People of Color

Last Updated: January 17, 2022

How Ethical Is People of Color?

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 People of Color's ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is People of Color cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on People of Color’s policies.
People of Color is cruelty-free. None of People of Color’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
All of People of Color products are 100% vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
People of Color does not claim or market itself as a sustainable company.
People of Color uses synthetic mica that’s made in a lab and therefore no child labor is involved.
People of Color packaging has some plastic components. I couldn’t find anything stating they’re working on reducing their use of virgin plastic in their product packaging.

About People of Color

People of Color® nail polish is a non-toxic and vegan brand made to complement the various shades of brown skin as the first thought, not an afterthought.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
PRODUCTS: Nails
CERTIFICATIONS: Leaping Bunny

People of Color

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

You can find People of Color cruelty-free products at Beautylish.

People of Color is Cruelty-Free

People of Color 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 People of Color to be Cruelty-Free.

“Our polish is not tested on animals during any part of the production process. We are proudly Leaping Bunny certified.”

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

People of Color has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

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.

People of Color is 100% Vegan

People of Color has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

“Our polish is completely free of animal ingredients or animal by-products.”

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 People of Color’s products made?

People of Color states on its website: “made in usa.”

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 People of Color if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“Our mica products are synthetic so they do not pertain to the use of child labor! Our suppliers are audited to be compliant with all products.”


I hope this article helped you to understand People of Color’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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