If you love Almay cosmetics and living a cruelty free lifestyle you will want to read this now. We get to the truth and provide clear answers to the simple question we all want to know… is ALMAY cruelty free anymore?
Unfortunately, you now need to find cruelty free makeup and skin care alternatives to replace Almay if you want to live an ethical lifestyle. Almay has landed on our list of brands that test on animals after this thorough investigation.
We’ll show you why, and the misleading disclosure gaps in their animal testing policy.
We’ll also show you how to fix this ethical dilemma, and how to find the best Almay cruelty free and vegan alternatives.
… so let’s dive in.
is ALMAY Cruelty free?
Almay is NOT considered a cruelty-free brand. They do not certify as cruelty free and are owned by Revlon who sells in China where animal testing is required.
Does ALMAY test on animals?
It’s grey. Almay says they are cruelty free, but does not provide any further details, evidence or 3rd party cruelty free certifications. They are owned by Revlon who does sell in Mainland China where testing is required by law. Almay has been sued in the past for misleading disclosure surrounding their hypoallergenic claims… so what is one to believe about their unsubstantiated cruelty free statement?
…but it makes us wonder if animal testing is more wide-spread?
What’s also not clear is if ingredients are tested on animals. They are very vague on any animal testing policy disclosure.
…this part gets interesting… but before we dive into this issue – let’s explore the actual testing policy.
ALMAY testing policy
Here is the full Almay Animal Testing policy disclosed on their website:
So this is the spot where many brands start to mislead consumers with omission of key facts.
Even though Almay as a brand claims they not test on animals directly… they don’t disclose if their ingredients are tested on animals by suppliers.
BTW… in case you didn’t know… most animal testing occurs at the ingredient level, and not the product level.
…So avoiding this topic is not cool, and is not a complete disclosure on animal testing facts.
More on this in a bit… first we need to talk about testing in China.
Does ALMAY sell in China?
Yes, but most sales appear to be e-commerce sales through platforms that sell into mainland China from Hong Kong and nearby countries. This potentially could legally bypass animal testing regulations in China, but again Almay provides no disclosure on this topic.
Do ALMAY’S Ingredient Suppliers Test on Animals?
So… the next step in our investigation dives into Almay’s ingredient testing policies.
What we really want to know is if any animal testing happens on Almay ingredients…anywhere.
Does the Almay animal testing policy prohibit the testing of ingredients and raw materials on animals?
Here is what we found on supplier testing
What we discovered is Almay does not fully disclose if animal testing happens on their ingredients or raw materials provided by suppliers.
What disclosure is missing
We would like to see Almay disclose if any 3rd parties or suppliers test on their ingredients or raw materials before they receive them.
…Is this really too much to ask? Just be transparent on key issues!
Many cruelty free brands now choose to take an ethical stand and do not test on animals anywhere in their supply chain. Brands serious about cruelty free cosmetics will certify with 3rd parties and provide explicit statements ensuring no testing has occurred on their products or ingredients by either them or their suppliers.
Unfortunately, Almay is not a brand that has committed 100% to eliminating all animal testing across their supply chain, or alternatively, providing more explicit disclosure on this controversial topic.
Almay does Not Certify as Cruelty Free
Is ALMAY Vegan Friendly?
Almay is not vegan. They do not provide vegan labelling on products, nor are they certified as vegan with either Leaping Bunny or Peta. Some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients, as these are often less expensive to source as cosmetic ingredients.
It’s safe to assume that if a brand has not declared vegan status they allow the use of animal-derived ingredients in their formulations. Most brands are not vegan because it’s much more expensive to source and manage vegan raw materials through supply chains.
Common animal-derived ingredients
Ingredients that are often sourced from animals include:
- Hyaluronic Acid – often found in serums and moisturizers
- Retinol – found in some night creams
- Carmine – often found in blush and lipstick
- Stearic Acid – found in skin creams
- Glycerin – a humectant found in many moisturizers
- Lanolin – in some moisturizers
- Lactic Acid – found in some Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
- Beeswax – often found in lipstick and lip balms
- Animal hair – used in makeup brushes
- Guanine – can be used in nail polish and eye shadow
- Keratin – in hair and nail products
- Squalene – in moisturizers, eye creams and facial oils
The bottom line with vegan cosmetics is it’s really difficult to tell from the ingredient list if the source is animal or synthetic versions. As shoppers we can only rely on vegan labelling, certification and other disclosures offered by the brand.
Our Vegan Shopping Advice
If a product is not advertised and labelled as 100% vegan you should assume it contains animal-derived ingredients.
We also want to understand if the entire brand is vegan… or just select products.
For ethical reasons many people now only use vegan products from a brand that is 100% vegan and free of animal ingredients.
Who owns ALMAY Brand?
Almay is a large cosmetic brand owned by Revlon who is a large cosmetics and beauty brand conglomerate. Revlon, Inc. is not cruelty-free.
Revlon, Inc. owns several popular beauty brands including its name sake Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, and Cutex.
Currently, the Revlon Group does not have any cruelty free brands.
Revlon, Inc. admits they test on animals. Their animal testing policy states they follow testing laws in countries that require it.
More ALMAY Cosmetics Cruelty-Free FAQS
Is ALMAY cruelty free in the US?
No, as they do not verify if ingredient suppliers test on animals.
Is ALMAY on Peta’s Cruelty Free List?
No, Almay has not certified with Peta as either cruelty-free or vegan.
Is ALMAY on Leaping Bunny Approved cruelty-free list?
No, Almay has not certified with Leaping Bunny as either cruelty-free or vegan.
Is ALMAY Animal Friendly?
No, Almay Cosmetics is not animal friendly as likely tests on animals in China and may use animal-derived ingredients in its formulations.
Is ALMAY Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
No, Almay is not cruelty-free or vegan because it likely tests on animals in China, uses animal-derived ingredients, and does not label products as vegan.
ALMAY Cosmetics cruelty-free Summary
Here is a summary of Almay’s cruelty-free assessment. Almay is not a cruelty-free brand at this time. To become cruelty-free Almay would have to stop selling in countries that require animal testing and only use ingredients from suppliers that do not test on animals.
| Tests finished products on animals? | Yes, when required by law |
| Tests ingredients on animals? | Unclear |
| Suppliers test on animals? | Unclear |
| Leaping Bunny Certified? | No |
| Peta Certified? | No |
| Uses animal-derived ingredients? | Likely |
| Vegan? | No |
| Sold in Mainland China? | Likely |
| Parent company? | Revlon, Inc. |
| Are all parent company brands cruelty-free? | No |
Why we don’t consider ALMAY a cruelty-free brand
To start with, there is no legal definition for the claims of “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” that are used by cosmetic brands.
The most common definition for “cruelty-free” is that a product or its ingredients were not tested on animals. So when people ask – is ALMAY Cruelty free… the answer is complicated because of the sneaky lawyer-approved language many brands use to describe their animal testing policies.
Where this gets murky is when brands only talk about their direct testing activities, and omit facts about 3rd party animal testing that may take place on their products or ingredients.
We don’t consider Almay to be cruelty-free because they are silent on ingredient testing by others in their animal testing disclosure, do not certify as cruelty free, and use “fake” cruelty free logos which may deceive viewers into thinking their products are certified by Leaping Bunny or PETA .
Our Cruelty-Free Standard
At Beauty + Kind our standard for “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” is very simple. We require brand disclosure that no animal testing has occurred during any part of bringing their product to market by any party. This includes testing on raw materials, ingredients, finished products or selling in countries where animal testing is required by law.
Beauty + Kind
Unfortunately Almay does not meet our Beauty + Kind highest standard due to their lack of animal testing certification and lack of vegan formulations.
ALMAY Cruelty-Free and vegan Alternatives
So is Almay Cruelty free? Absolutely not! If your looking to switch to more ethical brands, here are some cruelty-free and vegan options to consider:
Certified Cruelty Free
Take the guess work out of it and browse the ultimate list of cruelty free makeup and skin care brands.
Certified Vegan
Easily find brands that certify they don’t use animal-derived ingredients on the list of vegan makeup and skin care brands.
Certified Natural
Learn more about brands using natural formulations on the ultimate list of natural makeup and skin care brands.
Certified Organic
Discover brands focused on botanicals and organics on the ultimate list of organic makeup and skin care brands.
DIY Clean Beauty
Have some fun creating clean beauty formulations from the ultimate list of DIY makeup and skin care recipes.
Should You switch to kinder beauty brands?
Our philosophy and Beauty + Kind is that TRUE CRUELTY-FREE BEAUTY means that no harm to animals has happened during the entire manufacturing and testing process. This includes the source and harvest of ingredients, ingredient testing, and testing of the final product.
How to make the Switch to Animal-Friendly Brands
Making the switch is easier than you think once you have the right information. If you want to switch to more ethical and animal-friendly beauty brands check out the ultimate list of vegan and cruelty-free brands.
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