You can find Josie Maran’s cruelty-free products at Sephora, Ulta, Target, and Amazon.

Josie Maran is Cruelty-Free

Josie Maran 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 Cosmetics to be Cruelty-Free.

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

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

“our products are made and manufactured in Hollywood, CA. We do not make or sell any of our products to China, as our products are cruelty-free and not tested on animals, and we’re even listed on PETA’s official site as a cruelty-free brand.”

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, or any third parties.

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

Josie Maran is Not 100% Vegan

‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.

In the case of Josie Maran, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.

The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Josie Maran’s website about its vegan claims:

How to know which of Josie Maran’s products are vegan?

All of Josie Maran’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website. See below for an example.

Josie Maran Vegan Product List

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Josie Maran vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.

Below is a list of Josie Maran products that are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

• 100% Pure Argan Oil
• 100% Pure Argan Oil Light
• Argan Bright Skin Vitamin C Serum
• Argan Cleansing Oil
• Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon
• Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 Protect and Perfect
• Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer
• Argan Enlightenment Illuminizing Wand
• Argan Exfoliating Cleansing Powder
• Argan Oil Hair Serum
• Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation
• Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Body Renewal Serum
• Argan Moonstone Drops
• Argan Reserve Healthy Skin Concentrate
• Argan Smooth Skin Resurfacing Serum
• Argan Sugar Balm Body Scrub
• Bear Naked Wipes
• Dual Ended Illuminizing Brush
• Nirvana Hydrating Treatment Mist
• Pure Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Treatment
• Skin Dope Argan Oil + Hemp Seed Oil
• Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm
• The Good Brow
• Vibrancy Argan Oil Full Coverage Concealer Fluid
• Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter Tan Extender
• Whipped Argan Oil Cleansing Body Butter
• Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter
• Whipped Argan Oil Mineral SPF 45 Body Butter
• Whipped Mud Mask Argan Hydrating and Detoxifying Treatment

Not Vegan – Josie Maran

The following products by Josie Maran contain some sort of animal ingredient (like lanolin, beeswax, or carmine) and cannot be considered vegan and should be avoided:

• Argan Black Oil Mascara – not vegan
• Argan Chubby Lip Butter – not vegan
• Argan Color Stick – not vegan
• Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 – not vegan
• Argan Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil – not vegan
• Argan Lip Sting Plumping Butter – not vegan
• Argan Love Your Lips Hydrating Lipstick – not vegan
• Argan Moonstone Glow Stick – not vegan
• Argan Natural Volume Lip Gloss – not vegan
• Argan Oil Moisturizing Stick – not vegan
• Divine Drip Argan Oil and Honey Sleeping Nectar – not vegan
• Divine Drip Honey Butter Balm – not vegan
• Vibrancy Argan Oil Fresh Face Paint Palette – not vegan
• Whipped Argan Oil Beauty Butter – not vegan
• Whipped Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream – not vegan

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any 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 Josie Maran’s products made?

I asked Josie Maran where their products are manufactured and they told me:

“our products are made and manufactured in Hollywood, CA.”

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

“The Mica in our products is ethically sourced, as we do require documentation from our supplier verifying that no child labor is used, and routine audits are conducted by regulatory agencies.”

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