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If you’re wondering, “Is The Inkey List cruelty-free?” you’ve come to the right place. At Conscious Bunny, we’re dedicated to providing thorough and reliable information about various brands. We research whether The Inkey List is cruelty-free, vegan, clean, and conscious. Additionally, we examine if a brand is sustainable, contributes to the community, and considers allergens in its products.
The world of cruelty-free, vegan, and clean beauty can be complex. With so many unregulated terms and labels, it can be challenging to know what to trust. Our mission is to make it easier for you by providing clear, fact-based insights. We delve into the details so you can make informed choices with confidence.
By relying on our comprehensive research, you can be sure you’re supporting brands aligning with your values. We believe in transparency and aim to empower you with the knowledge you need to choose products that are genuinely cruelty-free and conscious.
Is The Inkey List Cruelty-Free?
Yes, The Inkey List is cruelty-free. They don’t test their products on animals and don’t work with suppliers who do. They also won’t enter any market that requires animal testing either by themselves or a third party on their behalf. The Inkey List is also in line with EU regulations on animal testing.
Is The Inkey List Owned By A Cruelty-Free Parent Company?
The Inkey List is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals. However, Unilever Ventures and John Mills Limited have invested in the brand (which means they each own a percentage of The Inkey List), and both these companies are not considered cruelty-free.
In the beauty industry, brands are often owned by larger parent companies like L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, or Procter & Gamble, many of which conduct animal testing to some extent.
While most parent companies are not cruelty-free, some of the brands they own adhere to strict policies against animal testing. This means that brands under these parent companies are still cruelty-free.
However, this gives you as a consumer two choices: You can choose not to support these brands because they’re part of a bigger, animal-testing parent company, or you can choose to support them because they are 100% cruelty-free even though their parent company is not.
We personally believe that since these brands operate independently from the parent company, you can support them as they’re cruelty-free. However, a small group of shoppers choose to boycott brands owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
We don’t mind which option you choose; we want to make it easy for all our readers. That’s why we decided to mention whether or not a parent company is involved.
Is The Inkey List Cruelty-Free Certified?
The Inkey List is Leaping Bunny certified.
Companies can be fully cruelty-free without being certified, but certifications are a good indicator of their ethical practices. The most trusted organizations that give out certifications are PETA and Leaping Bunny.
Is The Inkey List Sold Where Animal Testing Is Required By Law?
The Inkey List is not sold in China or any other country where animal testing is required by law.
In countries like China, certain cosmetic products may be subject to mandatory animal testing regulations. If a brand wants to sell its products in physical stores in China, it has to comply with these regulations, where animal testing may occur.
Starting in 2023, brands can enter the Chinese market without funding animal cruelty. However, not every brand may qualify. Certain ingredients, products, and claims may still trigger animal tests during the registration process, and post-market testing involving animals, while rare, is still a possibility.
To avoid animal testing in China, companies must meet specific criteria:
- Sell only ‘general’ cosmetics in China (such as makeup, skincare, haircare, nail polish, and perfumes).
- Avoid selling ‘special’ cosmetics like sunscreens or hair dye.
- Refrain from selling products for infants, children, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, or products containing ‘New Cosmetic Ingredients.’
- Have a policy in place to recall products if post-market testing is required rather than allowing them to be tested on animals.
Furthermore, products can avoid animal testing in China if they are manufactured in China or if their final assembly occurs in China. If manufactured outside of China, companies must obtain the proper safety certificates from their country of origin.
Brands that have been selling in China must ensure that all their products meet the exemption criteria while providing the proper safety certificates from specific authorities. This means that many brands currently sold in China may not yet be entirely cruelty-free.
It’s essential to note that while China is gradually relaxing its animal testing laws, it does not mean that all brands sold in China are now cruelty-free. While this phase may raise questions, brands selling in China no longer have to be an immediate no-no for cruelty-free shoppers.
To provide shoppers with extra assurance, Leaping Bunny offers the China Qualification Program, which you can check before purchasing. This program ensures that Leaping Bunny-certified companies selling domestically in China remain cruelty-free.
Is The Inkey List Vegan?
No, The Inkey List is not completely vegan (93% of their range is vegan), but all products are Vegetarian-friendly. They highlight on their product pages which products are Vegan Certified and highlight any products that contain animal derivatives (for example, beeswax).
A company can have vegan products even if not all their products are vegan. If all their products are vegan, the brand is considered “100% vegan.”
Several organizations, similar to PETA and Leaping Bunny, offer vegan certifications to help you identify vegan brands. For example, Vegan Action, The Vegan Society, and The Vegetarian Society provide a Vegan Trademark to companies that use no animal-derived ingredients.
Check out our 100% Vegan Beauty Brands A-Z list, or use our free Vegan Ingredient Checker to determine whether a specific product contains animal-derived ingredients.
Is The Inkey List Clean?
Yes, The Inkey List is a clean beauty brand. Their products do not contain any harmful ingredients such as Parabens, Sulfates, Fragrances, and more. On top of that, The Inkey List is also on the “Clean At Sephora” list, which is also a good indicator.
The term “clean beauty” is controversial because it isn’t regulated; this means that brands can label their products as ‘clean,’ ‘green,’ ‘organic,’ and ‘natural’ without strict guidelines.
For us, clean beauty means choosing products made without ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and synthetic fragrances that have been shown or even suspected to harm human health, animal health, or the environment.
Check out our Clean Beauty Brands A-Z list, or use our free Clean Ingredients Checker to determine whether a specific product contains toxic ingredients.
Allergens In Beauty Products
Besides letting you know whether a product contains harmful ingredients, we also understand that living with allergies can be tough. That’s why we discuss whether the brand contains any allergens in its products, helping you make informed decisions that suit your individual needs and preferences.
*The information provided is not medical advice. For any health concerns, please consult with your doctor before using the products.
Is The Inkey List Fragrance-Free?
Yes, The Inkey List is fragrance-free. You will see this on the specific product pages as well, where the products are marked as fragrance-free.
Is The Inkey List Paraben-Free?
Yes, The Inkey List is paraben-free. The products do not contain parabens, sulfates, fragrances, etc.
Is The Inkey List Gluten-Free?
The majority of The Inkey List products are gluten-free, except these products: Peptide Volumizing Hair Treatment and PCA Bond Hair Treatment.
Is The Inkey List Nut-Free?
No, The Inkey List is not nut-free. The brand does not share any information on the use of nuts in their products, which probably means their products may contain nuts.
Is The Inkey List Soy-Free?
No, The Inkey List is not soy-free. The brand does not share any information on the use of soy in their products, which probably means their products may contain soy.
Is The Inkey List Conscious?
At Conscious Bunny, we’re all about supporting brands that do good. We believe that brands who are conscious show this with their actions in environmental sustainability, ethical sourcing, social responsibility, transparency, and accountability.
For those of us who care about making conscious choices, we’ve done our homework on these topics. We’ve answered the big questions to help you pick products that match your values.
The Inkey List is conscious. This is based on the following:
Where Is The Inkey List Made?
The Inkey List products are manufactured in the US, Canada, and the UK.
Is The Inkey List Sustainable?
Yes, The Inkey List is sustainable. They’re B-Corp certified: B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.
They’ve reached the following goals:
- 100% of their products are now recycle ready.
- 100% using a minimum of 65% recycled PCR plastic, in the process of shifting to 70% for all packs
- All of their tubes and pumps are mono-material to improve their recyclability massively.
- All of their packs used FSC-certified boards.
- They had hoped to save 48 tonnes of virgin plastic, but… in fact, they have saved a massive 120 tonnes of virgin plastic by making these changes.
- They’re certified NET-ZERO, which means they have offset 100% of their carbon from their entire supply chain in 2021 and 150% of their office emissions!
Is The Inkey List Socially Responsible?
Yes, The Inkey List is socially responsible. The INKEY Impact Fund aims to create 500,000 young changemakers by 2024.
The fund is run by young people for young people. The INKEY Impact Fund partners with changemakers in schools, empowering them with the knowledge to create positive change in the world. It is supported by Ashoka, a leading voice in global change-making in education.
Over the years, the company has experienced the growth and evolution of the INKEY Impact Fund and learned a lot from fund leaders, the organizations they supported, and from you. The INKEY List is committed to supporting the long-term goal of revolutionizing how education is delivered globally, empowering teachers and young people everywhere to achieve better outcomes.
Key Initiatives:
- In 2024, the INKEY List will focus solely on education, donating significantly to fund localized projects around the world.
- The partnership with Ashoka is progressing, and a pilot project is being developed to revolutionize education in the UK and the US.
- The company will create more impact within localized communities by working with schools, colleges, young people, and educators to give back and shift how education is delivered.
Is The Inkey List B Corp Certified?
The Inkey List is B Corp Certified. However, a brand can still be conscious without this certification, but it gives a good indication.
When a brand earns B Corp certification, it pledges to consider everyone impacted by its decisions, beyond just its owners. This entails workers, the communities in which they operate, suppliers, consumers, and the environment. This certification can reassure consumers, emphasizing the brand’s dedication to considering the broader impact of its decisions.
Thank You For Being Here!
I hope that this post answered all your questions about The Inkey List. If not, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out through the contact form. I’m more than happy to help!
Thank you for being here because it means that you are interested in cruelty-free beauty and are educating yourself about this subject. If you’re willing to learn even more, here are some of the resources we provide to help you on your journey: