Urban Decay offers badass cruelty-free, high-pigment makeup, color that goes all day and lasts all night. But is Urban Decay cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? I’ve got the answers here!
Is Urban Decay Cruelty Free?
Urban Decay is Cruelty-free! None of Urban Decay’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
However, it should be noted that Urban Decay is owned by L’Oreal, a parent corporation that does test on animals when required by law.
Urban Decay’s Animal Testing Policy
Urban Decay 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.
Below is a screenshot of what is currently stated on Urban Decay’s website:
Is Urban Decay Sold in China?
Most imported cosmetics sold in mainland China are required by law to be tested on animals in 2021. However, Urban Decay has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China and therefore they are not required to test on animals.
Here’s the response from Urban Decay when I asked them if they sell in China:
“please be advised that none of Urban Decay’s products are sold in China.”
Urban Decay Acquired by L’Oreal
In 2012, Urban Decay was acquired by L’Oreal, a corporation that does tests on animals where required by law.
Many cruelty-free consumers have since chosen to stop buying from Urban Decay as they feel their purchases are indirectly supporting and funding more animal testing done by their parent company, L’Oreal. To read more about some of the reasons to buy or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a non-cruelty-free parent company, check out this post here.
Although Urban Decay is owned by L’Oreal, Urban Decay remains committed to being a cruelty-free brand.
Urban Decay has met all of our criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included on our List of Cruelty-Free Brands.
You can find Urban Decay’s cruelty-free products at Sephora, Ulta, and Nordstrom.
Is Urban Decay Vegan?
Not all of Urban Decay’s products are vegan as some of their products contain beeswax, carmine, lanolin, or other animal-derived ingredients but Urban Decay does have some vegan products.
Please reference below for a list of Urban Decay vegan products.
You can also find out which of their products are vegan as they’re all marked accordingly on their website in the product description. See below for an example.
Urban Decay Vegan Product List
As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Urban Decay 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.
Below is a list of Urban Decay’s products that are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Face
- All Nighter Face Primer
- All Nighter Liquid Foundation
- All Nighter Pollution Protection Makeup Setting Spray
- All Nighter Setting Spray
- All Nighter Ultra Glow Face Primer
- All Nighter Ultra Glow Setting Spray
- All Nighter Waterproof Full-Coverage Concealer
- All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder
- B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Priming Spray
- Beached Bronzer
- Chill Cooling and Hydrating Makeup Setting Spray
- De-Slick Complexion Primer
- De-Slick Mattifying Powder
- De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray
- Naked Illuminated
- Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid
- Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector
- Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer
- Optical Illusion Complexion Primer
- Quick Fix Hydra-Charged Complexion Prep Priming Spray
- Scented Sparkling
- Stay Naked Correcting Concealer
- Stay Naked Face & Lip Tint
- Stay Naked Pro Customizer
- Stay Naked The Fix
- Stay Naked Threesome
- Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation
- Stoned Vibes Eyeshadow Palette
- Stoned Vibes Highlighting Powder
- Stoned Vibes Major Gems Makeup Set
- The Ultimate Brush Off
- The Velvetizer
Eyes & Brows
- 24/7 Velvet Black Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil
- Brow Beater
- Brow Blade
- Brow Endowed
- Brow Finish Gel
- Double Down Brow
- Eyeshadow Primer Potion
- Heavy Metal Glitter Gel
- Inked Brow
- Perversion Waterproof Fine-Point Eye Pen
- Stoned Vibes 24/7 Glide-on Eyeliner Pencil
- Stoned Vibes Eyeshadow Palette
- Wired Transforming Liner
Lips
- Lip Plumper
- Lo-Fi Lip Mousse
- Moondust Lip Eclipse
- Stay Naked Face & Lip Tint
- Stoned Vibes Multidimensional Lip Gloss
- Vice Lip Chemistry
- Vice Lipstick Chemistry Trio
- Wired Vice Lip Chemistry
Is Urban Decay Sustainable?
Urban Decay’s headquarters is based in: USA
Urban Decay’s products are manufactured in: Urban Decay won’t disclose where their products are made, stating “Please be advised that our products are created all over the globe, making it difficult to know where exactly a certain product is manufactured.”
Urban Decay does not claim to be a sustainable company.
Sustainability & Environmental Initiatives: Urban Decay’s makeup brushes are made with recycled aluminum handles and the synthetic hair are made from recycled plastic bottles.
Giving Back Initiatives: Urban Decay launched, The Ultraviolet Edge, our global initiative to empower women by helping to fund organizations that fight for the rights of women everywhere. Urban Decay claims they have donated $1.28 million to women’s empowerment nonprofits. In addition, by purchasing their Fix Eyeshadow Primer Potion, you’re helping to provide literacy programs and microloans to women in Uganda. However, I no longer see this product available for purchase on their website. Not sure if they’re sold out or this program is no longer running.
Is Urban Decay’s Mica Ethically-Sourced? Urban Decay referenced to their parent company, L’Oreal’s mica sourcing policy which states “today, 99% of our mica comes from completely verified sources. L’Oréal is a founding member of the Responsible Mica Initiative and is committed to ending child labour practices and improving the working conditions of Indian communities whose livelihoods depend on mica.”
And here is Urban Decay’s response when I asked if their mica is ethically-sourced without child labor:
“We suggest you refer to the Inside our Products website which has more information on the Mica we use in our products.”
https://inside-our-products.loreal.com/active-ingredients/mica
I hope this article helped you to understand Urban Decay’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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Kelly KBeauty
April 23, 2020Thanks for posting an Urban Decay list. I’ve been using them for a long time now. I know they have certain shades of eyeshadow, and certain shades of Vice lipstick that are vegan. Do you think you’ll be able to update the vegan list with those products soon? Thanks in advance!