On the lookout for the best cruelty-free mascara? We hear you! When you care about animal testing and are all about pushing your wellness to the next level, adding cruelty-free mascara to your beauty routine is key. Everything we put in our bodies has a direct impact on our health so you may want to give cruelty-free mascara a chance. As a result, today we’ll be sharing with you some of the best cruelty-free mascara options available now.
Mascara is an essential part of our beauty routine, in other words, is one of those products you cannot afford not to have. Once you’ve made up your mind to switch over to cruelty-free and vegan products, you’ll never look back. Contrary to what you may think, only because these are cruelty-free and natural options, doesn’t mean they don’t get the job done. Whether you’re wanting to replace your regular mascara with a cruelty-free alternative or you’re desperately looking to find a vegan mascara, you have come to the right place.
With tons of options out there, finding the right cruelty-free mascara may sound a bit troublesome, the good news is there are many options available to fit every budget so you can forget about purchasing your mascara from brands that test on animals. And to give you a little hand, we’ve come up with some of the best cruelty-free mascaras that we think are totally worth it. Check out our top picks below. Remember your lashes also deserve the very best.
Cruelty-Free Mascara FAQs
How to know if a mascara is cruelty-free?
Experts recommend peeling your eyes for the Leaping Bunny certification. If it’s not listed on the product page, you can also go to the source and look at Leaping Bunny’s certified shopping guide. PETA also puts out a list of certified cruelty-free brands, so you may see this certification on a brand’s product page as well. Finally, you can check out a brand’s About page to see if it mentions being cruelty-free.
What’s the difference between regular and vegan mascara?
Regular mascara typically contains animal-derived ingredients like beeswax, collagen, or lanolin. Vegan mascara uses plant-based or synthetic substitutes like high-fat vegetable oils. But vegan products are not necessarily cruelty-free and there’s an important distinction to make.
What ingredients aren’t vegan in mascaras?
- Beeswax/honey
- Guanine: derived from fish scales
- Panthenol: a soothing healing / moisturizing agent. Although this can be derived from animal or plant sources
- Collagen: A protein obtained from animal sources
- Shellac: Made from insects
- Lanolin: A waxy substance obtained from sheep’s wool
- Cholesterol: typically extracted from lanolin – even sometimes from spinal cords
- Gelatin: taken from collagen and usually promotes anti-aging
Which drugstore mascara brands are cruelty-free?
You can find other cruelty-free mascaras at the drugstore. To name a few brands that meet the certification, e.l.f Cosmetics, Flower Beauty, Milani, NYX, Pacifica, and Wet N Wild carry cruelty-free makeup; some with vegan options as well.
Which mascara brands aren’t cruelty-free?
Rimmel, Boujois, Chanel, Bobbi Brown, Mac, Benefit, Lancome, YSL, Nars, Maybelline, Estee Lauder
What are some of the better-known cruelty-free mascaras?
When it comes to cruelty-free mascaras, ILIA’s Limitless Lash Mascara is always top of the list. It provides the length, lift, and curl that you’re looking for without any harmful ingredients or practices. Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara is another top choice; its brush delivers serious volume and coats every lash evenly.
What to look for when choosing a cruelty-free mascara?
- Benefits: Some mascaras offer to do it all, but more often than not, you’re going to need to select a mascara that focuses on your specific concerns. Whether it be lengthening, curling, volumizing or defining, choose your mascara based on your needs.
- Ingredients: Look for a naturally derived mascara, and also check to see if it’s officially cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny-certified. In addition to being cruelty-free, consider the conditioning quality that you are seeking. Some mascaras are formulated with vitamins and oils to treat your lashes for long-term benefits.
- Applicator: The type of brush your mascara has makes all of the difference. A comb-like applicator is great for catching short, sparse lashes while a brush with a pointed tip can provide a lengthening boost. Curved brushes are best for curling your lashes, jumbo brushes provide a thickening effect, and hourglass-shaped brushes deliver plenty of volumes.
Cruelty-Free Mascara Options
Limitless Lash Lengthening Mascara
Mascara that goes to extremes, naturally. This clean mascara weightlessly lifts and lengthens with a dual-sided brush that catches and separates every lash.
Made with beeswax and shea butter for flexibility and hold, this flake-free formula lasts yet comes off easily with warm water at night. Limitless Lash Mascara is ophthalmologist-tested, safe for sensitive eyes, and safe for contact lens wearers.
This is a clean, award-winning, cult-favorite mascara that lifts, lengthens, holds curl, and separates with precision.
Features:
- Shea Butter
- Flake-Free Formula
- Cruelty-Free
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara
This multi-benefit mascara delivers darker, longer, thicker lashes to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter. It also conditions your lashes with olive esters, rice bran, and pro-vitamin B5, it’s the ultimate lash nutrition.
Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and triclosan. This product is also vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free.
A vegan mascara that delivers a 35 percent increase in curl while also lengthening, volumizing, and conditioning lashes for 24-hr smudge-proof, flake-free wear.
Features:
- Rice Bran Wax
- Cruelty-Free
- Gluten-Free
essence | Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
Lash Princess False Lash Mascara defines and separates lashes while achieving a bold look. The conic shape fiber brush delivers dramatic volume and sculpted length WITHOUT clumps or globs.
Go about your day free from flaking & fading! This mascara does not flake, fade, or wear, making it a perfect all-day, long-lasting mascara.
Essence cosmetics are certified and acknowledged by PETA as a cruelty-free brand. They do not test any products on animals.
Features:
- Gluten-Free
- Cruelty-Free
- False Lash Effect
- Liquid
CoverGilr Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara
Sweep on CoverGirl’s Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara to treat lashes with lush ingredients including coconut, avocado, and papaya oils.
CoverGirl’s Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara helps lashes feel conditioned, builds volume, and adds definition with every application!
Always handle/apply in a careful, hygienic manner. Do not share or reuse the applicator. Do not dilute the product with any substance. Cap tightly. Do not use it if your eye is irritated, infected, or scratched.
Features:
- Builds Volume
- Coconut, Avocado, and Papaya Oils
- Cruelty-Free
The Big Clean Longwear Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara
Kosas The Big Clean Longwear Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara is now designed with 12-hour wear, for big, fluffy lashes all day long. Made with ingredients found in hair care including castor oil to moisturize, nourish and add shine, pro-vitamin B5 to help revive lashes.
This mascara acts as a hair serum for your lashes and gives you volume, length, and separation. Formulated with plant-based sugars instead of traditional microplastics, this mascara allows lashes to reach their full growth potential.
The oversized rainbow brush features high-density spiraled bristles and an ergonomic design that allows for the ultimate curling effect in just one swipe.
Features:
- Ergonomic Brush Desing
- Voluminizing
- Cruelty-Free
Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara
Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Nourishing Mascara features a formula that lengthens and defines lashes. The mascara tube comes with a convenient easy-to-use applicator in Black is perfect for all eye colors and skin tones.
This is a 100% natural formula made with Jojoba Oil and naturally moisturizing Glycerin which is gentle enough for the delicate eye area.
This nourishing mascara lengthens and defines upper and lower lashes instantly for a beautiful look. The brush and formula work together to instantly give you long-lasting definition and softly nourish lashes.
Features:
- No Parabens
- No Phthalates
- Cruelty-Free
Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
This award-winning, mascara transforms every lash with stay-all-day dramatic length, definition, and curl to instantly create the look of lash extensions without the glue.
The revolutionary high-performance formula is powered by Flake-Free Tubing Technology™ for voluminous, show-stopping lashes that won’t clump, flake, or smudge while Orchid Stem Cell Complex™ encourages + supports longer, healthier-looking lashes, powered by plant stem cell technology.
For maximum volume, start with the wand at the base of your lashes and slowly sweep through from root to tip to define + lengthen every lash.
Features:
- No Synthetic Fragrance
- Sulfate-Free, Paraben-Free, Cruelty-Free
- Vegan
- Formulated without Phthalates
