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You can find Kaja cruelty-free products at Sephora and on Amazon.
Kaja is *Cruelty-Free
Kaja 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 Kaja to be *Cruelty-Free.
*Kaja is owned by MBX, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.
It’s your choice 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. I encourage you to do what you’re comfortable with, but I think it’s important to disclose that MBX owns Kaja.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Kaja 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.
Kaja 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 Kaja, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Kaja’s products are vegan?
All of Kaja’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website.
Kaja Vegan Product List
The following Kaja products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
- Air Heart Lightweight Natural Finish Lipstick
- Air Heart Lipstick + Cheeky Stamp Blush Set
- Beachy Stamp Blendable Liquid Bronzer
- Cheeky Stamp Blendable Blush
- Don’t Settle Concealer
- Dream Puff Radiant Mousse Primer
- Glowy Stamp Blendable Liquid Highlighter
- Mist Me Hydrating Face Mist
- Moon Crystal Sparkling Eye Pigment
- Roller Glow Roll-On Highlighting Balm
- Vacay Shine Glowy Lip Balm Oil
- Wink Stamp Wing Eyeliner Stamp & Pen
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.
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 Kaja if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.
I hope this article helped you to understand Kaja’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
