Stellar is Cruelty-Free

Stellar 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 Stellar to be Cruelty-Free.

Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Stellar Beauty’s website:

In addition, I emailed Stellar Beauty to ask for more information about their animal testing policy. The following is a snippet of their response:

“We do not test any of our products on animals. We are a cruelty-free brand and many of our products are also vegan.”

“We do not work with or deal with any suppliers that do any animal testing at any stage of the process.”

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

Stellar Beauty 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 in China. Our products are manufactured in Toronto, Canada and are distributed exclusively by Sephora in North America only.”

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.

Stellar 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 Stellar, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.

How to know which of Stellar’s products are vegan?

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

Stellar Beauty Vegan Product List

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Stellar Beauty 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.

The following Stellar Beauty products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

• Absolute Mascara
• Brilliant Matte Primer
• Brilliant Primer
• Cosmic Blush
• Cosmic Face Haze Finishing Powder
• Cosmic Face Lustre Powder
• Cosmic Face Setting Powder in Glow 01,02,03
• Hyper Eyeliner Liquid Pen in Medusa
• Hyper Eyeliner Retractable Pencil in Medea
• Limitless Concealer
• Limitless Foundation
• Opus Liquid Lip
• Starlust Holographic Lip Gloss – 02-06 shades are 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 Stellar’s products made?

“Our products are manufactured in Toronto, Canada”

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 Stellar if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.

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

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