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You can find A’kin cruelty-free products at Feelunique and Naturisimo.
A’kin is Cruelty-Free
A’kin 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 A’kin to be Cruelty-Free.
“All A’kin products are all 100% cruelty free, vegan and the products are not tested on animals. We also source our ingredients and extracts from suppliers who do not test on animals. We have always been dedicated to the wellbeing of animals; in fact we test the mildness of our formulation on human volunteers under strict control of dermatologists.
Our products and formulations are vegan and we do not under any circumstances perform animal testing. We do not allow any animal testing from third parties. We ensure our ingredients are not tested on animals by requesting statements from our suppliers.”
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
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.
But A’Kin has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“Our products are not registered in China as we do not agree with their animal testing policy.“
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.
A’kin is 100% Vegan
A’kin has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
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 A’kin if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.
