Cruelty-Free and Selling in China?
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I was writing a review about a product when I came across information on the company's website that they sell in China. Before you gasp in horror, the company clarifies in their FAQ section that they manufacture the stock in China, therefore, class as domestic which allows them to bypass pre-market cosmetic animal testing. You say "Hooray, they are cruelty-free".
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| Image source: Vegan Beauty Review |
When I read this, the first thing which popped into my mind was "what about post-market surveillance a.k.a. local officials taking products from the shop shelves and taking in to be tested on animals?". The post from Humane Society International echoes my concerns. The Body Shop has also been caught out with such dilemma after opening stores in Chinese airports.
There are little rules as to what can be classed as cruelty-free / natural /safe with the majority of things falling into the grey area where you personally have to make up your mind whether you "pass" or "fail" a brand /company /ingredient. To play the devil's advocate, in theory, nobody can completely ensure their product will not end up in a rabbit's eye. In my opinion that is a fair point however this theoretical risk does not equate to the real risk of selling in countries where post-market surveillance does take place. The Chinese market is big and attractive for profit however it is definitely not safe for the animals.
Another post from HSI highlights how confusing and non-standard the definitions of cruelty-free since the companies like PETA and Cruelty Free International have started to provide endorsements for Chinese companies. In contrast, the Leaping Bunny expresses the similar concerns as me and states that "any company that markets or sells their products in China may be removed from the Leaping Bunny Program unless a company can provide proof that they are exempt from animal testing now and anytime in the future".
Even if you have very strict cruelty-free requirements, it is easy to be caught out by the fast changing pace of the market. The smaller brands can be purchased by an animal-testing-China-selling parent company, the ingredients or manufacturers can change etc. This does not make it easy for a compassionate consumer.
To give credit, the company which I was looking at was very honest and disclosed this information very openly. You can argue that they have found a loophole to get into the lucrative Chinese market and still call themselves cruelty-free however, because of the transparency, I have an impression they do think they satisfy the cruelty-free definition. It is also important to mention, this is not the only company who took the advantage of the "domestic manufacturing" loophole. I am not 'picking' on that particular brand.
You might want to read the post and the discussion underneath on Ana Goes Green IG account.
My approach is "if it is sold in China it is not cruelty-free". The lines are blurred hence you can agree or disagree with me. I want to sit on the 'safe side' and support only those companies which do not test on animals nor sell in countries where these atrocious practices take place.
Disclaimer - All information presented in this article is the opinion of the author and cannot be taken as a fact.
Agave Bun x
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