Is Milk Makeup Cruelty-Free, Vegan, Or Clean? The Truth

If you’re wondering, “Is Milk Makeup cruelty-free?” you’ve come to the right place. At Conscious Bunny, we’re committed to providing thorough and reliable information about beauty brands.

We research whether Milk Makeup is cruelty-free, vegan, clean, and conscious. This means that beyond just checking its cruelty-free and vegan status, we also examine its ingredients, sustainability efforts, community contributions, allergen considerations, and much more.

Is Milk Makeup Cruelty-Free? 

Is Milk Makeup Owned By A Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

Milk Makeup was acquired in 2021 by Waldencast, which is actually certified cruelty-free by PETA.

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 Milk Makeup Cruelty-Free Certified?

Yes, Milk Makeup is certified by Leaping Bunny. 

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 Milk Makeup Sold Where Animal Testing Is Required By Law?

Milk Makeup 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 have the opportunity to 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.

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.

Check out the post on Animal Testing Laws In China, where we explain the details, current status, and potential changes to these requirements.

Is Milk Makeup Vegan? 

Yes, Milk Makeup is 100% vegan, which means none of its products contain any animal-derived ingredients.

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 list of 100% Vegan Beauty Brands A-Z, or use our free Vegan Ingredient Checker to determine whether a specific product contains animal-derived ingredients.

Is Milk Makeup Clean?

Yes, Milk Makeup is considered a clean beauty brand. It only uses EU-compliant nanoparticles, no phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP) or bisphenols (BPA), and no mercury or mercury-containing ingredients (including Thimerosal).

Their sunscreens are Coral Reef Safe, so they don’t use Avobenzone, Benzophenone + derivatives, Oxybenzone, or Octinoxate.

Milk Makeup products will never contain over 2,500 controversial and potentially harmful or irritating ingredients, including Parabens, sulfates, BHA, BPA, plastic microbeads, talc, urea, retinyl palmitate, mercury or mercury-containing ingredients, resorcinol, formaldehyde, aluminum salts, and mineral oil. For the complete list, check out the Milk Makeup website.

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 list of Clean Beauty Brands A-Z, or use our free Clean Ingredients Checker to determine whether a specific product contains toxic ingredients.

Is Milk Makeup Fragrance-Free? 

Yes, Milk Makeup is synthetic fragrance-free.

Is Milk Makeup Paraben-Free? 

Yes, Milk Makeup is paraben-free.

Is Milk Makeup Talc-Free? 

Yes, Milk Makeup is talc-free.

We mention this information because it might be important to some beauty consumers who are concerned about the potential health risks of talc. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to read my in-depth article about talc in makeup.

Is Milk Makeup Non-Comedogenic?

Based on the research I did through random sampling, Milk Makeup’s products are non-comedogenic. However, I recommend checking the ingredients of the specific product you want to purchase to be sure.

If you haven’t heard about this term before, non-comedogenic means a product is less likely to clog your pores, which can help prevent breakouts and blackheads. These products are specially formulated with ingredients that won’t block your skin, making them a great choice for people with acne-prone or sensitive skin.

Use our free Pore-Clogging Ingredients Checker to determine if a product is non-comedogenic or contains pore-clogging ingredients.

Is Milk Makeup Allergy-Safe?

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 Milk Makeup Gluten-Free? 

Milk Makeup products are formulated with gluten-free ingredients. However, they can’t guarantee that no cross-contamination will occur as their products aren’t produced by a certified gluten-free manufacturer. 

Is Milk Makeup Nut-Free? 

Milk Makeup does not have information on its website about products being nut-free. Some products may contain nuts or ingredients derived from nuts.

Is Milk Makeup Soy-Free? 

Milk Makeup does not have information on its website about products being soy-free. Some products may contain soy or ingredients derived from soy.

Is Milk Makeup Conscious? 

At Conscious Bunny, we’re all about supporting brands that do good. We believe that conscious brands show this through 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.

Milk Makeup is a conscious brand. This is based on the following:  

Where Is Milk Makeup Manufactured? 

Milk Makeup is developed in-house at Milk Studios, their downtown NYC home.

Is Milk Makeup Sustainable? 

Yes, Milk Makeup is committed to sustainability. Starting in January 2021, they’ve redesigned their e-commerce shipping system and started transporting products in their new, sustainable shipping box and bag.

The box is printed with petroleum-free, plant-based ink and is made in the USA. The inner bag is also made in the USA from 100% post-consumer waste. Both are 100% recyclable once you remove the adhesive strip on the box.

They’re introducing refillable makeup where possible, shifting from using virgin plastic in primary packaging to incorporating post-consumer resin where possible, and offering recycling solutions.

Is Milk Makeup Socially Responsible? 

Yes, Milk Makeup is socially responsible and committed to ethical and responsible sourcing for its formulas from start to finish. For any products containing mica or palm-derived ingredients, it only uses ethically sourced and sustainable mica and sustainability-certified palm-derived ingredients. It also works with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) -compliant factories.

Moreover, Milk Makeup remains committed to supporting and uplifting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. 

• They match up to $500 in charitable donations per employee per calendar year. 
• They’re committed to two ongoing, 365-days-a-year donations:
• 1% of all milkmakeup.com sales are donated to The Center, their long-standing LGBTQIA+ partner. 
• 1% of all milkmakeup.com sales are donated to The Fashion Scholarship Fund, fostering the next generation of BIPOC talent in beauty. 

Is Milk Makeup’s Mica Sourced Ethically? 

Milk Makeup has shared the following statement on their use of mica: “The mica in our highlighter is sourced from India. We are in close communication with our filler and can confirm that we do not use child labor at any stage in the process of obtaining our mica.

The filler we work with abides by the codes of the Ethical Trade Initiative, and their supply chain is regularly audited to ensure they’re meeting these guidelines.”

Is Milk Makeup B Corp Certified? 

Milk Makeup is not B Corp Certified. However, a brand can still be conscious without this certification.

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.

Final Thoughts: Is Conscious Bunny Reliable?

I hope that this post answered all your questions about Milk Makeup. If not, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out through the contact form. I’m more than happy to help! 

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. We reach out to brands directly to gather details about their full animal testing policy, as well as details on their ingredients, sustainability efforts, and more.

If a brand answers all our questions and confirms that no animal testing occurs at any stage of production or beyond, we add them to our cruelty-free list. Every brand included has verified this information with us.

We continuously monitor changes and update our database, cruelty-free list, and brand pages in real time whenever we receive new information. To learn more about our thorough process, check out how we rate brands.

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: 

• Cruelty-Free Symbols & Vegan Labels
• Parent Companies And Their Cruelty-Free Brands
• What Makes A Beauty Product Vegan?
• Difference Between Vegan And Vegetarian Beauty
• What Is Clean Beauty & Why Would You Care?
• How To Spot Greenwashing In Beauty