Maybelline Cruelty-Free: What You Need to Know About Their Animal Testing Policy

When you see Maybelline, a mass-market cosmetics brand owned by L'Oréal, widely available in drugstores and online. Also known as Maybelline New York, it's one of the most popular makeup brands in the U.S. and the UK, known for affordable lipsticks, mascaras, and foundations. But if you care about animal testing, you need to know the full story. Maybelline doesn’t test on animals directly — but they sell in China, where the law requires imported cosmetics to be tested on animals by third parties. That means even if your tube of mascara was never touched by a lab rabbit in the U.S., the same formula likely was in China before it reached your shelf.

This puts Maybelline, a brand that markets itself as accessible and inclusive. Also known as Maybelline New York, it's one of the most popular makeup brands in the U.S. and the UK, known for affordable lipsticks, mascaras, and foundations. in the same boat as other big names like CoverGirl and NYX. All three are owned by companies that still allow animal testing to access certain markets. The Leaping Bunny, a globally recognized certification for cruelty-free products. Also known as Cruelty Free International, it requires brands to prove no animal testing happens at any stage — including by suppliers or in foreign markets. logo is absent from Maybelline packaging because they won’t meet that standard. If you’re looking for vegan makeup, products that contain no animal-derived ingredients and aren’t tested on animals. Also known as plant-based cosmetics, these are growing in popularity as consumers demand transparency., Maybelline doesn’t label any of its products as vegan, even though some might not contain obvious animal ingredients like beeswax or carmine. Their stance is clear: profit over principle when it comes to global sales.

So what does this mean for you? If your values include not supporting brands that fund animal testing — even indirectly — then Maybelline isn’t the right choice. But you don’t have to give up bold lips or voluminous lashes. There are dozens of truly cruelty-free brands that deliver the same results without the ethical cost. Brands like Pacifica, e.l.f., and Rare Beauty are certified, transparent, and don’t sell in China. They’re just as easy to find, just as affordable, and far more aligned with what modern shoppers expect.

The truth is, you don’t have to choose between quality and ethics. The market has changed. You can get high-performance makeup without harming animals. That’s why we’ve gathered real, honest reviews and breakdowns of cruelty-free alternatives, ethical brand policies, and what to look for when you’re shopping. Below, you’ll find posts that cut through the marketing noise and show you exactly what’s happening behind the scenes — from how animal testing laws work in different countries to which brands you can trust without second-guessing.