Beauty giant L’Oreal is growing a giant vat of human skin, and while it sounds like the makings of a very weird horror movie, it’s actually very good news for animals and for ethical consumers of makeup products. The human skin is being 3-D printed–technology is so cool–with the goal of using it to test cosmetics and make animal testing for makeup completely obsolete.
According to The Washington Post, L’Oreal has partnered with a company that is already 3-D printing human tissues for kidneys and livers. The company also produces skin to help treat burn victims, and now L’Oreal wants some of that skin for itself.
L’Oreal has already been growing human skin for cosmetics testing purposes, but the new technology could allow them to make a whole lot more. Its current methods reportedly just involve cultured skin and they’re only able to grow about five square meters of skin per year.
I’m just going to leave that there while you visualize five square meters of lab-grown human skin.
That development is pretty great news for people who want to buy L’Oreal’s cosmetics but are turned off by animal testing, but there are actually many very good makeup companies already producing great products without testing on animals. In fact, you can buy a lot of top-quality, vegan, and cruelty-free makeup at your friendly local Sephora. Here are 10 of our favorites.
1. Too Faced
Too Faced has top-quality products in very fun packaging. The palettes are addictive, especially the Chocolate Bar, which actually smells like chocolate. (And it tastes like chocolate. Don’t ask how I know, but the eye shadows definitely taste like chocolate.)
2. Nars
Nars is so fancy. We already knew it was a high-end runway brand with Tilda Swinton as its current face, but it turns out Nars is also a cruelty-free brand as well.
3. Anastasia Beverly Hills
ABH has a wide range of very popular color cosmetics, but they’re best known for their eyebrows. If you need a set of power brows or “Instagram eyebrows,” you need Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Dipbrow pomade. It’s a cult favorite, and it is also cruelty-free. Yay!
4. Hourglass Cosmetics
Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Palette is another cult fave that promises to give you that “lit from within” look, and people do adore it. They also have an extensive range of lip glosses and skincare products, and they do not test on animals.
5. Urban Decay
Urban Decay has been the Cool Girl’s makeup brand since it came out in the 90s with shades like “bruise” and “gunmetal” and all us alt kids went crazy for it. It’s also cruelty-free, including that Naked eyeshadow palette you’ve probably had your eye on.
6. Smashbox
You are probably using one of their primers already, and if you are not you should give it a try. Their BB cream is also much beloved, especially for people who want to look smooth-faced and perfect in their selfies.
7. Tarte
Tarte’s goods are pretty and colorful, and they’re also gluten-free if you are looking for that. They’re formulated with skin-beautifying antioxidants, and they are never tested on animals.
8. Buxom Cosmetics
Buxom makes one great lipstick. Their products are long-wearing and feel-good and come in a great collection of colors. Best of all you can wear them without feeling guilty because–you guessed it–they’re not tested on animals.
9. Kat Von D
If you need a winged eyeliner or a full-coverage foundation thick enough to hide even an all-black tattoo, Kat Von D will hook you up.
10. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
Are your lips not blue, and is that a problem for you? Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is known for their wide range of completely opaque lipsticks and lip tars in colors like blue and green. They can make you look “pretty pretty” and not “weird pretty,” too, but somehow that seems less fun. They’re also 100-percent vegan and do not test on animals.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
