You can find TONYMOLY cruelty-free products on Amazon, Ulta, Soko Glam, and Urban Outfitters.

TONYMOLY is Cruelty-Free

TONYMOLY 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 no longer sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.

By our standards, we would consider TONYMOLY to be Cruelty-Free.

Below is what’s currently stated on TONYMOLY’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 2021.

But TONYMOLY has confirmed they no longer sell their products in retail stores in mainland China and therefore they are not required to test on animals.

Below is a snippet of the response I recently received from TONYMOLY:

“To be fully transparent, China does require all imported cosmetics to be tested on animals and you are right that our products in China did not get exempted from that requirement.

However, we acknowledge it is a serious issue and we’re happy to let you know that as of last year, we have stopped importing our products into China’s market which led to the end of Tony Moly products being tested on animals 🙂“

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.

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

TONYMOLY claims their products are not officially certified-vegan, however, they do offer some products that don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

Note that although TONYMOLY’s products are not officially certified vegan by a third-party certification, doesn’t mean their products can’t be vegan. I think TONYMOLY mentions this in their vegan statement to let consumers know their products may be manufactured in a facility that makes other non-vegan products.

By our standards, as long as the products don’t contain animal-based ingredients or by-products, then we would consider them to vegan.

Here is what’s currently stated on TONYMOLY’s website about their vegan product status:

How to know which of TONYMOLY products are vegan?

All of TONYMOLY’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website.

TONYMOLY Vegan Product List

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

• Black Tea London Collection
• Minions Aromatherapy Calming Stick
• Minions Lip & Eye Remover
• Minions Lip Gloss
• Minions Sheet Masks
• Minions Soothing Aloe Cleansing Wipes
• Panda’s Dream Glossy Lip Crayon
• Wonder Ceramide Mocchi Toner

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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 TONYMOLY if their mica is ethically sourced without child labor. They responded back saying they’ll pass this information to their team and will get back to me. But I never heard back from the brand again.

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