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You can find Red Apple Lipstick cruelty-free products at redapplelipstick.com
Red Apple Lipstick is Cruelty-Free
Red Apple Lipstick 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 Red Apple Lipstick to be Cruelty-Free.
“Our raw ingredient suppliers nor our finished products are EVER tested on animals. All of our ingredients are sourced from a plant or created in a lab with healthy, non-toxic researched & responsible ingredients.”
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Red Apple Lipstick 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.
Red Apple Lipstick is 100% Vegan
Red Apple Lipstick 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 Red Apple Lipstick when I asked if all of their products are vegan:
“Yes, we are 100% Vegan”
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 Red Apple Lipstick’s products made?
Red Apple Lipstick states on its website,
“When Jay started Red Apple Lipstick, the choice of making his product anywhere other the USA was out of the question. As a company, we never even consulted with groups outside of the USA. Americans manufacture all Red Apple products in the US. Jay, being a veteran and a patriotic, red blooded American wanted his products made here, by Americans. He wanted to provide jobs for people here that needed them and he knew that in the end, the product would be superior. Let’s face it, Americans DO know how to manufacturer quality products and Red Apple products are prime example of the American spirit and ingenuity this great country of ours offers to the world.”
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 Red Apple Lipstick if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“Thank you so much for your inquiry. All of our products ingredients are sourced from the USA, Europe, and Canada. Specifically, all of our mica is sourced in the USA from privately owned mines. This allows us to be assured that child labor is never used and the miners are paid fairly and treated well. Because we are very strict on our ingredient sourcing, I’m sure that routine audits are done, however, I will reach out to Andrea and ask her for you and get back to you on that.”
I hope this article helped you to understand Red Apple Lipstick’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!