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You can find ARCONA cruelty-free products at Nordstrom.
ARCONA is Cruelty-Free
ARCONA 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 ARCONA to be Cruelty-Free.
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.
ARCONA is Not 100% Vegan
‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.
In the case of ARCONA, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of ARCONA products are vegan?
ARCONA claims all of their products are vegan except for two that contain honey. (see statement below)
Q. Is ARCONA vegan?
A. Yes, most of the ARCONA skincare line is vegan! We have 2 products that currently contain honey: Hydrating Serum, and Instant Magic Reversal Serum.
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 ARCONA if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“In answer to your question regarding the source of our Mica; it is sourced in India and while we are aware of the issue of child labor in this region, our suppliers are committed to transparent, ethical mining methods which guarantees that no child labor is used in mining or manufacturing of the effect pigments used in the products.
Our supplier has implemented a series of oversight mechanisms: They have established a system to monitor and audit compliance with social and environmental standards. In addition to regular inspections, an independent, local non-government organization, the IGEP Foundation (Indo-German Export Promotion Program), arranges frequent unannounced visits several times a month to check the activities of our suppliers, including occupational safety and adherence to the ban on child labor. Complementary to this, Environmental Resource Management (ERM), an international consultancy firm, conducts annual audits at our suppliers, investigating both working conditions as well as environmental, health and safety issues.”
