Is Mario Badescu Cruelty-Free And Vegan?
To many consumers, it’s becoming more and more important to support brands that align with their values. For vegans, that means finding cruelty-free skin care companies that don’t test their products on animals or use animal-derived ingredients to produce their skincare treatments, lotions, and face washes.
Is Mario Badescu cruelty-free and vegan?

Mario Badescu is a cruelty-free skincare brand. They do not test any of their products or individual ingredients on animals, nor do they have third-party companies test their products on their behalf. However, they do not claim to be a vegan company, as they do sell products containing animal-derived ingredients.
In this post, we’ll discuss whether Mario Badescu is truly cruelty-free and whether or not Mario Badescu is a 100% vegan skincare company.
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Is Mario Badescu Cruelty-Free?
If you’re someone who takes cruelty-free skincare seriously, you know just how difficult it can be to find a truly cruelty-free skincare brand. Even those who claim to not test their products on animals often have third parties test their products for them, or they might sell their products in mainland China, where animal testing is required by law.
Thankfully, Mario Badescu is a cruelty-free choice for acne treatments that target surface blemishes like Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (vegan and cruelty-free), a cult-favorite skincare product, especially for those with an acne-prone or oily skin type.
Other best-selling Mario Badescu skin care products include Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater (vegan and cruelty-free), a soothing hydrating facial spray, perfect for dehydrated or dry skin, and their Vitamin C Serum (cruelty-free but not vegan), an anti-aging serum that targets the signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines.
According to their website, Mario Badescu doesn’t test any of their products or the individual ingredients in their products on animals. They also don’t ask any third-party companies to conduct animal testing on their behalf.
In fact, Mario Badescu requests that their suppliers sign a certificate stating they don’t practice animal testing on their products. This shows Mario Badescu’s commitment to being cruelty-free.
In addition to not conducting animal testing, Mario Badescu doesn’t sell their products in mainland China. Therefore, they don’t offer their products in markets where animal testing is required by law, making them a 100% cruelty-free company.
Is Mario Badescu Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?
No, Mario Badescu is an independent company. This means that they are not owned by a parent company that tests on animals. After Mario Badescu’s passing, Morise Cabasso bought the company. Cabasso’s family still runs the business, so the company hasn’t been purchased by a larger company that tests its products on animals.
While the company could be purchased in the future by a larger corporation, it seems likely that Mario Badescu would keep their stance on animal testing. They are unlikely to relinquish their cruelty-free status to a parent company requesting their products be tested on animals.
Is Mario Badescu Certified Cruelty-Free?
No, Mario Badescu is not currently certified cruelty-free. The two most common ways to be certified cruelty-free are to be on PETA’s list of companies that don’t test on animals and to be licensed to use the Leaping Bunny logo.
Here are a few of the requirements companies must meet in order to use the Leaping Bunny logo:
- They must not conduct any animal testing on their products or individual ingredients.
- They may not purchase ingredients from companies that conduct animal testing.
- They must monitor their suppliers to ensure they aren’t testing any items on animals.
- They have to have their suppliers sign a compliance certificate stating that no animal testing is on any ingredients.
- They can’t sell their products in any country where animal testing is required by law.
Since there is no legal regulation on what is considered cruelty-free, PETA and Leaping Bunny help clarify which companies adhere to certain standards. One possible reason that Mario Badescu is not certified cruelty-free is they might not monitor their suppliers as strictly as required by these organizations.
While it’s unclear if Mario Badescu will take the required steps to become certified cruelty-free in the future, they are still a cruelty-free company that refuses to engage in animal testing.
Is Mario Badescu Vegan?
No, Mario Badescu is not a vegan company. In fact, on their website, they say that they aren’t an organic or vegan company. Many of their products contain animal-derived ingredients.
Do Mario Badescu Products Contain Animal-Derived Ingredients?
Yes, some Mario Badescu products contain animal-derived ingredients. One of their products containing animal-derived ingredients is their Cellufirm Drops, an anti-aging serum for combination, dry and sensitive skin, which is formulated with bee pollen.
However, Mario Badescu does offer some vegan-friendly options. As previously mentioned, Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion and Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater are free from animal-derived ingredients. Be sure to read the ingredient label on each Mario Badescu product to determine if it contains animal-derived ingredients.
If you’re looking to support a company that is both cruelty-free and vegan, Mario Badescu isn’t the right choice since they sell products containing animal-derived ingredients.
However, if you’re simply looking to buy vegan products, Mario Badescu offers quite a selection of vegan-friendly products.
Is Mario Badescu Sold In China?
No, Mario Badescu is not sold in mainland China. This is important because it helps to show their dedication to abstaining from testing their products on animals.
In the past, all cosmetics being marketed in mainland China were required by law to be tested on animals before making it onto store shelves. This meant that companies who didn’t test their products on animals would have to pay for the Chinese government to conduct animal testing on their products.
Recently, the laws in China have become a bit more relaxed, but many cosmetics are still required to be tested on animals. Because of this, the only way for a company to be truly cruelty-free is not to sell their products in mainland China.
Since Mario Badescu is a beauty brand that doesn’t sell any of their products in mainland China, it’s evident that they are serious about finding more ethical ways to test their products. It’s significant for a company to turn down the opportunity for additional profits to stay in line with their ethics.
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Final Thoughts: Is Mario Badescu Cruelty-Free And Vegan?
Mario Badescu is a cruelty-free company that doesn’t test any of their finished products or individual ingredients on animals and doesn’t ask any third parties to test on animals. However, they are not a vegan company since they sell products that contain animal-derived ingredients.
As more and more consumers become interested in buying both vegan and cruelty-free products, Mario Badescu will likely join other cruelty free brands in offering more vegan options. For now, they are completely cruelty-free and offer a selection of vegan-friendly products that are clearly marked on their website.
Thanks for reading!