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Is NYX Cruelty-Free?
🐰 NYX is a *cruelty-free brand. None of NYX’s ingredients or products are tested on animals. NYX has met all the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included in our Cruelty-Free Directory.
Does NYX Cosmetics Test on Animals?
When asking, does NYX test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of NYX’s 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:
- ✓ NYX confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf.
- ✓ NYX confirmed all their ingredient suppliers do not test on animals
- ✓ NYX 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, NYX Cosmetics is a *cruelty-free brand by our standards.
*NYX 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 NYX.
What is NYX’s Animal Testing Policy?
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on NYX’s website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
NYX has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
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 NYX Certified Cruelty-Free?
NYX is certified cruelty-free by PETA. And NYX is NOT certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.
Cruelty-Free Policies 2023
Just because a brand claims they are ‘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 starting my blog in 2015, 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 NYX Vegan?
⭐️ NYX is NOT an entirely vegan brand. But NYX offers some vegan options that are free of animal products.
The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on NYX’s website about its vegan claims:
How to know which of NYX’s products are vegan?
All of NYX’s vegan products are marked on their website. See below for an example. You can also find a list of their vegan products here: https://www.nyxcosmetics.com/featured/vegan/
Where to buy NYX Cosmetics? Check out nyxcosmetics.com, Target, Ulta, Walmart, and 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 NYX’s products made?
I asked NYX where their products are manufactured and they told me:
“Please be advised that our products are created all over the globe, making it difficult to know where exactly a certain product is manufactured.”
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 NYX if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“Regarding your question on which Mica we use in our cruelty free makeup products, please look at the link we have provided down below regarding our sustainable sourcing for mica:
https://www.loreal.com/en/articles/audiences/a-sustainable-purchasing-policy/”
Responsible Palm Oil Sourcing Policy
I asked NYX if any of their products contain palm oil or palm-derived ingredients and if so, are they from certified sustainable sources. And NYX responded by saying,
“Since 2010, 100% of our palm oil purchases are certified through RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) standards. For more information on our efforts, we invite to you visit: https://inside-our-products.loreal.com/ingredients/palm-oil.”
I hope this article helped you to understand NYX’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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35 thoughts on “NYX (L’Oreal)”
Thank you very helpful article.
I too got a similar response when reaching out to IT Cosmetics on whether their products have animal derivatives.
Why is PETA then calling NYX cruelty-free AND vegan?
http://www.peta.org/living/beauty/nyx-cosmetics-remains-cruelty-free/:
“We’re now happy to announce that NYX has confirmed its dedication to its cruelty-free policy and will remain 100 percent cruelty-free under L’Oréal’s ownership. This means that NYX does not and will not allow, conduct, commission, or pay for tests on animals for its ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world. No animals will suffer for NYX products, and to celebrate, we’re sharing with you our favorite vegan and cruelty-free NYX products:”
The leaping bunny logo does NOT mean a item is vegan; it ONLY means they did NOT test on animals. I know a lot of vegan who are confused by this and it drives me crazy that PETA has not made this more clear. If you’re looking for vegan makeup/hair/etc products, don’t use the bunny logo as your definitive guide to vegan products. It’s a place to start doing research, but it doesn’t mean the product is vegan. Look for the “V” that designates certified vegan. Many products won’t have this though, so do a search on Pinterest, Google, etc, and see which companies are vegan or have specifically designates products. I know it sucks, but more and more companies are adding vegan products and/or being transparent with their ingredients. Personally, I love elf for inexpensive veggie makeup!
I recently bought eye liner from nyx because they are supposed to be cruelty free. I looked at the eye liner when I got home and it says made in China. I know Chi a does test on animals. I’m confused.
Hi Denise,
Only cosmetics that are SOLD in China are required to be tested on animals by law. So NYX or any other cosmetic company can MAKE or manufacture their cosmetics in China but just as long as they’re NOT SELLING in China, then none of their products are required to be tested on animals.
I have an article that explains this: https://ethicalelephant.com/china-animal-testing-laws-cosmetics-made-china-vs-sold-china/
Thank you for clearing things out! I think that there has to be something done about the ‘cruelty-free’ title. I think that brands that use animal products are not allowed to say that their products are cruelty-free, just because there is no animal testing involved. Exploiting animals and using their bodies for any purpose is cruel!
Thank you so much! I tried the link to Wet n Wild’s vegan list, and it was broken. Here’s a link to the updated list on their new website: http://www.wetnwildbeauty.com/vegan-products.html.
Thank you so much for letting me know!! I updated the link =)
I just started researching more about vegan products and didn’t realize all the different nuances there are in this industry. I love that NYX is vegan because they offer such affordable products.