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Is Shiseido Cruelty-Free?
Shiseido is NOT cruelty-free.
Is Shiseido Vegan?
Shiseido claims that some of their products are vegan. However, since Shiseido tests their products on animals when required by law, I do not consider any of their products to be vegan.
Is Shiseido PETA Certified?
No, Shiseido is not PETA Certified, and PETA lists Shiseido as a company that tests on animals.
Is Shiseido Leaping Bunny Certified?
No, Shiseido is not Leaping Bunny Certified.
Is Shiseido Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?
No, Shiseido is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
Animal Testing 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 their 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.
This does NOT include products that are made in China, only if they are sold in China.
The only way to know if a brand sells products in China is to ask them directly. Make sure to note that Hong Kong is not included in this policy, and neither are products only sold online to Chinese consumers.
Is Shiseido Sold in Mainland China?
Yes, Shiseido products are sold in mainland China. They admitted this in their email to me that you can read at the bottom of this post.
Here is a screenshot of their Chinese website:
Cruelty-Free and Vegan Alternatives to Shiseido Products
Bite Beauty
Bite Beauty is a vegan and cruelty-free brand. Bite Beauty is a Canadian-based makeup brand, mostly known for its lip products, but they have recently expanded their product line.
Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury is cruelty-free, but not all of their products are vegan. You can find out which products are vegan by reading this post. Charlotte Tilbury created her brand after over 20 years as a makeup artist. It is now an award-winning makeup and skincare brand.
100% Pure
100% Pure is cruelty-free, but not all of their products are vegan. They are in the process of changing all of their products to vegan formulas though. You can read more about that here. 100% Pure uses only all-natural ingredients that originate from nature in their cosmetics and skincare products. They create a variety of makeups, shampoos, and eye creams, using innovative methods that are also sustainable.
Youth to the People
Youth to the People is a vegan and cruelty-free high-end skincare brand that makes their products out of superfood ingredients.
The Ordinary
The Ordinary is a vegan and cruelty-free budget brand that sells makeup and skincare. The Ordinary products have become very popular because of their effectiveness and affordability.
Shop the full list of 100% vegan and cruelty-free brands.
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 Hong Kong)?
- Are you owned by a parent company that tests on animals?
Here is how Shiseido responded:
I am very happy to hear of your interest in our products. Shiseido products do not contain any ingredients derived from mammals, though certain products contain fish or insect-derived ingredients such as silk and honey. Many of our cosmetics and skincare items are suitable for vegan customers. However, some of our products do contain one or more of the following: Carmine, Beeswax, or Lanolin-derived ingredients. Such ingredients are clearly identified on our website. Each individual product has a full ingredient list for easy viewing by our clients.
Shiseido does sell products in stores in mainland China and upholds all testing and regulations in the countries we sell in.