E.l.f.

How ethical is E.l.f? 

One of The Good Shopping Guide’s researched brands is E.l.f, a skincare, makeup and beauty company. The brand does not yet meet the Good Shopping Guide benchmark, and receives a subpar score in our Ethical Make Up Ratings Table and therefore does not qualify as an ethical brand.

We encourage E.l.f and other companies in the Make Up sector to carefully consider their ethical and unethical business practices, and their impact on the Environment, People and Animals.

Information about E.l.f

American cosmetics company E.l.f. Cosmetics has its headquarters in Oakland, California. In 2004, Scott Vincent Borba and Joseph Shamah established the brand. Products include bath and skin care items, mineral cosmetics, professional equipment, eyeliners, lipstick, glosses, blushes, bronzers, brushes, and mascara, among others.

What does E.l.f stand for?

E.l.f stands for Eyes, lips and face!

E.l.f and North Korea

The Guardian and CNBC claim that by agreeing to pay just under US$1 million to settle a civil liability action for 156 “apparent” violations of the North Korea Sanctions Regulations, E.l.f avoided penalties totaling US$40 million in 2019. The mass market cosmetics company was found to have paid US$4.43 million for 156 shipments of false eyelash kits from two Chinese suppliers over the period of almost five years. The disputed vendors had imported parts from North Korea for the kits.

Read more in this article.

Is E.l.f Cruelty-Free?

E.l.f receives a middle rating for its Animal Welfare policy. Although the company claims to be cruelty-free, it does not have any certifications to confirm this and its Animal Testing Policy lacks sufficient detail.