Is Estee Lauder Cruelty-free and Vegan?

Quick Answer: Is Estee Lauder Cruelty-free and Vegan?

No, Estee Lauder is not cruelty-free; their products are tested on animals. The company’s products are sold in the People’s Republic of China, where the law requires animal testing on all foreign cosmetic products. They are also not 100 percent vegan, as some of their products contain ingredients that are derived from animals.

Estee Lauder is a cosmetics company that deals in makeup products such as concealers, foundations, lip gloss, blush, lipstick, fragrances, and many more.

The company was founded by the Lauder brothers in 1964. It is based in New York City in the United States. They own diverse brands that are distributed internationally in both retail channels and digital commerce.

Is Estee Lauder Cruelty-free?

No, they are not cruelty-free. In the past, customers could not tell which companies are cruelty-free and which ones are not.

They had to rely on the official statements from companies that were rare and sometimes inaccurate or vague. Today, you can easily tell the cruelty-free status of a product just by considering the following criteria.

  • The company does not engage in any form of animal testing practices
  • Their products do not have any animal-derived ingredients in them
  • They do not allow third-parties to test their products on animals for them
  • The company does not sell its cosmetic products in China
  • They do not sell in countries where the law requires animal testing on all cosmetic products.

After carrying out thorough research, we found out that Estee Lauder products are not entirely vegan. Some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients.

They also sell their products in the People’s Republic of China, where the law requires all cosmetic products to be tested on animals.

Are Estee Lauder Products tested on Animals?

Estee Lauder claims that they do not test their products on animals or ask third parties to test them on their behalf unless demanded by a regulatory body.

This usually implies that the company sells its products to countries whose laws demand animal testing, especially China. The following is a statement on their website regarding their stance on animal testing:

Source: EL Companies Website

The above statement shows that they acknowledge their products are being tested on animals in countries that require animal testing.

Some of their brands sell their products internationally, including in China, where animal testing is a must.

These brands are not cruelty-free. There are, however, some of their brands that are, in fact, cruelty-free and certified by PETA. They include Becca Cosmetics, Aveda, Le Labo, Bumble and Bumble, Too Faced, and Smashbox.

Are Estee Lauder Products sold in China?

Yes, some of the brands from Estee Lauder are sold in China. This means that they are tested on animals as China has strict laws regarding cosmetics.

In the People’s Republic of China, all foreign cosmetics have been tested on animals by Chinese authorities before approving and releasing them into the market.

This is done to make sure the products are safe for humans even though there are alternative methods to test them.

Source: Peta Website

An important point to note is that not all Estee Lauder’s brands are sold in China. Some of them are cruelty-free and do not test on animals. They are the six brands mentioned earlier.

Does Estee Lauder have Cruelty-free Certifications?

We doubt they do since most of their brands sell their products in China, where the law demands animal tests on foreign cosmetics.

Estee Lauder is not cruelty-free and is even on PETA’s ‘do not buy’ list. It is unlikely that they have a cruelty-free certification from any official animal rights organization.

Source: Peta Website

It is important to note that not all Estee Lauder’s brands sell in China; some don’t. These products are considered cruelty-free and are even certified by PETA.

Is Estee Lauder owned by another Company?

No, Estee Lauder does not have a parent company. It owns multiple brands like Smashbox, Too faced, Bobbi Brown, and MAC.

Are Estee Lauder Products Vegan?

No, Estee Lauder products are not 100 percent vegan. A product or a brand is only considered vegan when the ingredients used to make it are free from any animal-derived ingredients.

Some of these Estee Lauder products contain animal-derived ingredients. It is important to always check the ingredients list on the product you are purchasing.

There are companies that claim a product is 100 percent vegan when they are not, so look out for vegan certifications from well-known organizations.

The same applies to cruelty-free. If a product is genuinely cruelty-free, then it should be certified by at least one official animal rights organization.

Summary

Estee Lauder is a well-known company with famous and loved brands; however, their animal testing policies seem a bit harsh, especially for the brands that sell in China.

Innocent animals are being tested on just to make sure the products are safe for human use. We would wish that Estee Lauder would reconsider not selling their products in China until they change their laws.