in: Marc Jacobs Beauty won’t disclose where their products are manufactured. When I asked them, they responded saying “we’re not able to give out proprietary information about our products.”

Additionally, I wasn’t able to find any available information on Marc Jacobs Beauty’s sustainability, environmental, and social initiatives.

Sustainability & Environmental Initiatives: N/A

Eco-Friendly Packaging Initiatives: N/A

Giving Back Initiatives: N/A

Ingredients and Formulations Claims: Marc Jacobs Beauty claims their entire line is Paraben-Free and Hypoallergenic.


I hope this article helped you to understand Marc Jacobs Beauty’s 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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