Quick Answer: Is OPI Cruelty-free and Vegan?
No OPI is not cruelty-free; their products are tested on animals. The company also sells its products in the People’s Republic of China, where animal testing is a must for products to be approved into the country. OPI products are also not 100 percent vegan, as some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients.
OPI is a cosmetics company that deals in nail polish and care. The company was founded in 1981 and has its headquarters in Calabasas, California.
It was originally known as Odontorium Products before changing its name to OPI. The cosmetic company has over 500 employees. OPI is owned by Coty, Inc.
Is OPI Cruelty-free?
No, OPI is not cruelty-free. A few years back, customers could not determine which products were cruelty-free and which ones were not.
All they had was an official statement from the brand that outlines their cruelty-free status. However, not all companies gave an official statement; some were also inaccurate or vague.
Today you can easily tell the cruelty-free status of a product or brand by considering the following criteria:
- The company does not conduct any form of animal testing
- Their ingredients should be free from any animal products or by-products
- They do not allow third-parties to test their products on their behalf
- The cosmetic company does not sell its products in China
- They also don’t sell in countries where the law requires animal testing
After thorough research, we discovered that OPI sells its products in China. This country is notorious for conducting animal tests to approve the sale of foreign cosmetics.
This is done to ensure that the product is safe for humans. We also found out that some of OPI’s products contain animal-derived ingredients.
Are OPI products tested on animals?
Yes, OPI tests on animals; their products are sold in countries where animal testing is compulsory according to the law.
The company initially did not test on animals and was cruelty-free; however, when Coty acquired them in 2010, they started selling their products to countries where testing on animals was required.
Coty claims that they do not test on animals except when the law requires them to.
The following is a statement from their website:
Are OPI products sold in China?
Yes, OPI Products are available in China. This usually means that their products are tested on animals as China has stringent laws regarding foreign cosmetics.
In the People’s Republic of China, all foreign cosmetic products must be tested on animals before being approved for sale in stores.
This is done to ensure they are safe for public use even though there are safer ways to do these tests.
OPI, however, is more concerned about their profits than the welfare of animals.
Does OPI have cruelty-free certifications?
We highly doubt it now. Initially, the company was certified cruelty-free by PETA; however, when Coty acquired them, they began selling their products in China.
We highly doubt they have any cruelty-free certifications from well-known animal rights organizations like Leaping Bunny.
Is OPI owned by another company?
Yes, OPI is owned by Coty Inc. It was acquired back in 2010. Coty is an American beauty company that was founded in 1904 by Francois Coty. They have their headquarters at 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10118, US.
It has many subsidiaries that manufacture, market, and distribute cosmetics, fragrances, retail and professional hair care, and skincare products.
The brands they own include Max Factor, Bourjois, Cover Girl, Rimmel, Wella, Sally Hansen, OPI, and others.
Are OPI Products vegan?
A product is only recognized as vegan when all the ingredients used in making it are free from animal-derived ingredients.
OPI products are not entirely cruelty-free, as some of them contain traces of animal products. When purchasing any type of product, it is important to read the ingredients list to see if they are all vegan or not.
Some companies fail to provide the full list, so look them up just to be clear. The same case applies to determining the cruelty-free status of a product.
Look for certifications from well-known animal rights organizations like PETA and Leaping Bunny.
Summary
There is a lot of love for OPI products; however, their animal testing policy promotes the harming of innocent animals. Their products are tested on animals to make sure they are safe for human use. This is not fair.
There are companies that refuse to sell their products in the People’s Republic of China just because of this law. We can only hope that OPI does the same or convinces the Chinese authorities to stop the animal tests.
