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Is Aesop Cruelty-Free?
Aesop has confirmed that they are 100% cruelty-free.
They don’t test their ingredients or final products on animals, and they don’t sell their products where animal testing is required by law.
Aesop is certified cruelty-free by PETA.
Is Aesop Vegan?
Aesop has confirmed that they only sell vegan products.
Shop the full list of 100% vegan and cruelty-free brands.
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Is Aesop Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?
No, Aesop is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
Is Aesop Sold In China?
No, Aesop is not sold in China.
Animal Testing is required by law in China for all foreign cosmetics companies. All American and European cosmetic brands that are sold in China must undergo animal testing.
Any brand that chooses to sell its products in China cannot be considered cruelty-free.
Even products that can bypass mandatory tests may still be pulled from the shelves by Chinese authorities to be tested on animals.
About Aesop
Aesop was established in 1987 in Melbourne, Australia. They offer skin, hair, and body care formulations.
Email to the Company
Before classifying any brand as cruelty-free and vegan, I send them an email with the following questions:
- Are your products vegan? If only some are vegan, which ones?
- Are any of your products or ingredients tested on animals?
- Do you have a Leaping Bunny or PETA certification?
- Do your suppliers or any third parties test animals on your behalf?
- Does your company sell products in mainland China (except for Hong Kong and online sales)?
- Are you owned by a parent company that tests on animals?
Here is how Aesop responded:
We have never tested our products or ingredients on animals, nor commissioned any such testing. We do not use any animal-derived ingredients such as beeswax, honey or lanolin in our formulations.
We believe that personal care and home products should be cruelty-free, and are proud to be Leaping Bunny approved. A global programme, Leaping Bunny requires cruelty-free standards over and above legal requirements. All our formulations for skin, hair, fragrance, body, hand, and home are approved under the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny programme, the internationally recognised gold standard for cruelty-free products. We adhere to a fixed cut-off date policy and proactively monitor our suppliers to ensure that our products continue to adhere to the Leaping Bunny criteria. Our supplier monitoring system is also independently audited. For more information about Cruelty-Free International, Leaping Bunny, and Leaping Bunny criteria, please visit their website [www.crueltyfreeinternational.org].
We are also included on PETA’s cruelty-free and vegan lists.
We do not sell our products directly in mainland China.
Aesop is part of Natura &Co., a group that also includes Natura, The Body Shop, and Avon. All four brands are aligned in their stance against animal testing.
*This email was sent in October 2020, so some answers have changed.