This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
You can find Mario Badescu products at Sephora, Ulta, Beauty Bay, and Amazon.
Mario Badescu is Cruelty-Free
Cosmetics 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 Mario Badescu to be Cruelty-Free.
Below is what’s currently stated on Mario Badescu’s website:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
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.
But Mario Badescu has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“Mario Badescu does not have any products registered for sale in China.”
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.
Mario Badescu 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 Mario Badescu, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Mario Badescu products are vegan?
I found the best way to know which Mario Badescu products are vegan is by checking the Product Q&A tab on each product page. That’s where you can find someone else that has already asked if the product is vegan? Mario Badescu will then answer and say if it’s vegan or not.
I went through each of their product pages using this method and the following Mario Badescu products were indicated as being vegan.
Mario Badescu Vegan Product List
Below is a list of Mario Badescu products that are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
- A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap
- Acne Facial Cleanser
- Aloe Moisturizer SPF 15
- Aloe Vera Toner
- Alpha Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion
- Anti Acne Serum
- Botanical Exfoliating Scrub
- Botanical Facial Gel
- Buffering Lotion
- Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream
- Complex Moisturizer SPF 20
- Cucumber Cleansing Lotion
- Drying Lotion
- Enzyme Cleansing Gel
- Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile
and Lavender - Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea
- Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs
and Rosewater - Facial Spray with Aloe, Sage and Orange Blossom
- Glycolic Acid Toner
- Glycolic Foaming Cleanser
- Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion
- Hyaluronic Eye Cream
- Hyaluronic Moisturizer SPF 15
- Herbal Hydrating Serum
Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 17Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30- Peptide Renewal Cream
- Peptide Renewal Serum
- Seaweed Cleansing Lotion
- Seaweed Cleansing Soap
- Silver Powder
- Special Cucumber Lotion
- Special Hand Cream with Vitamin E
- Witch Hazel & Rosewater Toner
Not Vegan – Mario Badescu
Below is a list of Mario Badescu products that do contain animal-derived ingredients or by-products and are not suitable for vegans:
- Almond & Honey Face Scrub – not vegan
- Azulene Calming Mask – not vegan
- Bee Pollen Night Cream – not vegan
- Buttermilk Moisturizer – not vegan
- Calma Mask – not vegan
- Caviar Night Cream – not vegan
- Cellufirm Drops – not vegan
- Cellufirm Moisturizer – not vegan
- Ceramide Complex with N.M.F & A.H.A. – not vegan
- Chamomile Eye Cream – not vegan
- Collagen Moisturizer SPF 15 – not vegan
- Control Moisturizer for Oily Skin – not vegan
- Cream X – not vegan
- Cucumber Make-Up Remover Cream – not vegan
- Dermonectin Eye Cream – not vegan
- Drying Cream – not vegan
- Elasto-Collagen Night Cream – not vegan
- Enzyme Revitalizing Mask – not vegan
- Flower & Tonic Mask – not vegan
- Ginkgo Mask – not vegan
- Glycolic Eye Cream – not vegan
- Glycolic Skin Renewal Complex – not vegan
- Healing & Soothing Mask – not vegan
- Honey Moisturizer – not vegan
- Hydrating Moisturizer with Biocare & Hyaluronic Acid – not vegan
- Hydro Moisturizer with Vitamin C – not vegan
- Lip Balm –not vegan
- Kera Moisturizer – not vegan
- Olive Eye Cream – not vegan
- Orange Tonic Mask – not vegan
- Protein Night Cream – not vegan
- Revitalin Day Cream – not vegan
- Revitalin Moisturizer – not vegan
- Revitalin Night Cream – not vegan
- Rose Hips Mask – not vegan
- Seaweed Night Cream – not vegan
- Special Eye Cream “V” – not vegan
- Super Collagen Mask – not vegan
- Temporary Lifting Mask – not vegan
- The Moisture Magnet SPF 15 – not vegan
- Vitamin A-D-E Neck Cream – not vegan
- Vitamin C Serum – not vegan
- Vital with Collagen for Men – not vegan
- Whitening Mask – 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.
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 a 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 Mario Badescu if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.
6 thoughts on “Mario Badescu”
Hi! I was wondering if the FACIAL SPRAY WITH ALOE, SAGE AND ORANGE BLOSSOM is vegan like the other tree face mists? 🙂
Hey Karima,
Yes, it is vegan! =) I just added it to the list so that others will know its vegan too!
Hi, I don’t find the Eye Makeup Remover on either list. Can you tell me if it’s vegan?
How do you know what’s vegan out of the ingredients that can be either or? Like glyceryn, stearic acid, hyaluronic acid, tocopherol, lactic acid and allantoin can all be derived from both plants and animals.
hi! i was wondering by whom are they recognized cruelty-free?
Hi Carmen,
Mario Badescu is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party certifications. But I have verified Mario Badescu as being cruelty-free based on a questionnaire that I’ve asked them regarding specifics about their animal testing policy. You can learn more about the questions I ask all brands here https://ethicalelephant.com/cruelty-free-checklist/