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You can find African Botanics’ cruelty-free products at Net-a-Porter and Revolve.
African Botanics is Cruelty-Free
African Botanics 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 African Botanics to be Cruelty-Free.
“Thank you for reaching out. Our products are not tested on animals. We don’t use animal derived ingredients. We don’t ask third parties to test our products on animals.
We don’t sell in China and have no plans to sell there. All of our products are vegan. Also our raw materials and ingredients are not tested on animals.“
Cruelty-Free Policies
Note that there is no standard or 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.
African Botanics is 100% Vegan
African Botanics has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
“The brand is cruelty free and the products are 100% vegan.“
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.
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 African Botanics if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“Thank you for reaching out. The Mica we use in the Shimmering Gold Oil is ethically sourced without the use of child labor in South Africa. Our suppliers are chosen based on high workplace standards and adherence to all local laws and regulations.”
