Is Too Faced Cruelty Free and Vegan? Does Too Faced Test on Animals?

PETA lists Too Faced as cruelty-free, and Too Faced says its products are cruelty free. Too Faced is also part of The Estée Lauder Companies, which says some of its brands are sold in countries where animal testing is required by law. This page quotes PETA, Leaping Bunny, the companies, and the FDA on each point so you can decide for yourself. If you are also updating your closet to match your values, our vegan fashion picks are a good next stop.

Does Too Faced test on animals?

Too Faced answers the question on its own FAQ page. Under "Do you test on animals?" it says: "No way, Too Faced loves animals! Our products are totally cruelty free." The Estée Lauder Companies page for the brand carries the line "We’re cruelty free, forever and always and believe kindness is always a good look."

PETA's page for Too Faced Cosmetics (Estee Lauder) says: "Yes, Too Faced Cosmetics (Estee Lauder) is cruelty-free. They ensure that neither their ingredients nor finished products are tested on animals, and their suppliers and third parties follow the same standard." PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies page describes the list behind that statement. PETA says it includes "thousands of companies that refuse to conduct, commission, pay for, or allow tests on animals for any of their ingredients, formulations, or products anywhere in the world."

For the United States, FDA guidance says: "The FD&C Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety, nor does the Act subject cosmetics to FDA premarket approval."

Is Too Faced vegan?

Too Faced has a Vegan Friendly page on its site that gathers the products it describes that way. It says: "We’ve been cruelty-free brand since day one. Check out our amazing, feel-good, vegan-friendly makeup." The same page defines the term: "Makeup is vegan when no animals are harmed during its production. This means that no animal byproducts are used in the makeup itself."

PETA keeps two designations on its list. One is for companies that meet its animal-testing rules. The other, animal test-free and vegan, goes to companies that meet the same rules and whose "entire product line is free of animal-derived ingredients." PETA's Too Faced page says the company is cruelty-free.

Cruelty-free and vegan are different labels

Cruelty-free is about animal testing. Leaping Bunny's standard defines "Animal Testing" as "All testing of finished Cosmetics and/or Household Products, or any one or more Ingredients or formulations used in manufacturing or production of such products in which whole non-human animals in the kingdom “Animalia” are the test subjects." It adds: "Animal Testing excludes in vitro tests or tests conducted completely with human volunteers." Vegan is about ingredients, as in PETA's wording above about animal-derived ingredients.

The FDA says there is no legal definition for the phrases "cruelty-free" and "not tested on animals" on cosmetics. Its page on those claims says: "The unrestricted use of these phrases by cosmetic companies is possible because there are no legal definitions for these terms."

Too Faced and Estée Lauder

The Estée Lauder Companies lists Too Faced on its brands page. The company's animal testing page says: "We don’t test our products on animals and we don’t ask others to test for us. We acknowledge our brands are sold in countries where animal testing on cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients is required by law." It also says: "Animal testing on cosmetics products exists if a regulatory body demands it for its safety or regulatory assessment." And it adds: "In such cases, we take all practical and available steps to encourage the acceptance of existing non-animal test data instead."

The same page names the brands it says identify as cruelty-free: "Within our brand portfolio we do have brands that identify as cruelty-free that have an existing certification with PETA. Brands marked with an asterisk (*) denote brands that are also Leaping Bunny approved." Too Faced is on that list without an asterisk. Aveda and NIOD carry the asterisk.

PETA's page for the parent company reads: "Estée Lauder does test on animals." It continues: "They might conduct animal testing directly, rely on their suppliers to do so, or outsource it to a third party. Additionally, some brands in this category may sell products in regions where animal testing is legally mandated."

So the company says it does not test or ask others to test, and says its brands are sold where law requires testing. PETA lists the parent company under companies that test and lists Too Faced as cruelty-free.

Why animal testing is still a debate

PETA says that in "a few countries, including China, tests on animals are still required for many products." According to FDA guidance, animal testing by manufacturers "may be used to establish product safety" and in some cases companies "may determine that animal testing is necessary." The same page says the FDA "supports the development and use of alternatives to whole-animal testing."

Lab methods that do not use animals exist. A 2020 paper in Toxicology In Vitro describes an in vitro testing strategy for judging whether hard-to-test cosmetic ingredients cause skin sensitization. The OECD publishes international OECD guidelines for testing chemicals. PETA describes newer product tests as "faster, cheaper, and far more accurate than blinding and poisoning tests."

Cruelty to animals shows up in other luxury goods too. Our piece on civet coffee covers one example, and our guide to cruelty-free cat toys covers what to look for when you shop for your cat.

Other cruelty-free cosmetic brands

Tarte: This popular company reports that they never test their finished products on animals and that they seek out suppliers with the same standards. Tarte has registered their brand practices with PETA, and the organization certifies that Tarte does not use animals. They also have a line of vegan-friendly products made with no animal-derived ingredients.

Caswell Massey: A high-end beauty products company well-known for its soaps, lotions, and fragrances. Caswell Massey does not test their products or the ingredients in them on animals. They are certified as cruelty-free by both PETA and the CCIC (Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics).

Josie Maran: Known for its popular argan oil and other beauty products, Josie Maran describes their philosophy as “Luxury with a Conscience.” They report that they are a cruelty-free company that does not use animals to test their products and don’t allow their suppliers to conduct animal testing on their behalf. They are listed on the PETA website as cruelty-free as well.

Murad: Murad makes a variety of high-end skin care products. They list “protecting animals” as one of their core company values and certify that they test their products on people and use ingredients that have not been animal tested. They also report that they sponsor animal rescue groups. PETA lists Murad as a cruelty-free company.

When PETA and Leaping Bunny do not match

Milk Makeup is in Leaping Bunny's shopping guide. PETA's page for Milk Makeup says: "Milk Makeup may not be cruelty-free. This company hasn't signed PETA’s statement of assurance to join the gold standard for cruelty-free certifications and be listed in our database." PETA's page for Charlotte Tilbury uses the same wording, and PETA lists KVD Beauty as cruelty-free.

Prefer to build an animal-friendly lifestyle beyond your makeup bag? Our quick guide to vegan fashion shows how to keep clothes and accessories aligned with your values, and our story on old fur coats covers a program for coats you no longer wear.

FAQ

How can I look up a brand myself?

PETA's list has a searchable online database where you can "search by company, brand name, or product type." Leaping Bunny's Compassionate Shopping Guide lists certified brands by product category, such as color cosmetics and lip care. Because the two certifiers do not always agree, check a brand on both before you decide.

How can I help end cosmetic testing on animals?

PETA's list tells shoppers to buy only from companies that do not test on animals, and it asks readers to "let decision makers know" that they support a ban on cosmetics testing in the United States. PETA also has a Bunny Free app that lets you search companies by name.

If you want to show your love for animals in your closet too, take a look at our bunny shirts or meet the adorable bunny pets in our rabbit guide.

Sources

• PETA. "Too Faced Cosmetics (Estee Lauder)." crueltyfree.peta.org.
• PETA. "Estée Lauder." crueltyfree.peta.org.
• PETA. Company pages for Tarte Cosmetics (Kose), Caswell-Massey, Josie Maran Cosmetics, Murad (Unilever), Milk Makeup, Charlotte Tilbury, and KVD Beauty.
• PETA. "PETA’s Ultimate Cruelty-Free List." peta.org.
• Leaping Bunny. Milk Makeup, the Compassionate Shopping Guide, and The Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals.
• The Estée Lauder Companies. Animal Testing and Too Faced.
• Too Faced. Customer service FAQ and Vegan Friendly, Wayback Machine copies (original URLs: toofaced.com/customer-service/faq and toofaced.com/vegan-friendly).
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Animal Testing & Cosmetics, Cruelty Free/Not Tested on Animals.