Is Glossier Cruelty-Free and Vegan? (Yes, HOWEVER…)

Glossier is one of the most popular makeup and skincare brands at the moment.

Its super simple packaging and natural-looking makeup are great for every day.

Most modern makeup and skincare brands are cruelty free.

Testing on animals has been a big problem for a lot of consumers for many years now. 

Luckily, Glossier is an entirely cruelty free company.

But, unfortunately, not every Glossier product is vegan.

So, the ethics of Glossier products depends on your definition of “cruelty free”.

Let’s get a bit more into the specifics of what “cruelty free” actually means. 

Plus, which Glossier products are vegan and which contain animal products.

Does Glossier Test on Animals?

No. As a brand, Glossier is certified as “cruelty free” by Leaping Bunny.

This is a program operated by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.

It operates within the US and Canada but is still recognized in other countries, such as the UK.

Leaping Bunny certified brands are usually highlighted in drugstores or makeup departments.

The brand will be marked by a cartoon image of a white rabbit or the name of the program. 

Does Glossier Sell In China?

No, Glossier does not sell in China. 

“Cruelty free” can only be an accurate description if the brand doesn’t sell its products in China.

Although some brands describe themselves as “cruelty free”, they will usually mean they don’t test on animals in the country you are in.

In China, it is a legal requirement that all imported cosmetics be tested on animals before they can be sold.

This means that any brand selling its products in China cannot be absolutely considered cruelty free.

So, although Glossier doesn’t sell in China, make sure to double-check this for other brands. 

Are Glossier products vegan?

Glossier does have some non-vegan products but not all Glossiers products are 100% vegan.

This is because some of their products contain ingredients such as beeswax, honey, carmine, and lanolin.

All of these products can be considered vegetarian (although the carmine is dependent on the ethics of the consumer). 

If you ask most vegans, they will consider any makeup or skincare that contains animal products to not be cruelty free.

They believe that any usage of animals and the materials they produce to be a cruel and unnecessary act.

Beeswax and honey are obvious non-vegan ingredients.

But what are carmine and lanolin? Carmine is a coloring made from crushing cochineal bugs.

This is also sometimes included in ingredients lists as “Natural Red 4”. 

Lanolin is a fatty substance derived from sheeps’ wool.

This will generally be considered vegetarian as the sheep from which lanolin is taken are raised and farmed for their wool.

This means they are not killed for their wool or wool by-products.

But, as no animal products are vegan, lanolin is itself not a vegan ingredient.

Which Glossier products are vegan?

So, which Glossier products are actually vegan?

Here is a quick rundown of all the vegan Glossier products.

Makeup

• Perfecting Skin Tint
• Lip Gloss
• Wowder
• Brow Flick
• Generation G Lipstick
• Pro Tip Eyeliner

Skincare

• Milk Jelly Cleanser
• Futuredew
• Super Pure
• All three Serums
• Invisible Shield sunscreen
• Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector
• Body Hero Cleanse
• Exfoliate Hero

Perfume

Glossier only has one “fragrance” called Glossier You.

Unfortunately, it is not certified as vegan.

But this is generally up to your own personal ethics.

The reason it cannot be certified as vegan is because it contains a tree bark that might contain a kind of bug saliva.

This is a bit of a controversial assessment.

Some would argue that it only contains an animal by-product by accident.

The fragrance does not include the saliva as an intentional ingredient.

So, some will argue that it is fine for a vegan to use as the bug doesn’t have to be killed or suffer to use its by-product.

That said, using the bark is technically using the habitat of the bugs.

So they are being impacted in a sense.

This might seem like a little bit of a stretch for some vegans.

Especially as it is almost impossible to make anything without impacting the environment of a living creature.

So, it’s entirely up to you whether or not this Glossier perfume is vegan or not. 

Is Glossier Leaping Bunny Approved?

Yes, Glossier is listed on Leaping Bunnys approved list. 

Is Glossier PETA Certified?

Glossier does not appear to be on PETAs certified list.

Conclusion

Overall, Glossier is officially certified as cruelty free.

Glossier does not test on animals and also goes the extra mile to ensure no part of their manufacturing process includes animal testing or cruelty to animals.

All Glossier products can be classed as vegetarian.

This is because they do not contain any products, such as gelatin, that are derived from killing an animal.

(Although whether or not cochineal bugs are “animals” is up for debate). 

They do have some products that contain non-vegan ingredients.

So whether or not these products can be considered “cruelty free” is mostly down to your own ethics. 

But, if you’re trying to find out if Glossier tests on animals, then the answer is absolutely not.

So, with that definition, Glossier is definitely a cruelty free brand.