Medusa’s Make-Up is Cruelty-Free

Medusa’s Make-Up 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 Medusa’s Make-Up to be Cruelty-Free.

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

Medusa’s Make-Up has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

“No we do not sell in mainland 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, and by any third parties.

Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.

Medusa’s Make-Up is 100% Vegan

Medusa’s Make-Up has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

The following is a snippet of the email response I received from Medusa’s Make-Up when I asked if all of their products are vegan:

“We have always been cruelty free, however in the beginning of 2016 we made the decision to go fully vegan. The only products we still have that are not vegan is our electro eyeshadow collection, found on our sale page. It is marked as such and contains beeswax. We will not be renewing that product once we finish the stock.”

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 Medusa’s Make-Up’s products made?

I asked Medusa’s Make-Up where their products are manufactured and they told me:

“We list this on every product description on our website. Most are made in USA with some in PRC. Thank you for your interest in Medusa’s Makeup!”

*Note: Cosmetics made in China are not required to be tested on animals. Only cosmetics that are imported and sold in physical stores in mainland China are required to be tested on animals according to China’s animal testing laws.

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 Medusa’s Make-Up if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“Thank you for your interest in Medusa’s Makeup, and we appreciate your concern! Yes, we do acquire our mica from carefully selected manufacturers that can provide proof and documentation that their materials are ethically sourced and produced.”

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