Defining Clean & Cruelty-Free Beauty
If you’ve visited our site before, you’ve probably seen us mention our clean and cruelty-free standards. These guidelines help us determine whether a brand or product aligns with our mission to promote ingredient-conscious, cruelty-free beauty.
While our standards are a helpful starting point for navigating clean and ethical beauty, we always encourage you to do your own research and make choices that align with your values and needs.
What “Clean” Means to Us
When it comes to beauty, terms like “clean,” “green,” and “non-toxic” lack standardized, regulated definitions, making it difficult to know what you’re really getting. And with so much misleading marketing out there, it’s easy to get caught up in greenwashing (when brands exaggerate or misrepresent their environmental claims) and other questionable clean beauty claims.
We believe ingredients matter, but science comes first. Our approach focuses on credible research, ingredient transparency, and informed choices rather than fear-based marketing or blanket assumptions about what’s safe. After all, natural doesn’t always mean safer, and synthetic doesn’t always mean harmful.
How We Evaluate a Brand’s Clean Beauty Standards
We believe in being mindful of what goes into our beauty products and favor brands that prioritize ingredient transparency, responsible formulation, and product safety.
Our evaluation focuses on a brand’s overall ingredient philosophy and formulation practices rather than reviewing every individual product. While we may reference ingredient databases and scientific research, we believe in taking a science-first approach rather than relying on fear-based claims or ingredient rating systems alone.
Clean & Cruelty-Free does not independently test ingredients or products.
Our definition of Clean is: “Products formulated with ingredients supported by available safety evidence, with an emphasis on minimizing unnecessary exposure to ingredients of concern.”
What “Cruelty-Free” Means to Us
On the other hand, cruelty-free is a little easier to define. Simply put, it means a product and its ingredients are developed without animal testing. Unfortunately, things get confusing when brands use misleading claims or bunny logos that haven’t been independently verified. In the United States, there’s no standardized federal certification required to label a product cruelty-free, making it difficult for consumers to know which claims they can trust.
How we determine if a brand is cruelty-free:
All of the following criteria must be met.
- No animal testing: The brand does not test its finished products or individual ingredients on animals.
- No third-party testing: The brand does not commission or authorize animal testing through third parties.
- Responsible suppliers: The brand requires its ingredient suppliers to follow the same animal-testing standards.
- Global compliance: The brand does not conduct or authorize animal testing to meet regulatory requirements in any market where its products are sold, including mainland China.
- Animal welfare: If the brand uses animal-derived ingredients, such as honey, beeswax, or milk, they must be sourced without intentional harm or cruelty to animals.
A Note on Selling in Mainland China
While mainland China has relaxed some of its animal-testing requirements, certain cosmetics may still be subject to mandatory testing.
Our definition of Cruelty-Free is: “Products and ingredients developed without animal testing, including testing conducted or commissioned by the brand, its suppliers, or third parties on its behalf.”
The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. All opinions are our own.