This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
You can find ĀTHR Beauty cruelty-free products at Sephora.
ĀTHR Beauty is Cruelty-Free
Aether Beauty 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 ĀTHR to be Cruelty-Free.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
ATHR Beauty 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 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.
ĀTHR is 100% Vegan
Aether Beauty has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
“All of our products are vegan and cruelty free and are not sold in mainland China.”
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 ĀTHR Beauty’s products made?
I asked ĀTHR Beauty where their products are manufactured and they told me:
“Our products are made in the US, Canada, and/or Europe.”
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.
Thankfully, on ATHR Beauty’s website, it states:
“We use a combination of natural and synthetic mica. When we use natural mica, we source only from suppliers in the US or Malaysia. These areas have (and enforce) ethical labor standards which prevent the use of child labor. We avoid all mica from India or Madagascar where labor standards are unregulated and child labor is rampant.
We choose synthetic mica when we can’t vet and guarantee that the source of our mica is child-labor-free. Though it’s more expensive, it’s worth it to know we are not contributing to any harm on this planet, and especially not to children.
Synthetic mica is also purer and can create a more vibrant color and shine. We balance our ethically-sourced natural mica with this synthetic version to create that perfect balance of depth, texture, shine, and color throughout our eyeshadow palettes.”
I hope this article helped you to understand ATHR Beauty’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
