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You can find Acquarella cruelty-free products on Amazon.
Acquarella is Cruelty-Free
Acquarella has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.
By our standards, we would consider Acquarella to be Cruelty-Free.
“Commitment to Cruelty Free
We are proud that none of our finished products are tested on animals, nor do they contain any animal products or by-products. Our company has been recognized by PETA for this commitment, of which you can see our status here.”
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Acquarella has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2022.
Cruelty-Free Policies
Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.’ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.
At ethical elephant, we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand itself, its suppliers, and by any third parties.
Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.
Acquarella is 100% Vegan
Acquarella has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
The following is a snippet of the email response I received from Acquarella when I asked if all of their products are vegan:
“All of our products are vegan, cruelty free, and recognized by PETA.”
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it usually means no animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.
There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.
So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.
Where are Acquarella’s products made?
Acquarella states on its website,
“We strive to make the best quality water based nail technology available. All of the Acquarella Water Color products are proudly made in Tucson, Arizona U.S.A. to exacting standards.”
Ethical Mica Mining Policy
Mica is a mineral that’s used in cosmetics to add a shimmery effect. But the mining of natural mica has been linked to child labor and human rights violations.
Unless the company discloses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.
So I asked Acquarella if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“We appreciate your inquiry. To be honest, we do try our best to keep appraised of the methods our suppliers use, but the simple answer is that while they have stated they don’t, we are in no position to enforce/monitor/scrutinize their conduct. It’s a tough predicament being a boutique manufacturer, as sourcing is a significant challenge and poking people with routine audits leaves us with no vendors. We’re sorry we don’t have a more emphatic answer than what we already have, which is they are not engaging in unethical practices. Whether that is always true is anyone’s guess.
We do share your concern and do our best to make a product that embodies proper conduct.”
Acquarella claims its suppliers are not engaging in unethical practices. However, Acquarella expressed they’re in no position to enforce/monitor/scrutinize their conduct.
I hope this article helped you to understand Acquarella’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
