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You’re here because you want to know the answer to “Is Bobbi Brown cruelty-free?” and you’re at the right place. We at Conscious Bunny do thorough research to discover everything about a brand, including whether Bobbi Brown is cruelty-free, vegan, and/or sustainable, and also whether it’s clean, fragrance-free, and/or paraben-free.
Let’s face it: The world of cruelty-free, vegan, and clean beauty can be a bit of a maze and even misleading. Green-washing, faking logos, and using deceiving terms are still common today. It’s our mission to cut through the noise because we believe you deserve to make choices based on facts, not fluff.
Is Bobbi Brown Cruelty-Free?
No, Bobbi Brown is not cruelty-free. They state: “We do not test our products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on our behalf, except where required by law.”
This means that, although Bobbi Brown as a company do not test their finished products or ingredients on animals, they nevertheless pay others to test their products on animals “where required by law”. This means that Bobbi Brown is not cruelty-free.
Is Bobbi Brown Owned By A Cruelty-Free Parent Company?
Bobbi Brown is owned by a parent company that tests on animals. The parent company is Estée Lauder, which is not a cruelty-free company.
You might be wondering why this is important information. Now, here’s the thing: many of these parent companies aren’t cruelty-free themselves because they do some level of animal testing. And, to complicate matters, they might own a bunch of brands that also aren’t cruelty-free.
No immediate worries, though; some of the brands under these parent companies are proudly cruelty-free and have really strict policies against animal testing. So, you can still find ethically conscious options within these bigger brand families.
We do like to mention this because some consumers don’t buy from cruelty-free brands with an animal testing parent company. We respect everyone’s choice in this!
Is Bobbi Brown Cruelty-Free Certified?
No, Bobbi Brown is not certified by any organization. Companies can be fully cruelty-free without being certified, but the certifications are a good indicator of their ethical practices.
Is Bobbi Brown Sold In China?
Bobbi Brown is is available for sale in countries with mandatory animal testing. This means that their products were likely tested on animals.
China, for example, has mandatory animal testing policies for certain imported cosmetic products. To comply with these regulations, some brands choose to sell their products in physical stores in China, where animal testing may occur.
Starting in 2023, brands will have the possibility to enter China and avoid animal testing, so companies can now enter the Chinese market without funding animal cruelty. However, not every brand can 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.
On top of that, this doesn’t mean that China completely banned animal testing – they didn’t. If a brand wants to test on animals, it’s still possible to do so in China. While it’s great that China is slowly relaxing its animal testing laws, I just want to warn you that it doesn’t mean that all brands sold in China are now cruelty-free.
We’re in a quite vague phase, which makes shopping cruelty-free a little harder. However, brands selling in China don’t have to be an immediate no-no anymore.
Is Bobbi Brown Vegan?
Bobbi Brown is not vegan. This means that some of their products may contain animal-derived ingredients. Bobbi Brown might offer some vegan products, however because this company is not cruelty-free, it’s recommended to avoid any products they offer even if they are vegan.
If you want to learn more about vegan beauty products, check out our What Makes A Beauty Product Vegan guide or our List Of 13 Vegan Ingredients In Beauty Products.
Is Bobbi Brown Considered A Clean Beauty Brand?
Let’s start with a little background on what exactly “clean” means. The term “clean beauty” is controversial because it isn’t regulated; this means that brands can slap ‘clean,’ ‘green,’ ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ on their products whenever they want.
How I personally approach “clean beauty” is the same as Goop explains it: clean beauty products are those made without ingredients shown or suspected to harm human health, animal health, or the environment.
No, Bobbi Brown is not considered a clean beauty brand. They do formulate their products without parabens or mineral oil, but they never mention any other ingredients that are questioned, such as phthalates, sulfates, SLS, and more.
What Are Harmful Ingredients?
Sadly, there are quite a few (actually… thousands) of harmful ingredients or ingredients that are suspected to be harmful to humans, animals, and/or the environment. Here are some of the most frequently used ingredients:
Ingredient | Concerns |
Parabens | Potential hormone disruption, allergenic potential |
Phthalates | Reproductive and developmental issues |
Formaldehyde | Skin irritation, potential carcinogenic effects |
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) | Skin irritation, oil-stripping potential |
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) | Skin irritation, oil-stripping potential |
Synthetic Fragrances | Allergenic potential, often not fully disclosed |
Is Bobbi Brown Fragrance-Free?
No, Bobbi Brown is not fragrance-free.
Is Bobbi Brown Paraben-Free?
Yes, Bobbi Brown is paraben-free.
Is Bobbi Brown Sustainable?
Yes, Bobbi Brown seems committed to sustainability. On its website, it shares: “We are working to make Bobbi Brown a more responsible makeup brand by reducing packaging and creating more refillable makeup. We have set sustainability goals to meet by 2025, and we are already well on our way to meeting them.
Our first goal is to have 75% of our packaging, by weight, be recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled, or recoverable. Right now, we’re 88% there. We have met our second goal: to increase the amount of PCR material in our packaging by 50% by 2025 (as compared to the 2019 baseline). And we have achieved 100% FSC certification for all our forest-based fiber cartons, which was our third sustainability goal.”
How To Find Out If A Brand Is Cruelty-Free And/Or Vegan Yourself?
The easiest way to tell if a brand is cruelty-free and vegan is to look for third-party certification. Several organizations, such as Cruelty-Free International, PETA, and Leaping Bunny, offer cruelty-free certifications for companies that have agreed to adhere to their strict guidelines for animal testing.
Similarly, the Vegan Society provides a Vegan Trademark to companies that do not use any animal-derived ingredients in their products. Look for these certifications as a sign that a brand is truly cruelty-free and vegan.
It’s also important to look beyond the label. Many companies may claim to be cruelty-free and vegan but may not actually adhere to those standards. Check the company’s website for information about their animal testing policies and ingredients, or ask the brand the following questions:
Questions |
Does your brand test products or ingredients on animals? |
Do the companies you get your supplies from, test on animals? How do you ensure they don’t? |
Are there any other companies that test on animals for you? |
Do you test on animals when the law says you have to? |
In which countries can you find your products in physical stores (not counting online sales)? |
Moreover, they may be able to recommend alternative cruelty-free and vegan brands that meet your needs. By following these steps, you can determine if a brand is truly cruelty-free and vegan. If you would like more information and tips, check out this cruelty-free makeup and skincare guide.
With more and more companies offering animal-friendly products, it’s easier than ever to find cruelty-free and vegan products that fit your lifestyle.
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