If you love Tarte Cosmetics and living a cruelty free life it’s your lucky day!
Using and supporting Tarte makeup and skin care is aligned with an ethical lifestyle.
We’ll show you why we consider Tarte Cruelty Free, and also point out some small concerns in their animal testing policy you’ll need to monitor overtime if you want to only use cruelty free makeup brands.
… so let’s dive in.
is Tarte cruelty free?
Tarte is a cruelty-free brand. They do not sell cosmetics in countries requiring animal testing and certify to PETA they are cruelty free.
Kose´ owns Tarte Cosmetics and is a company that does test on animals.
Does Tarte test on animals?
No, Tarte Cosmetics does not test on animals and is very clear about it in their testing policy.
…But will this change being owned by a parent company who tests on animals?
…Will they continue to resist the urge to enter the huge China market… or avoid it to remain cruelty-free?
…this part gets interesting… but before we dive into this issue – let’s explore their actual testing policy.
Tarte animal testing policy
Here is the full Tarte Animal Testing policy from their website:
More on this in a bit… first we need to talk about testing in China.
Does Tarte sell in China?
No, Tarte Cosmetics currently does not sell in Mainland China.
If Tarte chose to sell in Mainland China they would be required to have their products tested on animals to meet China’s product safety laws.
Let’s hope they remain committed to their cruelty-free commitment and resist the urge to sell in China.
Does Tarte Cosmetics Certify as Cruelty Free?
Yes! Tarte Cosmetics is certified with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as cruelty free.
PETA certification requires a brand to provide a Statement of Assurance attesting that it “does not and shall not conduct, commission, or pay for animal testing of any cosmetics and/or household products, nor will it conduct, commission, or pay for animal testing of ingredients used in, or formulations of, such products…. including, without limitation, formulations and ingredients of such products”
Does Tarte Certify with Leaping Bunny?
No. Tarte does not certify under the more strict Leaping Bunny certification requirements as cruelty free.
Leaping Bunny certification requires a brand to provide a Statement of Assurance attesting that:
- “The Company does not and shall not conduct, Commission, or be a party to Animal Testing of any Cosmetic and/or Household Products including, without limitation, formulations and Ingredients of such products.
- The Company does not and shall not purchase any Ingredient, formulation, or product from any Third Party Manufacturer or Supplier that conducted, Commissioned, or had been party to Animal Testing on said Ingredient, formulation, or product after the Company’s Fixed Cut-off Date. If a formulation, Ingredient, or product is found not to comply with the Standard, the Company will replace it with an alternative that complies with the Standard’s criteria or remove it from the product range.
- The Company must implement a Supplier Monitoring System.
- The Company shall not allow Animal Testing to be performed by or for submission to regulatory agencies in foreign countries.”
Do Tarte’s Ingredient Suppliers Test on Animals?
So… the next step in our investigation dives into Tarte’s ingredient testing policies.
BTW… in case you didn’t know… most animal testing occurs at the ingredient level, and not the product level.
What we really want to know is if any animal testing happens on Tarte ingredients…
Does the Tarte 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 Tarte is completely silent on this issue of ingredient testing, or the testing policy of ingredient suppliers, and only comments on final product testing:
“tarte cosmetics is a cruelty-free cosmetics line & has been since 2000! tarte makeup & skincare is never tested on animals. We are also an approved PETA participant.”
What disclosure is missing
We would like to see Tarte clearly disclose if any 3rd parties or suppliers test on their ingredients or raw materials.
They have certified with PETA as cruelty-free and this certification requires that no ingredients are tested on animals… so we are giving them the benefit of the doubt they are honoring their PETA certification statement.
Is Tarte Vegan Friendly?
Tarte does offer may vegan makeup options, but also allows the use of animal-derived ingredients in many other formulations. Most brands are not vegan because it’s much more expensive to source and manage vegan raw materials through supply chains.
Tarte is not vegan. They do provide vegan labelling on on their website, but are not certified as vegan with either Leaping Bunny or Peta, and nor do they claim to be vegan. It is likely some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients, as these are often less expensive to source as cosmetic ingredients.
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.
Without Tarte identifying which ingredients are animal-derived it is difficult to tell which products are not vegan.
Our Vegan Cosmetics Shopping Advice
If a product is not advertised and labelled as 100% vegan you should assume it contains animal-derived ingredients.
For ethical reasons many people only use vegan products from a brand that is 100% vegan and free of animal ingredients.
Who owns Tarte Cosmetics?
Tarte is a large cosmetics brand owned by Kose´ who is a large cosmetics conglomerate. Kose´ is not cruelty-free.
It will be interesting to see if Tarte changes its cruelty-free position over time being owned by a parent company that sells most of its brands in China where animal testing is required by law… time will tell.
Kose´ hopes for alternatives to animal testing, but essentially admits they test on animals.
More Tarte Cosmetics Cruelty-Free FAQS
Is Tarte cruelty free in the US?
Likely yes, but they do not verify if ingredient suppliers test on animals.
Is Tarte on Peta’s Cruelty Free List?
Yes, Tarte has certified with Peta as cruelty-free.
Is Tarte on Leaping Bunny Approved cruelty-free list?
No, Tarte has not certified with Leaping Bunny as either cruelty-free or vegan.
Is Tarte Animal Friendly?
No, Tarte Cosmetics is not animal friendly as it uses animal-derived ingredients in many of its formulations.
Is Tarte Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
No, Tarte is cruelty-free, but not vegan and uses animal-derived ingredients in many of its products.
Tarte Cosmetics Cruelty-Free Summary
Here is a summary of Tarte’s cruelty-free assessment. Tarte is a cruelty-free brand at this time.
| Tests finished products on animals? | No |
| Tests ingredients on animals? | No |
| Suppliers test on animals? | Unclear |
| Leaping Bunny Certified? | No |
| Peta Certified? | Yes |
| Uses animal-derived ingredients? | Yes |
| Vegan? | No |
| Sold in Mainland China? | No |
| Parent company? | Kose´ |
| Are all parent company brands cruelty-free? | No |
Why we consider Tarte 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.
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.
Is Tarte cruelty free? We consider Tarte Cosmetics to be a cruelty-free brand because they do not allow their products or ingredients to be tested on animals.
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
Tarte Cruelty-Free and vegan Alternatives
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.
Unfortunately Tarte Cosmetics does not meet our Beauty + Kind highest standards due to their lack of vegan formulations and likely use of animal-derived ingredients (which involve animal suffering).
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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