This article has since been updated. Drunk Elephant has been acquired by cruel parent company Shiseido and is no longer Free The Bunnies approved. Read more here.
Drunk Elephant, an Indie skin care brand, is known for its A-Passioni to be clean, cruelty-free, and offer vegan products. They are currently on the Ultimate Guide: Cruelty-Free Brands List and have been Free The Bunnies approved for some time. The brand recently announced that it will be entering the Chinese market in September. They will specifically be launching in Hong Kong and on Tmall’s cross-border online channel at the mainland. Drunk Elephant entering the Chinese market raises concerns in the cruelty-free community, as China is reputably not a cruelty-free market. China has strict animal testing requirements for all imported beauty products. Will Drunk Elephant remain cruelty-free? First, we need to understand China’s animal testing regulations and what they mean.
China’s animal testing regulations
Saying that China’s animal testing requirements are complicated is an understatement. The regulations have changed tremendously over the past five years, but in a good way. The cruelty-free movement is having a positive impact on Chinese authorities and their animal testing requirements have become less and less strict. Authorities and laboratories have been increasingly looking into alternative testing methods that don’t involve animals.
If you would like to read more on China’s animal testing requirements and see a timeline of how the regulations have changed, it’s all explained here. I fully outline how to understand their animal testing requirements, how it has changed, and what those changes mean. I definitely encourage everyone who doesn’t know to read up on this because it’s very important to understand this topic when figuring out if a brand is truly 100% cruelty-free. ❤
What’s important to know for this current topic is that there is a way for brands to sell in China and be exempt from any animal testing laws that are in place.
how to sell in china and be cruelty-free
A brand can sell in China and still be 100% cruelty-free if they:
- Sell online through a cross-border channel (such as Tmall Global)
- Sell in stores ONLY in Hong Kong
Any brand that sells in Hong Kong, while that is on land in China, is exempt from the animal testing requirements. The animal testing requirements China has in place ONLY pertains to mainland China. Hong Kong is not a part of mainland China and does not have to abide by the animal testing laws. Any brand that sells online is also exempt, because it is a direct-consumer market. The products sold online will never hit the shelves of any Chinese establishment; instead, it goes directly to the consumer, bypassing the animal testing regulations.
will Drunk Elephant Remain Cruelty-Free?
Yes. Drunk Elephant is still cruelty-free.
Drunk Elephant announced that it ONLY plans to sell in Hong Kong and online. Looks like they still have A-Passioni for our furry friends, and won’t be choosing profits over ethics. In this case, they do get the best of both worlds – dipping into the Chinese market and remaining cruelty-free.
***IMPORTANT*** If at any time, Drunk Elephant decides to enter the market in mainland China in stores, they will no longer be cruelty-free. At this time, brands cannot be cruelty-free and sell in stores in mainland China.
Drunk Elephant Vegan Product List
Not all of Drunk Elephant’s products are vegan-friendly, as some contain beeswax, honey and other animal-derived ingredients. See below for all the vegan-friendly products Drunk Elephant offers.
- A-Passioni™ Retinol Cream
- B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel
- Beste No 9 Jelly Cleanser
- C-Tango™ Multivitamin Eye Cream
- D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Serum
- JuJu Exfoliating Bar
- Lala Retro Whipped Cream
- Protini™ Polypeptide Cream
- Shaba Complex Eye Serum
- Slaai Makeup Melting Butter Cleanser
- T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
- T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial
- Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil
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XO, Stephanie
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