You can find MUA cruelty-free products at Superdrug and Beauty Bay.

MUA is Cruelty-Free

MUA 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 MUA to be Cruelty-Free.

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 2021.

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

“We do not sell MUA products in mainland 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.

MUA is 100% Vegan

All of MUA products are now officially 100% vegan and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

Last year, MUA was working on reformulating its products to be vegan and they have successfully done just that with their recent announcement of now being a 100% vegan makeup brand.

Note: All of MUA current products are vegan, however, I was informed by one of their reps that “some of the products in the sale section of our website are not vegan, as we are selling through this old stock.”

MUA Claims:

“We are delighted to announce that we are now 100% Vegan as a brand. We have always been 100% Cruelty Free, and to us Cruelty Free and Vegan makeup should mean the same thing – not tested on animals and not containing any animal products!

We are proud to be an affordable high street brand that can guarantee every product is Vegan and Cruelty Free, with outstanding quality that anyone can access.”

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 MUA’s products made?

“We appreciate your interest in our products. The vast majority of our products are produced within the U.S. We have another manufacturer on France for europe and asia distribution.”

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 MUA 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 MUA’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!