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Is Aprilskin Cruelty-Free?
☠️ Aprilskin is NOT cruelty-free in 2023. Aprilskin allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, including when selling in stores in mainland China.
Aprilskin’s Animal Testing Policy
When asking, does Aprilskin test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of Aprilskin’s ingredients or suppliers test on animals. And they don’t sell in any country or under conditions that may require animal testing by law.
To assess whether brands are cruelty-free, I always start with the company’s official animal testing policy on their website.
However, I couldn’t find Aprilskin’s animal testing statement anywhere on its website.
So I reached out to Aprilskin to ask for more information about their animal testing policy. More specifically, I wanted to know if they commission or allow others to test, not just their finished products but their ingredients on animals, including when selling in countries that require animal testing (like mainland China).
And they responded by saying,
“Aprilskin is committed to the elimination of animal testing and does not participate in product or ingredient testing, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. Our finished products are evaluated in clinical tests on volunteer panels. We are committed to producing only the highest quality products which meet our exacting safety and ethical standards.”
Based on the response I received from Aprilskin, the company admits to allowing its products to be tested on animals when required by law.
Policies stating, “except when required by law” usually imply the company distributes its products in countries that require animal testing, like mainland China.
Is Aprilskin Sold in China?
In my research, I discovered that Aprilskin products are indeed sold in stores in mainland China.
Below is a screenshot I took from Aprilskin’s Chinese website showing all the brick-and-mortar stores in China that carry their products:
But Doesn’t China No Longer Test on Animals?
With the recent changes to China’s animal testing laws, cosmetic companies can now export and sell some of their cosmetics in China without animal testing only if they meet ALL of the following preconditions first.
- ONLY sell ‘general’ cosmetics (like makeup, skincare, haircare, nail polish, and perfumes)
- must NOT sell any ‘special’ cosmetics like sunscreens, hair dye, hair perming, or other cosmetics claiming new efficacy
- must NOT sell products designed for infants or children
- must NOT sell products that contain a ‘New Cosmetic Ingredient’
- AND if post-market testing is required, then the company must have a policy in place where it will RECALL its products rather than allow its products to be tested on animals
Also, products must meet ONE of the following in order to avoid animal testing in China:
- manufactured in China, or the final assembly is in China
- if manufactured outside of China and then exported to China, companies must obtain the proper product safety certificates and documents
However, it’s not stated anywhere that Aprilskin has taken any steps to meet the above preconditions in order to avoid animal testing while selling in China.
Follow the highlighted lines in the graphic below to see why most cosmetics sold in China (like Aprilskin) are still required by law to be tested on animals in 2023.
Because Aprilskin has decided to sell in mainland China stores, they must consent and pay to have their products tested on animals. That’s why most cosmetics brands selling in mainland China cannot be considered cruelty-free in 2023.
Although Aprilskin may not be conducting these animal tests themselves, they knowingly allow Chinese authorities to test their products on animals in order to sell in China.
For those reasons, we would not consider Aprilskin to be cruelty-free by our standards.
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Cruelty-Free Policies
Many truly cruelty-free brands have chosen not to sell their products in China under conditions where animal tests may be required. Unfortunately, Aprilskin refuses to do the same and therefore cannot be considered cruelty-free.
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, or by any third parties, including when required by law.
See below for our complete cruelty-free checklist. Since Aprilskin already does not meet the last two, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.
Is Aprilskin Certified Cruelty-Free?
Aprilskin is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Since Aprilskin is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is substantiating or auditing Aprilskin’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.
Does Aprilskin Test on Animals?
To wrap up, Aprilskin allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, like when selling in China. Therefore, we would NOT consider Aprilskin to be a cruelty-free brand.
Currently, Aprilskin is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.
Is Aprilskin Vegan?
❌ Aprilskin is NOT vegan. Aprilskin claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but Aprilskin engages in animal testing in some capacity, so we wouldn’t consider any Aprilskin products vegan at this time.
In order for products to be considered vegan by ethical elephant’s standards, the products and their ingredients must not be tested on animals anywhere in the world. Also, they must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to April Skin
Looking to switch to cruelty-free products? Here are some cruelty-free brands to check out:
Or check out our Guide to Cruelty-Free Korean Skincare Brands!
