CoverGirl is one of the biggest names in drugstore beauty. For many shoppers today, knowing whether a brand is vegan has become just as important as knowing its color selection or price. So, is CoverGirl vegan?
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What Vegan Means in Beauty
In cosmetics, “vegan” means that a product contains no animal-derived ingredients or by-products—things like beeswax, lanolin, carmine (made from insects), collagen, gelatin, or milk derivatives.
It also means that any colorants or additives are not sourced from animals. Vegan does not automatically mean cruelty-free (that relates to animal testing). Many brands are cruelty-free, but not all products are vegan; some products may still use animal-derived ingredients.
CoverGirl’s Cruelty-Free Status
CoverGirl is officially cruelty-free. As of 2018, the brand earned Leaping Bunny certification via Cruelty Free International. This means all of CoverGirl’s products are tested without harming animals, including ingredients and finished products, and none are tested by third parties on their behalf.
Is CoverGirl Fully Vegan?
CoverGirl is not entirely vegan. Some of its formulas include animal-derived ingredients, so you can’t assume every product is vegan just because the brand is cruelty-free.
However, CoverGirl has launched “Clean Fresh Skincare” and “Clean Fresh” product lines that are explicitly vegan. These lines are formulated without animal-derived ingredients and avoid many controversial chemicals (parabens, phthalates, etc.). Products in those vegan lines include:
- Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation (all shades)
- Clean Fresh Pressed Powder
- Clean Fresh Tinted Lip Oil
- Clean Fresh Mascara
- Other select items like Exhibitionist Mascara, Full Spectrum Matte Idol Liquid Lipstick, TruBlend Undercover Concealer etc., are also cited as being vegan or vegan-friendly.
What to Watch Out For
If vegan is a must for you, here are some tips to ensure the CoverGirl products you’re buying truly meet that standard:
- Always check the product page or packaging for a “vegan” label. Vegan formula claims are helpful, but sometimes shade specific or version specific.
- Review ingredient lists carefully. Even some products that look similar may have different formulas; one might use beeswax or carmine, another might not.
- Be cautious with color cosmetics, especially reds/pinks; carmine is often used in pigments.
- Recognize that although a parent company may have its own policies, what matters is the specific brand and product line. For CoverGirl, although it is owned by Coty (which owns many brands), CoverGirl itself has maintained vegan lines.
Recent Developments & Vegan & Clean Initiatives
CoverGirl has expanded its “Clean Fresh” range with several vegan and clean beauty items. Clean Fresh (“Clean Fresh Skincare” and “Clean Fresh Makeup”) emphasizes clean formulations (avoiding many controversial ingredients) and vegan status for that specific collection.
They also launched vegan versions of some of their popular mascaras (e.g. Lash Blast Clean Volume Mascara), which are formulated to be both vegan and cruelty-free.
Final Thoughts
CoverGirl is cruelty-free and has made real strides toward offering vegan products. They’re not a 100% vegan brand, but if you’re willing to select from their vegan lines (like Clean Fresh) and check labels carefully, you can absolutely build a CoverGirl routine that works with vegan values.
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