Kylie Cosmetics

Is Kylie Cosmetics an ethical brand?

The Good Shopping Guide gives Kylie Cosmetics a low ethical rating. Kylie Cosmetics is owned by Coty Inc/JAB Holding Company and was founded by social media influencer and reality television performer, Kylie Jenner. Unfortunately, this brand does not currently meet our basic standard as evidenced by its low Good Shopping Guide ethical score in our Ethical Make Up Ratings Table. This brand has to make a number of improvements before it could be eligible for our Ethical Accreditation.

In what areas does Kylie Cosmetics perform poorly? 

For those concerned about Animal Welfare, Kylie Cosmetics does not score well in our research categories that investigate animal testing. The parent company, Coty, has released a slightly contradictory and confusing statement on its stance on animal testing. Though this statement does claim that Coty does “not test […] products on animals”, they also mention that “[s]ome governments or agencies still require the testing of certain products on animals, in accordance with their local legal and regulatory requirements.” This makes their position slightly unclear. (It should be noted that one of Coty’s other brands, COVERGIRL, is certified with a Leaping Bunny logo, though Kylie Cosmetics is not.)

This is a brand that markets itself as “clean” and “vegan”, however, the brand is not certified by any vegan, vegetarian or organic independent authority, and so these claims cannot be verified. This is an example of the kind of greenwashing that can mislead consumers, and why using our research and Ethical Ratings Tables is so important.

In terms of Political Donations, JAB Holding Co contributed more than $995k throughout the elections of 2018, 2020, and 2022. A further $41k was provided by Coty Inc.

Perhaps one of the most shocking ethical issues that Kylie Cosmetics is involved in is a case reported on by The Associated Press. Women in Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil fields were treated abusively on several occasions. These incidents involved physical and sexual assault and exposure to toxic chemicals. Some of these women were as young as 16. A woman at one plantation reported experiencing fevers, coughing, and nosebleeds as a result of years of using toxic pesticides without wearing protective gear. This woman could not afford to visit a doctor because her daily income was only $2. Several well-known cosmetics companies, including Avon, Colgate-Palmolive, Coty, Estée Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, Kylie Cosmetics, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever, are said to use palm oil produced by the women who had survived these terrible Human Rights abuses.

Please be aware, that this article from The Associated Press contains some very upsetting details.

In what areas does Kylie Cosmetics perform well?

Coty’s Sustainability Report for 2021 includes a number of goals and proof of accomplishments. One example of a target from Coty is to “[s]end zero waste to landfill and recycle 80% of waste generated by our factories and distribution centers by 2030.” Coty evidences their progress so far and their Environmental Report states that “[l]ess than 0.5% of factories and distribution centers’ waste was sent to landfills. Over 74% of waste was either reused, recycled or composted.” Many other targets and records of progress can be found in Coty’s publicly available Environmental Report. 

Additionally, neither Kylie Cosmetics nor either of its parent brands has been discovered to invest in or be involved in Armaments or in the Nuclear industries.

How can the Kylie Cosmetics brand improve its ethical rating?

The score for Kylie Cosmetics by The Good Shopping Guide is determined by 15 ethical standards. Kylie Cosmetics needs to account for and resolve a number of ethical challenges, including its involvement in some horrific Human Rights abuses.