This post will be constantly updated as i find out new information...if you want me to research a brand, let me know!
Thought id make it a statement on here that i will not buy or review any product by a company that tests its ingredients or products on animals. There's a lot of reading below, but please stick with it, as its very worthwhile.
Thought id make it a statement on here that i will not buy or review any product by a company that tests its ingredients or products on animals. There's a lot of reading below, but please stick with it, as its very worthwhile.
Even though there is no need to use animals, many companies still do (because its cheap)! In fact by law (hopefully) by next year it will be illegal for cosmetic products in Europe to be tested on animals (though a company might still do so elsewhere)
I scour websites for information on companies im not sure of.
Uncaged.co.uk. BUAV, Naturewatch.org, even Wikipedia as it often gives the owner company name of brands.( I avoid PETA as i do not agree with their tactics ad some polices and their listing qualifications can be lax.)
Click below for more information and lots of writing! -
You have to be so careful finding products truly not animal tested as many companies try to get around it with clever wording -
*- "We are against animal testing or we avoid animal testing", -
They may be against it, but they still do it. Unless this statement is combined with a BUAV logo of the Leaping Bunny. Ignore it. ( make sure it is the real BUAV leaping bunny and not just a cute rabbit as this can actually mean nothing). Companies like this - Elemis, L'Oreal.
*" we dont test on animals"
No, but you are owned by a company that does - example, The Body Shop is owned by L'Oreal, one of the worst offenders. This means that the parent company profits from its 'ethical' brands, so no matter how much the 'ethical' brand protests its credentials,. the money you spend on them goes to it parent companies annual profist. This is why big name companies buy these ethical brands..to capture this growing market.
*" we never test our products on animals"
No they don't, but they do profit from ingredients bought from their suppliers who do test on animals - MAC, Smashbox, Bobby Brown, Prescriptives, Aveda, all owned by Estee Lauder ( in fact they own many more companies - see list below)
Other companies like this - Avon, Boots brands, Chanel, Clarins, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Avon, Revlon, Tresemme. ( Basically any of those companies that hype a new wonder product or ingredient, usually means that that product has animal tested ingredients). Supermarkets: Asda , Lidl, Morrisons.Wilkinsons, Netto
COMPANIES I WONT TOUCH WITH A BARGPOLE -
Estee Lauder inc - Aramis, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Bumble & Bumble, Clinique, Coach, Darphin, Donna Karen, Flirt!, Good Skin, Grass Roots, Jo Malone, Lab Series, La Mer, MAC, Michael Kors, Missoni, Mustang, Ojon, Origins, Prescriptives, Sean John, Smash Box, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger.
Estee Lauder inc - Aramis, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Bumble & Bumble, Clinique, Coach, Darphin, Donna Karen, Flirt!, Good Skin, Grass Roots, Jo Malone, Lab Series, La Mer, MAC, Michael Kors, Missoni, Mustang, Ojon, Origins, Prescriptives, Sean John, Smash Box, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger.
Proctor and Gamble eg Aussie haircare, Max Factor, Olay, Head and Shoulders, Braun, Clairol, Covergirl, Gilette, Herbal Essences, Pantene, many perfume names inc Hugo Boss and Valentino http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/all_brands.shtml
Johnson & Johnson - eg- Neutrogena, Piz Buin, Ambi Skincare, Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Lubriderm, Purpose, RoC, Rogaine, http://www.jnj.com/connect/healthcare-products/consumer/
L'Oreal/Nestle - eg- Biotherm, Cacharel, Garnier, Georgio Armani, Helena Rubinstein, Keretase, Kiehls, Lancome, La Roche, Matrix, Maybelline, Mizani, Pureology, Ralph Lauren,Redken, Softsheen, Shu Uemura, The Body Shop, Vichy, Victor and Rolf
http://www.loreal.co.uk/_en/_gb/index.aspx
http://www.loreal.co.uk/_en/_gb/index.aspx
PZ Cussons -eg- Imperial Leather, Original Source, Sanctuary -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZ_Cussons#Brands
Reckitt Benckiser- eg - Calgol, Airwick -
http://www.rb.com/Ourbrands/Search-RB-Brands-A-Z/A-F
Revlon - Almay, Ultima2
http://www.rb.com/Ourbrands/Search-RB-Brands-A-Z/A-F
Revlon - Almay, Ultima2
Unilever - eg -Dove, Origins,Ponds, Lynx(or Axe), Impulse , Lux, Sunsilk, Vaseline
http://www.unilever.co.uk/brands/
http://www.unilever.co.uk/brands/
Coty - eg- Rimmel, NYC Makeup, Opi, Calvin Klien, Lancaster, many celeb perfumes inc Davidoff, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeniffer Lopez, Kylie, Beckham, Marc Jacobs and Chloe http://www.coty.com/#/brands/browse
LVMH - Benefit Cosmetics, Dior, Gucci, Makeup For Ever, Aqua Di Parma, Fresh, Givenchy, Guerlain,Kenzo, Loewe perfumes, Sephora
http://www.lvmh.com/groupe/pg_soc_liste.asp?rub=3&srub=0
Boots Alliance - Boots, Botanics, No7, Soltan, Natural Collection
Yves Rocher is owned partly by sanofi aventis, which uses and promotes animal testing.
http://www.lvmh.com/groupe/pg_soc_liste.asp?rub=3&srub=0
Boots Alliance - Boots, Botanics, No7, Soltan, Natural Collection
Yves Rocher is owned partly by sanofi aventis, which uses and promotes animal testing.
Others - Lever Faberge, SC Johnson, Virgin Vie, Yardley,FCUK, Clinique, Helena Rubinstein and Glaxosmithkline,
Many of these companies above will use clever terminology to hide what they really do, Examples are -
PG Cussons say of their brand original Source - ( L'oreal use a similar line) -
“None of our products are tested on animals. We support the development and acceptance of alternative methods which reduce or replace the use of animals in product safety evaluation.”
Notice they mention product testing but not ingredients. Many cosmetic companies also add statements about how much they support and invest in the development of alternative methods of testing - which is a ploy to distract consumers from the fact that they also still test on animals.
Clarins say - " In 1987, Clarins was the first French company to cease product testing on animals"
No mention of ingredients again.
Estee Lauder says - "We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law." (Avon say Similar)
They are not being completely honest because they do still buy and use 'new to the world' ingredients that have been tested on animals during their development. Any legal requirement to test on animals only arises because of the companies desire to use new chemicals in the hope of increasing their sales. Profit over compassion.
See the minefield here? Eesh. There is hope though!!
There are 2 kinds of companies, those that never have or will and those that adhere to a fixed cut off date ( FCOD). This means that the company will not buy or use ingredients that have been tested on animals by themselves or their suppliers after a set date (e.g. 1995). This is the only method by which manufacturers can send a clear message to their suppliers and the rest of the industry that the company is not prepared to profit from animal tested ingredients. There are a few other that don't fit these two. One is Lush. they do not operate a FCOD, but they only purchase ingredients from suppliers who have no connection to animal testing and do not test them selves.
there is another group who run a 5 year rolling date, ie they wait 5 years before using an new ingredient in their products. It's a bit of a minefield there, as those ingredients will have been tested on animals 5 years prior. But they don't need to test it again. Any companies i find who have this i've asterisked in the listings.
there is another group who run a 5 year rolling date, ie they wait 5 years before using an new ingredient in their products. It's a bit of a minefield there, as those ingredients will have been tested on animals 5 years prior. But they don't need to test it again. Any companies i find who have this i've asterisked in the listings.
Ok, the good guys. Now firstly all indie makeup companies don't test on animals...because for one, most companies you'll find are vegetarian or vegan friendly to start with and most buy their ingredients from good wholesalers who also are cruelty free.- So yaay to Morgana Cryptoria, Fyrinnae, Venomous,Meow Minerals, and others.
I wont list all the good guy big names, but they can be found here and here ( THE BUAV site includes The Body shop but with a disclaimer saying they are owned by Loreal.)
Good Guys-
UK and European companies-
Barry M
Superdrug (own brands are BUAV approved.)
GOSH
Illamasqua
Models Own
Lush
Lush
Collection 2000*
Sleek
Beauty Without Cruelty
Famous by Sue Moxley
Kryolan
H&M
Argos own brands
Marks and Spencers
Next
Constance Carroll*
Jerome Russell
Baptiste*
Fade Out
StarGazer
Montagne Jeuness
Daniel Field
Beauty UK
Essence
Catrice
Korres ** ( Europe only. In US they are licenced through Johnson & Johnson)
L'Occitane
Paula's Choice
Monu Skincare
INGLOT
Bottega Verde
Nailpolish companies -
China Glaze
Butter London nail Polish
A England nail Polish
Andrea Fulerton nail polish
UK Supermarkets -
Tescos (beauty and household),
Sainsburys (beauty only),
Co-op, Aldi and Waitrose own brand products.
Beauty UK
Essence
Catrice
Korres ** ( Europe only. In US they are licenced through Johnson & Johnson)
L'Occitane
Paula's Choice
Monu Skincare
INGLOT
Bottega Verde
Nailpolish companies -
China Glaze
Butter London nail Polish
A England nail Polish
Andrea Fulerton nail polish
Nails Inc
Spa Ritual
Perfumes (Sadly ANY fancy perfume will be from a bad company. Nearly all perfumes are made by the main cosmetics houses - Loreal, Coty, LVMH etc) So i've created a list of perfume companies that are the good guys) -
Marks and Spencers
Cocoa Pink
Black Pheonix Alchemy Lab
Harvey Prince
The Goth Rosary
Juliette Has a Gun
Perfumes (Sadly ANY fancy perfume will be from a bad company. Nearly all perfumes are made by the main cosmetics houses - Loreal, Coty, LVMH etc) So i've created a list of perfume companies that are the good guys) -
Marks and Spencers
Cocoa Pink
Black Pheonix Alchemy Lab
Harvey Prince
The Goth Rosary
Juliette Has a Gun
UK Supermarkets -
Tescos (beauty and household),
Sainsburys (beauty only),
Co-op, Aldi and Waitrose own brand products.
US Brands -
Orly
E.L.F
NYX
LA Colors
La Girl
Lasplash
Kett
Reel Creations
Temptu
Graftoban
Ben Nye
Color Club
Urban Decay
Two Faced
Carmex
Yaby
OCC
Stars Makeup Haven
Paul Mitchell
Dermalogica
Hard Candy
Beyond The Zone
Wet and Wild
Milani
Jordash
TKB Trading
Coastal Scents
Lord and Berry
Dr Dennis Gross Skincare
Australian (any help is welcome to help with this section!)
check this link -
http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/list.html
Glitter Gal
Femme Fatale Mineral makeup
Beyond The Zone
Wet and Wild
Milani
Jordash
TKB Trading
Coastal Scents
Lord and Berry
Dr Dennis Gross Skincare
Australian (any help is welcome to help with this section!)
check this link -
http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/list.html
Glitter Gal
Femme Fatale Mineral makeup
Oriental- (Its hard finding out about Asian brands as i don't read the languages, but these below do state they are animal friendly and also via KARA the Korean animal rights group. Can anyone clarify?)-
Missha
Etude House
Baviphat
Innisfree
Tony Moly
Skinfood
Skinfood
( I know to avoid Laneige and Liole and now Face Shop.)
I'll update this list as i find new information so please check back often.
So there you have it. It is hard work, but i quite enjoy being the detective and finding out about companies and who actually owns them. Sometimes it can be disappointing that a company you like is actually owned by a money grabbing corporation, but other times its great when you find they are still the good guys.
Sometimes...when i contact a company it can be like getting blood from a stone for them to answer my questions. The more i have to repeat myself the less i believe the company. I always say in my initial email, the more information you can provide the more i can pass on.
I always ask these questions-
if a company comes back to me only answering the top question...then i am suspicious and i will reply with why did you not answer my other questions....
Sometimes...when i contact a company it can be like getting blood from a stone for them to answer my questions. The more i have to repeat myself the less i believe the company. I always say in my initial email, the more information you can provide the more i can pass on.
I always ask these questions-
- 1 Do you test your ingredients and/or finished products on animals
- 2 If you answered no to question 1, do you get another company to test for you and do they use animals in their tests?
- 3 Are you owned by a parent company or is this company the sole brand?
- 4 Why do you not have information on animal testing on your website?
- 5 Why do you not say on your products that you do not test on animals?
- 6 Does your products have any animal ingredients?
if a company comes back to me only answering the top question...then i am suspicious and i will reply with why did you not answer my other questions....
( NOTE - I took some of my worded information from what i consider to be the strictest of websites - Uncaged.co.uk. They worded some statements far better than i could have!)
Posts
51 comments:
I stopped using my False Lash Effect mascara when I figured out they test on animals. I don't know if I can give up Clinique or MAC... :\ I feel EVIL.
But thanks for the info.
x
Its every person's personal decision with their conscience really.
I stopped buying MAC years ago because i dont think much of their product quality now and the fact they reduced the size of the some of their products but put up the price - pigments being an example.
The quality went down the year they got bought out. I still own some of their products, lipsticks i bought before the take over in 1998, but i wont use or promote them on here. (although Estee Lauder had a large share in their company from 1994)
In regard to Original Source, they have certification from the Vegan Society, who say in their guidelines (at least they did about three years ago when I last looked), that they would not allow the placement of the Vegan symbol on products by companies who have ever used vivisection.
Not sure if that's still true or if they stuck to it at the time.
They could well be.
The problem arises in the fact that a larger company buys what people think is an ethical brand, and those people might not buy the companies own stuff. But it doesn't matter as that larger companies profits are bolstered from those ethical brands it owns.
In the end by buying a brand that a larger company that tests on animals owns, you are giving money to that company.
MAC used to say 'tested on models, not on animals' but then Estee Lauder bought them.
I find it's so difficult, especially when you see ambiguous statements like "We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law."
The older and more educated I've become, the more I look for cruelty free alternatives to things, but it's hard because I have to temper that with products that will work for me. Some products just don't work on me no matter what I do :(
I know this well. I have a night treatment by The Body Shop that is fantastic. I'll use it up but look for a replacement...hope to find one somewhere.
I'm looking into going cruelty free, this is such a useful post. I'm in the research phase, and am writing to several companies to clarify their policies.. it's all so complicated!
Laura, good for you. It can be so hard when companies use spin and blatent lies to hide what they really do.
If i can find out who the parent company is of any brand, that often helps the most.
Thanks for this! Especially for the Korean brands. I was wondering for others Korean brands like Dr Jart,
Holika Holika and It's skin too, but I couldn't find anything...
brahmatma -
I'm not sure about Dr Jart, Holika Holika.
I think, but not entirely sure about It's SKin. I have sent the companies all emails, but of course they are in English. Hopefully i will get replies from them soon.
I know Laniege and Liole DO test on animals.
Wow theres so many cruel companies that are taking over good brands! it will be very hard to find dday to day things that are cruelty-free! but its a great cause so i'll do it! <3 Thank you so much for this post its VERY VERY helpful :)
Your welcome! :D
for the part when you said other companies like this does it mean that the companies only test when there is new ingredients or get tested on ingredients from their suppliers and is it required by the law to test new ingredients on animals?
Depends on the area. Europe inc the UK, banned all cosmetic testing IN Europe, but companies can still test their products in other countries and buy in animal tested ingredients from other countries (The US has no such law). From what i've read there are laws saying ingredients need to be tested for safety, but they do not specify animal tested. There are other non animal tests that identify safety far more accurately, but are more expensive to do. Hence why many companies and suppliers don't bother. Profit over compassion again.
I think the only test where there is no alternative (yet) is poisoning test. This test is done on dogs mainly, as their digestive system is considered close enough to humans. Except of course that dogs cant eat chocolate..or asprin or other chemicals which we humans can, Alternatives are being developed using human cells to build parts of organs that could be damaged by a potential new chemical ingredient.
Any new 'wonder' ingredient promoted by a company with a fancy pseudo scientific name will have been tested on animals, because that company wants to keep ahead of its competition, which are often other brands who are doing the same.
I can search out specific dates of laws if you so wish.
Hi Sakara, this is such a great post :)
You've had confirmation from all the good guys (non *) that they operate FCODs?
Just curious cos I have emailed a few on your list not in the Naturewatch/BUAV lists in the past re: FCODs and either never got replies or got waffly replies that didn't acknowledge FCODs. However, I didn't word my emails in quite the specific way you did, so maybe that was my problem?
Ta, Holly
Hi, brill post btw :)
So all the good guys (non *) operate clear cut FCODs? I only ask because I have emailed a few on your list that aren't Naturewatch/BUAV listed in the past and either got
a. no reply
or
b. some waffly reply
But I must admit I never phrased my email questions in the specific, clear way you did, so maybe that was my problem? I'm not doubting you in any way, I'm just a little bit sadly excited I might have some new makeup companies to drool over!!
Hi Holly. Ive gotten the various good guy names by checking via BUAV, Animal Aid, Uncaged,choosecrueltyfree.au, Peta (to a certain extent for US brands/companies) and direct from the companies.
Those i know who have a rolling date i've asterixed.
The asian sites are the hardest to confirm, but from the research ive done ive listed those i've found are good.If any of that changes i'll update
This is awesome that you're informing people about this issue!
It makes me so freaking mad to read stuff like this. Especially because some of these brands/companies I really love (Sephora, Origins, Fresh, Shu Uemura, etc.)
Since I do regularly use Sephora to get my beauty products (usually just from their 'natural & organic' section, though), is there an alternative site that I could use that has no ties to animal cruelty companies, or should I just start buying from companies directly?
Tofugi - thanks for the positive comments!
Being from the UK i'm not entirely sure there is another company like Sephora that sells mostly or only cruelty free. Be nice if there was!
I do know Cherry Culture.com sells cruelty free brands so that might be an avenue. I like buying my NYX, LA Colors and LA Girl from there.
I tend to only buy direct online from the indie companies now as they often offer something different to the norm, then the basics i buy at my local stores in the UK. The main brand i splash out on is Illamasqua.
Thanks for the feedback!
I have a few questions:
Does Shiseido test on animals? (Because I've read so many mixed reviews about them)
Also, what do you think about Burt's Bees being bought by Clorox? It seems so ridiculous to me because of their differing opinions with animal testing and such.
Tofugi - Japan from what i've been told, has laws meaning any product by them has to be tested on animals, hence why i havent included any Japanese brands while i confirm this. Shiseido owns Bare Escentuals, Nars and makes perfumes for Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake and Narciso Rodriguez brands.
As for Burts Bees being owned by Clorox is the same as Loreal buying The Body Shop. Big name corporations buy eco companies so they can get the profits from people who dont know who owns them..its a rather nasty way of getting the green dollar as its known as Any profits from the eco brands go to the main corporations yearly profits.
Hi sakara,
I saw your post and I was so disappointed when I knew Mac, clinique actually tested on animals. Few months ago, I had sent them a comment for this problem, they answered me the statement such as in your post. I had no idea and thought they just tested some ingredients like water ( is it pure or not )on animals because of the law, and actually not cruelty.
Now, I have read your post and ...
I'm student, live in Vietnam so I don't have many money. I must try to save money more than 1.5 month for buying just 1 MAC lipstick, 2 months for its blush ( because I knew it - Estee Lauder is the only cruelty - free brands, good quality which has showroom in my country ). No matter products are very expensive, I just want cruelty free products.
Right now, I look at them and just want to throw away or I don't want to believe that you said so true :((
So sad...
Besides, I want to ask something, you said you bought Illamasqua. I entered their website and could not find any information that do they test on animals. Are you sure they are cruelty-free ?
If they are actually cruelty-free , hope they will be in vn soon )
Hi Vyt
I sympathise, its not nice to find out a brand you love isnt what it used to be. When MAC was independent it was well known as an animal friendly company.
I wrote directly to Illamasqua and yes they do not test products. The actual products are made by Kryolan and they have been animal friendly for years. Even illamasqua's new fragrance isn't tested (like pretty much every other high end fragrance.)
They do have about their policy on their website under about us -
http://www.illamasqua.com/about/animal-testing/
It's hard to know what to do with products you've got unknowing of how they were made. Ive made the decision to use up what i have with some products that are grey area products (but not using them in my makeup posts) and give away others that i know i cannot use in good concience (there is a UK charity that takes toiletries and makeup and gives it to shelters for abused women. At least these products are not going to waste in a landfill)
You might be able to help me too..If you know of any good local companies in Vietnam i could add to the list.
Thanks, Sakara.
Sadly, all products in my country from household products to cosmetics, shampoos, ... every thing that you need for everyday completely almost of Procter Gamble, Unilever or so many other cruel companies. It's very very hard to find any cruelty free company.
Sorry if I bother you again, but I just wonder why Illamasqua is cruelty-free company but they don't join with cruelty-free association ( Example : leaping bunny, choose cruelty free..).
And another question is do you know Korres test on animals ? I just want some cruelty free skincare products.
Finally, I think The Face Shop is cruel, too. I searched so much, KARA ( Korean Animals Right Association ) does not list them in " No animals testing ", and some people wrote for asking this issue, they never had the answer or just " We don't test on animals ". They do not said it on the box ( bottle ), too. I guest some Korean companies in your list almost in gray. Skinfood wrote on the bottle " this product ( or finished product ) doesn't test on animals ", others do not say anything. Cause all those brands exist in my country and I have checked a lot last year. I think maybe Korean companies are like Revlon, they say " We do not test our product on animals " and people think they cruelty-free.
Once again, thank you so much for your love with animals :)
P/s : Please help me about Korres :( sorry for grammar mistake.
Hi Vyt. I'm not sure why Illamasqua hasn't joined any main group, I'll write and ask but i know Kryolan has always been animal friendly, i knew about the companny since the 80s. COuld be similar to LUSH which have their own cut off date policy.
Thankyou for the KARA name and the fact the face shop and Skinfood isnt good. Its so hard finding good information regarding oriental brands that having KARA info is very helpful. Thanks!I'll remove them until i can be sure of their policy.
Vyt - here is info i found about Korres - http://www.apetogentleman.com/news/korres-and-johnson-johnson-combine-in-the-us/
In the US they are controlled through Johnson and Johnson who are not animal friendly... IN Europe they are still owned under the home greek company and this is what they state - Korres Natural Products are not tested on animals; nor does the company request animal testing on ingredients/combination of ingredients or formulae. All tests - including dermatological and clinical tests - are performed in vitro by the use of synthetic keratinocytes [in the lab] or in vivo [human volunteers under the surveillance of a dermatologist and/or special practitioners as required ie an opthalmologist.
So i will include them but only in Europe. Basically if the product box states it's made in Europe then its ok, so i think where you are its best to check where it says it's made.
Vyt, these websites might be of help to you -
http://animalrightskorea.org/bad-science/korean-cruelty-free-cosmetics.html
http://www.acres.org.sg/crueltyfreeliving/identify.html
also i would check good companies's websites to see if they will ship their products to you. Most of what i buy now is online.
Dear Sakara,
You helped me a lot. You are so kind. I thought you researched so many websites to ensure things I wondered about.
I hope I can help you to ensure non-animals testing companies in Asia in the near future. It's really great when I know one more girl who do REALLY CARE about animals and animals testing. ( In VN, I found none T.T or maybe I haven't met yet :-?? )
Thank you for the time you spent helping me :D
Your welcome Vyt. Im helping another girl in Belarus who is having the same problems as you regarding informatation. so you are not alone!
Hi Sakara,
It's me again. I hope you have time to discuss with me this time. I have some problem and want to have your advice.
The first one : I'm thinking about L'occitane skincare brand. This company was certified vruelty-free by BUAV but there no statement about animal testing on their website. I confused then I wrote for them adn they replied that they against the use of animal testing for finished products and using "old", known ingredients, or new ingredients that have been tested using alternative methods. " To further strengthen this commitment, L’OCCITANE is a member of PETA, joining 600 companies pledging to not test our products on animals. "
At first, I thought they was cruelty-free company but when I received their letter, it was so confusing.
The second one, according to BUAV shoping guide book, there still another company is certified as cruelty-free. That's " Yves Rocher ". wow, another problem. Since I've known about anmal testing, I searched many times about this company and almost people said they do test on animals( they do not say anything about this issue on their website, tooo). So, if it was true why Yves Rocher still in the crueltyfree company list of BUAV. Besides, I think you may notice the brand " Wet and wild " . They have " cruelty-free" icon - a little pink bunny on their website, their statement is " As a Peta-certified, cruelty-free brand, we're proud to say we have never and will never test on animals. We also make it a point to work with cruelty-free, third-party vendors. wet n wild loves our furry, scaly, and feathery friends! ". Of course I don't trust PETA anymore and many people said WnW so test on animals. NYX and some others have this icon, too. So, I would highly appreciate your help for my problem. Do you know what exactly BUAV and " cruelty-free" are about ? They listed companies do not test PRODUCT or both ingredients and product by themselves or they do not conduct any animal testing ingredients, means they don't hire others to test and also their suppliers cruelty-free,too ?
And the final (phew !), I heard someone said cherryculture.com just sell cruelty-free products ( NYX, Milani, Jordana,... ). I don't think it's true, what about you ? ( It's no matter if you skip this issue )
Oooh, looking for the good guys always let me down. I just want Europe bans animal testing immediately, right now :-s Also USA, Australia and Asia ( maybe "never" with Asia (:|)
Skara, please help me this time. you can answer when you have free time. I'll wait for your advice.
thank you so so so much :)
Hi Vyt, Sorry not got back to you sooner, but christmas here has kept me rather busy.
I do trust BUAV's list as any company that is say in the grey area (Loreal own The bodyshop) then there is an asterix by the side of the company.
So i'd say L'Occitane and Yves Rocher are safe for you. Many companies dont put the info on their websites..drives me nuts having to email to ask them, but often after i have, they say they will update their website to include info on animal testing. From what you said of what L'Occitane wrote to you, then yes i'd consider them a good company. Sounds like they have a Fixed Cut Off Date FCOD) which is i know a requirement for inclusion in the BUAV list. Looks like Yves Rocher has only recently joined, getting a 'One Voice' label first (One Voice is France's equivelent of BUAV) See here for info -http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Market-Trends/Yves-Rocher-receives-not-tested-on-animals-label-from-One-Voice. Again One Voice like BUAV does say if i Brand that is good is owned by a not good Company.
From reading up on them, i think i'd be happy to add them to my good guys list.
Wet and Wild - yep checked them and ill add them to the good guys list(they are not Vegan but that is another issue i dont deal with - but a company that is totally vegan will also be safe animal testing wise).
The pink smiling bunny logo is PETA's logo. SO its not just a made up logo. PETA isnt a company i think much of, but their list is a check against a company, but it is ALWAYS a case of check elsewhere too..eg LIMECRIME and Revlon are included on their list, who i would never use.
Ive heard rumours that NYX aren't as good as they appear, but after searching i can find no conclusive evidence. Most of the statements come from NYX's so called bad customer service including a dreaful online sale they did a while back..but thats no proof for me that their products are not cruelty free! In fact my dealings with NYX customer service have been fine.
I buy from Cherry Culture and yes they do only sell brands that are good guys.
Asia is such a hard place to change as they have such different ideas to the West, but there are some companies that are good - listed on my blog. I was in contact with the Korean animal welfare charity and they sent me a list of good companies.
Suming up I trust BUAV companies list more so than PETAs.
You are ok to buy L'Occitane, Yves Rocher, NYX and Wet and WIld
Hi, Sakara
I nearly forgot Christmas and so sorry to trouble you on the holiday. I'm so grateful to know more info you have researched. It's very kind of you to help me anytime I need.
Thank you a lot and wish you a great new year ! :D
I'd posted that comment before I checked again your list, what do you think about Coastal Scent ? Do they support animal testing ? I don't know for sure, they said they absolutely do not conduct animal testing but I see they made animal hair brush and leather bag :-?? Can you give me some info you know about this company :D
That's Ok Vyt. Hope you have a lovely new year too! :D
Vyt - Coastal Scents are on the good guy list. I checked with them and their makeup isnt tested on animals.
As i said i dont deal with Vegan issues myself, so don't include brushes or leather. But as they state the brushes are hair or the bag is leather then its the choice of the buyer.
How about Paula's Choice?
I support your move!!!!!!!!!
Cup of tea (btw great name) I'll admit i've not heard of them, but i looked them up and they have this to say on their website -
"Paula’s Choice products are not tested on animals at any stage of the production process. Paula’s Choice has never tested its products on animals and will never do so. We also do not fund any independent source to conduct animal testing on our behalf."
So yep..looks like they are getting added to the good guys list.
About Etude House, I sent them a mail once to ask them about their policy for animal testing and here was their answer:
Dear Princess,
ETUDE HOUSE runs business in Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia where certain rules exist on animal testing and ingredients from animal.
I assure you that non of our products contains any ingredients from animals. ^__^
Sincerely,
Etude Global
Athough they say not using animal products, it's not clear about the animal testing.
Also for Missha I sent them a mail with the same request, their answer :
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for your inquiry and interest in MISSHA! Our products are not animal tested and do not contain any animal products.
However, you may read our ingredients and reviews online. Any questions, please feel free to email us at misshacs@lticosmetics.com. "
But the thing is, some of their products was "coral powder" so I asked what it was, as it might be synthetic, but they said clearly :
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for your inquiry. Coral Powder is made up of coral polyps.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at misshacs@lticosmetics.com. "
So first they claim not using animal products and just go against their saying in the second mail...
Not sure if it really help :)
But indeed I won't buy from any of those two
hi Lutrinaë !
Hi thanks for that. I've been in contact with http://animalrightskorea.org/
who gave me there list of companies both good and bad. Missha were definite a non animal testing company as were Etude.
I will check again though.
As i'm not a vegetarian, let alone vegan i don't ask regarding specific animal ingredients as i wouldn't know where to start but i avoid ingredients from animals where i know the animal has to die to harvest said ingredient. I know cosmetic grade coral is harvested from farmed coral, not wild. It can be farmed in tanks and if handled correctly wont die from the taking of polyps. This is what i gathered from various eco conservation groups as most coral sea beds are protected now to some extent ( something like Over 13 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List contain coral ecosystems)
I understand if you dont want to use any products that are taken from animals though, but it isn't something i ask specifically except for the general animal ingredients.
Yes it's a though job to look for every company who does or does not test on animals, for on my own blog and personnal matters I have still a lot to go through!
I understand not being concerned about animal in the ingredients, it was also to show how they just contradict themselves! To me it takes off any credibility to the brand, but it's a personnal way of seeing things :)
It's always nice to see that people ae concerned about this, thank you for that^^
Lutrinaë -
yeah it can be such a mind field. I will look into it, but its also hard getting clear english answers from asian companies where english isnt their first language.
I know for sure about Japan's animal testing laws hence why i dont list any japanese brands.
Hi, thanks for this post, it's very informative.
I started thinking on animal issues only recently, so I have some not-necessarily-cruelty-free staple items I'm using since a long time and I'm very happy with, such as lemon aid by benefit. i searched the buav list and since I didn't find them, i read a statement on their site claiming they can't grant that every ingredient hasn't been tested, as it's very difficult to do it
"This is a nearly impossible certification for any cosmetic company to make. We prefer to be able to stand 100% behind our claims."
what should I think now about every other company that claims to be cruelty free and is enlisted in the BUAV? should I think they're lying? Benefit is pretty pricey, at least for a college student with tight money for frivolous stuff as me, so I think I've a second reason not to purchase again lemon aid or other stuff from them.
then I'm a bit puzzled about Model's own, they state (quite laconically, BTW) to be a creulty free company but they're not in the buav list, and e.l.f neither. Maybe they figure under the name of a parent company, or maybe they're not creulaty free at all, there's a great confusion in my head.
I come from Italy and compassionate shopping is something still too underground despite more and more people are starting to pay attention to it. So I can find many reputable cruelty free brands in the bath-skinkare department of most supermarkets but cruelty free makeup remains something really plain (and expensive)in physical shops. I hate shopping on the net for stuff I'll wear on my skin and I think that cruelty free makeup should be more widespread for everybody, so I'm planning to ask my favourite brand (essence, ownedd by company cosnova) to take some steps towards certification.
PS: I want to add as an update that now Yves rocher is owned partly by sanofi aventis, which uses and promotes animal testing.
PPS: Sorry for the mistakes, english is not my mothertongue :)
have an nice evening :)
Hello
BUAV is a good starting point, i also use Uncaged.co.uk which is even more stringent in its listings.as well as Animal Aid.
Benefit is owned by LVMH, which is a french company that is known to test on animals and profit from ingredients tested on animals. That is why i wont include them on my good guy list and why they are not on any cruelty free list.
I know ELF have a long standing cruelty free policy same as BarryM ( a UK company who have always been cruelty free ) i believe they have a slightly different timeline policy thus they dont appear under the BUAV.I will double check with Models Own but since none of their cosmetics are ground breaking (always a bad sign)and they do state their animal policy, how ever jokey it may sound, from what ive researched they are ok.
Thanks on the Yves Rocher, i'll remove them!
There is an italian makeup company called KIko
http://www.kikocosmetics.com/eshop/it/no-ai-test-sugli-animali
and also look at Inglot - a very good qaulity at mid range price products. They also have a long time standing as cruelty free.
wow thanks for the rapid reply! especially about benefit, i'll put a cross on it, especially for implying that in reality cruelty free companies are not 100% what they claim to be.
e.l.f seems really interesting for me, it's really appealing because they're lowcost but still have so many positive reviews!
Then I've some precisation to do about the Yves Rocher case. I did a bit of research and I found out that allegedly the main reason they're out of the list is they sell their products on the chinese market, which requires compulsory animal testing for cosmetics. as far as I understood they don't test beforehand, but their products get tested in China once shipped, as a finished product. If you wish I can post the thread where I got this info, a girl is saying she wrote the BUAV about that and they gave her this answer.
I know Inglot quite because i traveled LOTS of times in Poland and my sister too... actually she bought home a wonderful eyeshadow palette and now I know they're cruelty free i think i'll check their website (there's no chance i'm going back to Poland soon):P
speaking about Kiko, i think is one of the first brands I did some research on as it's very popular here and I used to be satisfied with them. the problem is their policy seems a bit fishy.
in the very document you posted (I'd love to provide you and other readers an "official" translation but the english version I found here
http://www.kikocosmetics.com/eshop/uk/no-to-animal-testing
is broken :I)
they are stating that they don't do any test on the finished product (it's the law in the EU)and that the law prevents them to sell any product containing ingredients tested OUTSIDE the EU (so I assume it's perfectly legal having ingredients tested in the community countries). the final part is a pledge that doesn't say much...
on the english version site you can find this faq section:
http://www.kikocosmetics.com/eshop/uk/animal-testing
I think this is pretty eloquent on their views... i prefer financing a vetted cruelty free company rather than one that tries to avoid clear answering. they give no warranty on use of tested ingredients and what's worse in my point of view they are even not stating it clearly nor they appear to care.
:S
if somebody is interested I found out that Bottega Verde is in the list, it's a medium-low end brand that has a wide makeup range too :)
goodnight and thanks again for the research you're doing :)
Thankyou for that info. I had a loose translation for Kiko.I know there is a law coming in soon that means Nothing cosmetic or household can be tested in EU, including the ingredients. Havent seen it confirmed as some companies are trying to stall it...a good bet its someone like Loreal or similar. I keep an eye on the BUAV site for when this law will actually happen
I love Inglot..the quality of their eyeshadows are amazing.
Not heard of Bottega Verde so i'll add that to the good guy list now!
I am a Singaporean and used to live in Korea for one year. I haven't been taking account of "animal tested " when I purchased cosmetic and skincare product for my 26years. Until I saw a documentry then I realized this is something I should be aware of. Reading through your list I felt so astonished to realized I have bought so many of these products. Luckily most of my cosmetics and skincare are from etudehouse, missha and innisfree. I guess for future I will have a more firm choice of beauty products when I finished my existing ones!! Indirectly we have saved some animal lives I guess
Hi!
Yhaks for your post, I've search alot lately about this trying to elimitae completely the products that are not cruelty free. I want to ask you if you about Bioderma policies? I haven't founf any information.
Thanks!
Elise
Hi i'll have a look, but from initial research i doubt very much it is cruelty free. 1 - No information on site, 2 - constantly advertising new products with scientific new ingredients.
Hi Sakara
I've spent the best part of the last 3 days skimming through the net about cosmetics and animal skincare. Was starting to suffer from information overload, and then I came to your blog, and it was a breath of fresh air finding all the information I was looking for all in the one place.
I thought I'd drop you a line to say thank you for all the hard work :)
Lorraine
Forgot to add that your blog is awesome !
Thankyou Lorraine, for the kind words!
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