In this article, we will see Is Rare Beauty Cruelty-free?
Rare beauty is a makeup brand founded by renowned actress and singer Selena Gomez, launched on the 3rd of September, 2020. It is named after her 2020 English album, Rare. It is an independent brand, not owned by any other company. The brand is all about people feeling comfortable with themselves, enjoying experimenting with makeup, and feeling beautiful with or without it, as said by Gomez herself. It was a much-anticipated release and has been extremely successful in the approximately one year it has been active.
Rare is considered more than just a beauty brand. It brings attention to sensitive issues like mental health, self-acceptance, and beauty is more than one’s physical appearance. They are promoting a stand against unrealistic beauty standards of perfection, focusing on finding one’s individuality, and being proud of it. They also have a Rare Impact Fund, committed to mental health. One percent of Rare Beauty sales will contribute to this Fund, and their goal is to raise $100 million over the next ten years.
With its immense popularity, the brand seems on its way to achieving this. Beauty brands have a largely negative environmental impact, and though a lot of old brands are making efforts to change. Newly launched brands like Rare Beauty, however, have marketed themselves from the start as being vegan and cruelty-free. This small step goes a long way in the beauty industry. Rare beauty has stated that they have committed to being kinder to our planet. We can be assured that if there are shortcomings regarding Rare Beauty’s negative environmental impact, they will take steps to fix it. Let us explore some ways in which Rare Beauty is trying to make a difference.
Is it Cruelty-Free?
Any product from Rare Beauty is vegan and 100% cruelty-free. You can go ahead and buy your Rare makeup guilt-free. They do not use products derived from animals, or any animal byproducts. They do not test their products on animals either, nor do they outsource this to others. Rare Beauty is certified by PETA’s Global Beauty Without Bunnies. Rare Beauty is not sold in any place where animal testing is required by law, like mainland China.
Packaging
As we all know, makeup needs a lot of packaging. It needs to look pretty and attractive, right from its outer appearance. Consumers need to see it and immediately want it. This material is usually bad for the environment. Rare beauty, however, makes its outer packaging out of recyclable materials. They are made with FSC approved material, and the print is made of water-based ink. All the packaging materials, like shipper boxes, tape, welcome cards, and tissue are all 100% recyclable. The foam they use is especially unique. It is environmentally friendly, made from a base of corn that can dissolve in water. It is compostable and will dissolve in not more than sixty days if left in a moist soil environment. Everything in their packaging can be either reused, like drawstring pouches or recycled.
Content Of The Makeup
Rare beauty’s makeup is made without harsh ingredients. Their products are safe, and the formulas they use all comply with standard cosmetic regulations. It is also dermatologically tested, so it can be used by people with sensitive skin. They have said they do not use products derived from animals, so their makeup is completely vegan.
Is Rare Beauty A Perfect Brand?
Though Rare Beauty has proclaimed itself as cruelty-free and is certified by PETA, some organizations in this field consider it to be in the grey area. There is some vagueness that they have found in Rare Beauty’s cruelty-free policies. PETA’s standards for certifying brands as cruelty-free is not very stringent, so PETA alone will not be a liable certification for most people. These are some of the criticisms against Rare Beauty’s cruelty-free policy.
- Rare Beauty has not explicitly stated that it does not test out ingredients or formulas on animals.
- They have not said the brand’s manufacturers and ingredient suppliers do not test on animals.
- If Rare Beauty expands its sales to places where animal testing is required by law, they have not stated whether they will refrain from it or not.
These loopholes are stopping Rare Beauty from being called a completely cruelty-free brand. If they confirm these and provide proof in the form of documents and certifications, they will be certified as cruelty-free by all standards.
Conclusion
Rare Beauty is a great makeup brand when we compare it to others in the beauty industry, many of whom still use products derived from animals. Though their cruelty-free policy is not completely transparent, they are trying to make changes in all fields. If you are extremely particular about buying 100% cruelty-free products, Rare Beauty is the best choice for you. Many other vegan brands are certified as cruelty free by various research organizations, which would be a better choice. If Rare Beauty’s grey area is acceptable for you, they are a great brand to buy from.
