Today, I wanted to write a post about something that is very close to my heart, and that is my love for animals and my desire to have cruelty-free products. My love of K-Beauty is something that gets included in this because as long as a K-Beauty brand isn’t sold in China, it is not tested on animals, as animal testing is illegal. If you would like to see a full list of K-Beauty brands that are cruelty-free, you can check this list from Ethical Elephant.
With increased consumer awareness of environmental issues, and a desire to help save the planet, people have been trying to increase pressure on companies to be sustainable, cruelty-free, and decrease their impact on the environment. This consumer desire extends to brands in Korea, and companies are receiving increasing pressure to produce cruelty-free products, as well as products that are better for the environment. Today’s post will focus specifically on cruelty-free cosmetics in Korea and Korean brands that are shipped worldwide.
Facts about Cruelty-Free Cosmetics You May Not Know:
- Did you know that the idea that animal testing should be banned is something that has existed for the past 30 years, but until the last 15 years, technology wasn’t advanced enough to make it sustainable or economically feasible for companies to do it (Whitehouse).
- Although we vilify China in the US over their animal testing policies, according to Cruelty-Free International, in 2015, the US was also in the Top 10 nation-states for animal testing
- Chinese laws on animal testing do not apply to cosmetics not sold in China. It only applies to brands, Western or Asian that are being sold on Chinese shelves. Because of this, it is possible to see a product made in China and it can still be Cruelty-Free.
- These regulations in China have been relaxed in the past few years, and they are continually relaxed. For foreign brands, the mandatory testing on animals for “ordinary” cosmetics has been lifted, but products can still be randomly pulled off the shelves for animal testing. “Special use” products, such as hair dye,(PETA and Beauty by Neha)
- The Chinese government has also recently approved two non-animal cosmetics tests (PETA)
- As of 2019, the only countries, besides the EU that have passed bans on animal testing are: South Korea, Guatemala, Israel, Turkey, India, Taiwan, and New Zealand
- In the US, only 2 states out of 50 have passed effective bans on animal testing: California and Nevada.
- California even took it a step further. They will not allow the sale of brands that use animal testing for their products in their state.
- The rest of the country has a law passed in 2015, The Humane Cosmetics Act, that was never fully implemented or enacted. Although there was a bill in 2019 proposed by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives to change that. It didn’t make it through the Republican-controlled Senate. Note: This act may have more “teeth” with the change of administrative powers in January 2021.
What Can We Do to Make a Difference?
- You can choose to not buy products from brands that aren’t cruelty-free or certified as cruelty-free. Businesses need our money to operate. If we do not buy their products because we do not like the things that they are doing, they will not be able to continue with their business.
- Ask your favorite brands if they are cruelty-free. If they are not, ask if they have any intentions of becoming cruelty-free.
- Look for brands that are cruelty-free certified for your everyday products. Their logos are below:
Leaping Bunny which requires independent audits to certify that the claims are true. They are also the only internationally recognized cruelty-free organization. As such, this is the mark that you will see on Korean brands that have taken the steps to prove they are cruelty free in all steps of their processes. It is a relatively rigorous process, and if they decided to go through with it means they are very dedicated to being cruelty-free.
Beauty without Bunnies is PETA’s certification that requires companies to sign or provide a statement that they are cruelty-free and intend to remain that way. If this is the only certification a company has, it means that they are trying, but I, personally, would love to see them try for a certification more like Leaping Bunny
Choose Cruelty Free is a non-profit Australian organization that requires companies to sign a legally binding contract that they will not test on animals, nor use any products from suppliers that are tested on animals. They also have a strict policy on animal-derived ingredients which I appreciate.
And one final thing for you all before I end this post, I know how hard it is to begin to switch over all of your products, and become a conscious consumer.
- Take your time with it, and just focus on switching over one category of products at a time.
- Do not purge anything you already purchased. Use it up, or please donate it. There are plenty of women’s shelters that will take donations of certain types of gently used makeup.
- Simply focus on switching your purchasing habits going forward.
I hope you find all of this information helpful, K-Nuggets. Let me know down in the comments below if there are any K-Beauty brands that you love that are also cruelty free!
사랑합니다!
–Rachel
Works Cited
“Facts and Figures on Animal Testing.” Cruelty Free International, www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/why-we-do-it/facts-and-figures-animal-testing.
Franklin, Julian H.. Animal Rights and Moral Philosophy, Columbia University Press, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bucknell/detail.action?docID=909040.
The Global Guide to Animal Protection, edited by Andrew Linzey, University of Illinois Press, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bucknell/detail.action?docID=3414323.
Whitehouse, Lucy. “Global Ban on Animal Testing: Where Are We in 2019?” Cosmeticsdesign, William Reed Business Media Ltd., 5 Mar. 2019, www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2019/03/05/Global-ban-on-animal-testing-where-are-we-in-2019.
