Friday, June 14, 2013

Is elf (Eyes Lips Face) Cruelty Free?


Most people have heard of elf cosmetics or Eyes Lips Face because it is one of the most inexpensive cosmetics brands on the market.  I have purchased quite a few of their products in the past even before going cruelty free.  Honestly, I was disappointed with most of their products although the few I do like, I really like.  Please leave a comment if anyone is interested in a post on the elf products I enjoy.

I’ve emailed elf at least twice before without receiving a response which, to say the least, was annoying.  I was happy to finally get a reply with my last email since I was chiefly concerned about whether their ingredients were vegan or not.  On elf’s FAQ page [link], seen in the image below, they state all their ingredients are vegan, but then only discuss beeswax and lanolin.  I wanted to confirm that all their ingredients were vegan not only their lanolin and beeswax replacers.  Of course, their animal testing statement was also very narrow so I wanted to confirm they met all of my cruelty free requirements.


April 26, 2012
“I have emailed elf about its animal testing policies multiple times, but have yet to get a response. Can you please let me know if elf animal tests ingredients and/or finished products at any stage of development or has a third party do so on its behalf? Does elf sell in China or any other country which requires animal testing? Also, many elf products contain ingredients which can possibly be plant based or animal based. Are any elf products free of animal ingredients and therefore suitable for vegans? Thank you”

April 26, 2013
“Thank you for your support and interest in e.l.f. cosmetics. At e.l.f. Cosmetics, we believe that beauty comes from within all of us. Our line of luxurious cosmetics captures great looking skin with gorgeous colors and quality ingredients. Our products are designed to let your inner beauty shine through.

We are proud to say that we do not test on animals or endorse such practices. We currently support PETA and are partners with PETA in the Caring Consumer Project. All of our brushes in our essential line are made from cut natural horse hair and have genuine wood handles. Our brushes in our studio line are vegan friendly and made of anti-bacterial, synthetic Taklon hair. You can find all e.l.f. ingredients indicated on the packaging of our products as well as on our website. All ingredients used in e.l.f. cosmetics are vegan friendly, safe and meet F.D.A requirements. Ingredients are listed on our website as well as on the packaging of our products.

Our vision is to empower and educate women to play in innovation without sacrificing their budget and feel confident in herself and the products she's using. We offer a complete line of makeup and professional tools-all at an extreme value price! To learn more please visit eyeslipsface.com.”

May 20, 2013
“Thank you for answering my original email but can you please answer these three questions clearly.  Does elf or a third party test ingredients?  Does elf or a third party test elf's finished products?  Does elf sell in China or any other country which requires animal testing of products? Thank you!”

May 21, 2013
“We manufacture our products in our own factories. We test our own ingredients and products. We do not sell our products in China, although we do manufacture them there. Please feel free to contact us with any other questions or concerns.”
I was happy to learn that all of elf’s cosmetic ingredients are vegan friendly.  However, I was a little surprised that they sell horse hair brushes.  As I discussed in my Real Techniques post [here], synthetic Taklon brushes have numerous advantages over natural hair brushes.  As always, I don’t believe PETA’s animal testing standards are up to par, so elf’s association with them is not a plus to me.

The only element of their response that strikes me as controversial is their relationship with China.  They do not sell in China and therefore their products are not subject to Chinese government animal testing.  However, they manufacture their products in China making their products extremely inexpensive and presumably bolstering the Chinese economy.  This distinction is another one of the personal comfort decisions to be made when deciding what you consider cruelty free.  At the moment, I am personally fine with this as I do not purchase much or often from elf.


I will continue purchasing elf’s products.

31 comments:

  1. Thank you for this information. I did purchase ELF eyeshadows only due to their claim to be cruelty free. Their answers to you are too vague for me to continue to buy their products. Thank you!

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  2. Hmm I'm glad that they seem to be vegan, and cruelty free, but I'm not sure that I like their products being made in China. If I'm going Vegan I'd like to be using good quality products to begin with not cheap things from a below minimum wage factory :/

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  3. Great that these products are vegan, and though I have not tried specific 'makeup' products by e.l.f. I have purchased e.l.f. shadow appliators, foundation/brow/and smudge brushes, eyelash wand and curlers and have found that these items are by no means built to last. Flimsy, the shadow applicators fell apart within two days of use, and the bristles on the foundation brush fall off regularly. My hunch is that they are cheap because you are indeed getting what you pay for, vegan or otherwise.
    vegan cosmetics

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  4. Vegan makeup products are cosmetics that do not use ingredients derived from — or tested on — animals. Concerns about animal abuse by the cosmetic industry has created a growing market for cruelty free products. Vegan cosmetic options include eye shadow, blush, lipstick and foundation; even vegan nail polish is becoming increasingly available.
    Vegan Cosmetics



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  5. I was happy to learn that all of elf’s cosmetic ingredients are vegan friendly.Thank you so much for sharing.
    Vegan makeup

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  6. I am ready to drop some cash on high quality vegan brushes to replace all the animal hair ones I am currently using. I’ve had some of my animal hair ones for quite a few years now and I had purchased/was given them before I came to the decision to go cruelty-free with my cosmetic collection.
    vegan makeup brands





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  7. Vegan cosmetics refer to the makeups made with natural and organic ingredients. They do not contain any animal ingredients or any by products. They have never been tested on animals neither.

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  8. Im just about to make a purchase from elf cosmetics but i'm unsure if I can still rely on them being 100% cruelty free. I can't find anywhere on the UK site which states that they are cruelty free but I have heard from other sources that they are. Can anyone help me on this?

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  9. Vegan makeup make reference to the makeups constructed with natural and organic components. They do not consist of just about any creature components or even just about any by simply merchandise. They've got never been recently tested in dogs neither.
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  11. Vegan make-up reference point your makeups made with licensed organic and natural elements. They cannot comprise of almost any monster elements or perhaps almost any through products. They need in no way finished up analyzed within pet dogs neither.
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  12. Vegan cosmetics research the particular makeups constructed with organic and natural elements. They can not contain any man or woman elements as well as any simply by merchandise. They have got certainly not found themselves tried inside puppies neither of them ones.
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  13. Vegan makeup reference the actual makeups constructed with certified organic substances. They just don't comprise virtually any creature substances or maybe virtually any by items. They've already never ever been recently tested in pets nor.
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  14. Vegan cosmetics talk to your makeups designed with genuine, natural aspects. They don't include things like just about any creature aspects and even just about any simply by merchandise. They've never appeared screened interior animals not of which.
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    ReplyDelete
  15. Does ELF sell products in China? If they do, I don't know how the company can claim to be cruelty free as China's laws dictate any cosmetics that are imported into the country have to be tested on animals. Did they give a definitive answer?

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  16. @wendy pipkins In the last response they wrote: "we do not sell our products in China." So that is good enough for me. I will continue to support elf :)

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  17. ELF is made in CHINA...CHINA DOES AGONIZING ANIMAL TESTS "BY LAW" Rabbits eyes injected with crude oil and other chemicals (even bleach and cleaners) until blind in stinging agony. Rabbits bodies then cut to patch test skin, to bone cancer. China aborts unborn GIRLS prenatal testing is done by government. GIRLS are aborted "Shortage of wives" women kidnapped and sold (pornography and snuff) GIRLS feet were bound at birth for centuries; hobbled elderly women slaves. Centuries. Today CHINA cadamite boys are sold on streets for $50 (for 96% male cosmetic executives in New York, running animal slaughterhouses in CHINA to get boys. CHINA also eats CATS trucks and carts roam streets (for centuries) to pick up these intelligent and tender animals for CAT-slaughterhouses and science vivisections READ "WAR ON WOMEN" United Nations reports. LOOK at animal testing images on line and BOYCOTT everything made in China BOY-CAUGHT pedophile male CEOs
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  18. AMERICA STOPPED ANIMAL TESTING THIRTY YEARS AGO....WOMEN owned Cosmetics; Mary Kay, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden...The Queens are Dead...too long live the Drag Queens....with $50 boys on CHINA streets and Billionaire "Dragon Ladies" to sell boys and girls for the price of "designer handbags" BOY-CAUGHT CHINA...."BY LAW" CHINA DOES AGONIZING ANIMAL TESTS...even BLEACH into the eyes of rabbits...rabbits and monkeys eyes sewen shut...PICTURES on Google

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  19. I absolutely agree with erhhervictims….BOYCOTT EVERYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH CHINA

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