Is Anastasia Cruelty Free and Vegan? (Its Controversial)

Yes!

According to PETA - and who else could be better at judging who’s cruelty free - Anastasia Beverly Hills products all feature their bunny logo. 

As a result, they are certified Cruelty Free and have been for several years.

This can be backed up by their website, which proclaims that “ABH is committed to cruelty-free product formulation, testing, and development.”

Hooray!

However, there are some who would disagree with this statement because of their choice of ingredients, believing that their inclusion of non-vegan ingredients goes against what being CF stands for.

Likewise, ABH products do not have the Leaping Bunny Logo for this reason, which is another reason why people might declare them a non cruelty free brand. 

Personally, I think that cruelty-free means no animals are harmed in the making or testing of the products.

Although some of their brushes and makeup products aren’t strictly vegan, I think ABH still comes under the CF label.

Let’s talk more about that!

Is Anastasia Vegan?

Unfortunately no.

Whilst ABH is completely cruelty free, some of their products feature ingredients that have been derived from animals or their byproducts.

This means that they are not considered vegan.

Examples of animal-derived products used include beeswax, honey (though some vegans do consider these things as vegan because their continued production is necessary for saving the bees!) and carmine amongst others.

That being said, you can still get hundreds of their products if you’re a vegan.

Luckily for you, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of every single product that’s suitable, including shade variations.

Some people might find that boring… not me!

Makeup Brushes

Brow Makeup

Lip Makeup

Liquid Lipsticks in Allison, Ashton, Bittersweet, Bohemian, Clover, Crush, Currant, Dazed, Dolce, Dusty Mauve, Faded Terracotta, Grim, Hudson, Insomniac, Kathryn, Madison, Malt, Maude, Mulberry, Naked, Nocturnal, Poet, Redwood, Requiem, Rio, Ripened Red, Rock Sand, Soft Lilac Starfish, Strawberry, Stripped, Trouble, Tulip, and Violet

Face Makeup

This list is very much up to date as of 2021 but their Vegan Favorites page is regularly updated, so keep an eye out here for new and exciting makeup and brushes.

Does Anastasia Test On Animals?

No, Anastasia Beverly Hills have confirmed they never test any ingredients nor finished beauty products on any animals.

None of the third parties or suppliers involved in any of the ABH production process test on animals either.

As a result, none of the ABH products are available for sale anywhere in the world where animal testing must occur in accordance with the law, like mainland China. 

This is because they would be required to perform post-production tests on animals in order to stock their cosmetics in stores there.

Where many other brands have succumbed to this for the sake of profit, ABH prefers to protect our furry friends!

Unlike many other companies who claim not to test on animals, ABH is not owned by a parent company who tests on animals, either.

That’s often used as a Get Out Of Jail Free card, so it’s nice to see a large company not following that trend.

Is Anastasia Beverly Hills Ethical?

That depends on who you’re asking!

In my opinion, yes, because they are one hundred percent cruelty free, as well as completely committed to the use of sustainable packaging. 

As part of the Change The Beauty Game movement, ABH are attempting to do better by the planet and “create iconic branded eco-frriendly packaging made from 100% recycled material” though it’s not certain whether this is in place yet.

There are several reasons why someone might disagree with me:

ABH Products Are Not Organic - The ingredients they use for their products are not made entirely with natural ingredients, nor are they claimed to be organic; that said, everything they do use is one hundred percent safe and subject to rigorous (non-animal!) testing.

However, the man-made ingredients used might lead others to doubt how ethical they are as a brand.

ABH Products Are Not Paraben Free - Many parents and other campaign groups are anti-parabens, a compound involved in the production of cosmetics.

It is suggested that they have several negative side effects ranging in severity.

These include skin irritation, disruption of hormones present in our bodies, harm to reproductive organs, the potential for infertility and even an increased risk of cancer.

As such, people may not believe ABH is ethical for including parabens in their makeup formulas.

ABH Products Are Not Hypoallergenic - and the brand does not suggest their products are free from irritants or produced in any locations that are 100% allergen free.

However, there doesn’t appear to be any suggestion of irritation from using their products outside of allergies, and they have fans across the entire globe, so I think you’re good on this one.

A lack of declaration about being hypoallergenic does mean some people might not consider them ethical though! 

ABH Products Are Not Free Of Gluten - although it is only a few of their products that do contain the protein, its presence means they cannot be declared gluten-free.

This is less about being ethical and more about allergy prevention, but those who are allergic to gluten but also love makeup might think including it as an ingredient in your cosmetics is unethical!

Is Anastasia Beverly Hills sold in China?

No, they are not sold in mainland China stores.