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Principle Beauty is Cruelty-Free
Principle Beauty 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 Principle Beauty to be Cruelty-Free.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Principle Beauty 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 have no plans to ever expand into China for this reason.”
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.
Principle Beauty is 100% Vegan
Principle Beauty has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or 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 Principle Beauty’s products made?
Principle Beauty states on its website:
“we manufacture and distribute ourselves on a small scale locally in NY)”
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.
Thankfully, on Principle Beauty’s website it states:
“Natural Mica / Mica, or Magnesium Myristate, is a natural silicate mineral that is a mainstay of makeup, providing the base of the formula. Much of the world’s mica is unfortunately mined in unregulated ways in poverty stricken areas of the world. Often children as young as 7 work in these mines. Our Mica is sourced through a partner who is part of the Responsible Mica Initiative. RMI is a global network of people who continually work with local authorities to ensure regulations that end child labor practices. Mica has an EWG rating of 2. A range of 1-3 on their scale is considered very safe.
Fluorphlogopite / Also known as synthetic mica, is a safe synthetic made from magnesium aluminum silicate sheets bound together by potassium. It is known as a safe synthetic for both humans and the environment with an EWG rating of 1 (safest). We use it to achieve a uniform consistency in the base formula. It is widely used in environmentally safe glitters as it is a plastic-free alternative to glitter.”
I hope this article helped you to understand Principle 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!
