Catrice Cosmetics

Offers a wide range of vegan and cruelty‑free makeup products including foundations, lip colors, mascaras, and brushes.
5.8
Above Average
Overall PPA Score
People 6.0
Planet 5.8
Animals 5.8
Our PPA framework evaluates brands based on their positive impact upon People, Planet and Animals.

Learn more about our scoring →

About Catrice Cosmetics

Catrice Cosmetics represents a significant force in the accessible makeup segment, operating under German parent company Cosnova since 2004 to deliver trend-driven cosmetics across European markets. The brand has positioned itself strategically within the democratized beauty space, offering comprehensive makeup collections spanning foundations, eye products, lip colors, and tools that compete directly with both drugstore and mid-tier beauty offerings.

Sustainability performance demonstrates notable progress in animal welfare and chemical responsibility, with complete vegan formulation transitions and verified cruelty-free standards establishing strong ethical foundations. The brand's environmental initiatives benefit from Cosnova's corporate-level commitments, including Science Based Targets initiative-validated climate goals and systematic elimination of problematic ingredients like microplastics and volatile silicones from product formulations.

As part of Cosnova's broader portfolio strategy, Catrice leverages parent company resources for supply chain oversight and sustainability infrastructure, though brand-specific environmental disclosures remain limited compared to corporate-level reporting. The integration enables access to established supplier networks with EcoVadis sustainability assessments and participation in industry initiatives like the Responsible Mica Initiative, positioning the brand within evolving clean beauty market expectations while maintaining competitive pricing accessibility.

The Good Stuff

Where Catrice Cosmetics appears to be making meaningful progress. We cross-referenced these findings with multiple independent sources.

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Verified Cruelty-Free Standards

Listed on PETA's cruelty-free registry with verified policies ensuring neither the brand nor ingredient suppliers conduct or commission animal testing anywhere in the world

🌊

Complete Microplastic Elimination

Has fully eliminated fixed microplastic particles across all product formulations, with additional commitment to remove volatile silicones from future formulations

🎯

Science-Based Climate Action

Climate emission reduction targets independently verified and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, covering comprehensive scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across operations

The Reality Check

Areas where the publicly available data gets murky, incomplete, or concerning. We're transparent about the limitations of our analysis.

⚠️

Vegan Transition Verification

While the brand claims 100% vegan formulation completion, product-level verification during the transition period requires consumer confirmation for individual items to ensure complete vegan status

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Water Stewardship Transparency Gap

No specific water conservation programs, efficiency targets, or facility-level water usage metrics disclosed at either brand or corporate levels despite beauty industry water intensity

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Limited Marketing Certification

Clean beauty and sustainability marketing claims rely primarily on internal standards rather than comprehensive third-party certification programs beyond cruelty-free verification

Catrice Cosmetics'
Impact Aura

A visual representation of Catrice Cosmetics' positive impact
across People, Planet and Animals

5.8
Above Average
Overall Score

Each colored area represents the brand's performance in that sustainability category. The size and intensity of each blob corresponds to their score—larger, more vibrant areas indicate stronger performance.

Our Research

Key findings from our comprehensive analysis of Catrice Cosmetics' sustainability performance across People, Planet & Animals impact.

Positive Impact on People

6.0/10

Research Highlights

  • Cleaner Standard eliminates PEGs, parabens, microplastics and volatile silicones across product formulations
  • Supplier oversight requires Code of Conduct compliance with independent EcoVadis sustainability assessments
  • Supply chain transparency includes risk-based auditing and third-party sustainability ratings for vendor partnerships
  • Social impact initiatives support UNICEF programs and breast cancer awareness through art collaboration projects
  • Marketing integrity claims align with internal standards but lack comprehensive third-party certification verification

Evidence Strength

Strong documentation for ingredient safety standards and supplier oversight protocols, limited external verification for marketing claims beyond cruelty-free certification

Data Confidence: Medium

Positive Impact on Planet

5.8/10

Research Highlights

  • Climate action validated through Science Based Targets initiative verification with emission reduction commitments across all scopes
  • Chemical responsibility demonstrates complete elimination of fixed microplastic particles with volatile silicone phase-out planned
  • Sustainable packaging roadmap incorporates recycled materials with measurable progress tracking under corporate sustainability framework
  • Biodiversity protection through Responsible Mica Initiative and RSPO membership for ethical raw material sourcing
  • Water stewardship lacks specific conservation programs or efficiency targets at both brand and corporate levels

Evidence Strength

Excellent third-party verification for climate targets and chemical elimination programs, significant gaps in water conservation documentation and facility-level environmental metrics

Data Confidence: Medium

Positive Impact on Animals

5.8/10

Research Highlights

  • Cruelty-free certification through PETA listing with verified no-testing policies covering brand and ingredient suppliers
  • Complete vegan formulation transition achieved with 100% plant-based ingredients across product portfolio
  • Sustainable sourcing protocols include RSPO palm oil certification and Responsible Mica Initiative participation
  • Conservation partnership with WWF Germany supports marine protection campaigns and environmental advocacy
  • Wildlife habitat restoration programs remain undisclosed with no direct conservation funding initiatives identified

Evidence Strength

Strong third-party verification for cruelty-free status and comprehensive vegan transition documentation, limited disclosure on direct wildlife conservation investments

Data Confidence: High

See the Receipts

We don't just make claims—here are the official certifications that prove Catrice Cosmetics' sustainability commitments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Catrice Cosmetics sustainable?

Catrice demonstrates strong sustainability performance in animal welfare and chemical responsibility, with verified cruelty-free status and complete vegan formulations. The brand benefits from parent company Cosnova's Science Based Targets initiative-validated climate commitments and systematic elimination of problematic ingredients. However, gaps remain in water stewardship disclosure and comprehensive third-party sustainability certifications beyond animal welfare standards.

Is Catrice cruelty-free and vegan?

Yes, Catrice maintains verified cruelty-free status through PETA listing and has completed its transition to 100% vegan formulations across all products. The brand ensures neither it nor its ingredient suppliers conduct or commission animal testing, with plant-based ingredients now standard across the entire product portfolio.

What clean beauty standards does Catrice follow?

Catrice operates under its Cleaner Standard, which excludes PEGs, parabens, fixed microplastic particles, and volatile silicones from product formulations. The brand has fully eliminated microplastics and continues working toward complete volatile silicone removal, though these standards rely on internal criteria rather than external clean beauty certification programs.

How does Catrice address climate change?

Through parent company Cosnova, Catrice benefits from Science Based Targets initiative-verified climate commitments covering comprehensive emission reduction across all operational scopes. The corporate framework includes validated targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with climate science, though brand-specific environmental initiatives remain limited in public disclosure.

What certifications does Catrice have?

Catrice holds PETA cruelty-free certification and participates in industry initiatives including the Responsible Mica Initiative and RSPO for sustainable raw material sourcing through its parent company. However, the brand currently lacks comprehensive third-party sustainability certifications like organic, natural, or clean beauty program verification beyond animal welfare standards.

Is Catrice packaging sustainable?

Catrice operates under Cosnova's Sustainable Packaging roadmap, which incorporates recycled materials and tracks progress toward packaging sustainability goals. While the corporate framework demonstrates commitment to packaging improvements, specific metrics for recycled content percentages, refillability programs, or circular design principles remain undisclosed at the brand level.

How does Catrice ensure ethical sourcing?

Catrice benefits from Cosnova's supplier oversight requiring Code of Conduct compliance and independent EcoVadis sustainability assessments. The corporate approach includes risk-based auditing and participation in ethical sourcing initiatives like the Responsible Mica Initiative and RSPO, though brand-specific supplier transparency remains limited compared to corporate-level disclosures.

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The Bottom Line

Catrice demonstrates solid sustainability foundations through verified animal welfare standards and systematic chemical responsibility improvements, supported by parent company Cosnova's science-based climate commitments and supplier oversight protocols. While strong in cruelty-free verification and vegan formulations, the brand faces opportunities for enhanced transparency in water stewardship, packaging metrics, and comprehensive third-party sustainability certification beyond animal welfare standards.

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