Dr. Jart (Estee Lauder)

Last Updated: February 25, 2024

How Ethical Is Dr. Jart (Estee Lauder)?

Make a positive impact by supporting companies with the same values and ethics as what matters most to you. To navigate and find ethical brands, here’s a summary of Dr. Jart’s ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is Dr. Jart+ cruelty-free or vegan? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Dr. Jart+’s policies.
Dr. Jart+ is NOT Cruelty-Free. Dr. Jart+ engages in animal testing by allowing its products to be animal-tested.

Dr. Jart is also owned by Estee Lauder, a parent corporation that does engage in animal testing.
Yes, Dr. Jart+ sells its products in stores in mainland China under conditions where animal testing is still legally required.
Dr. Jart does not claim or market itself to offer any vegan-friendly options. And since Dr. Jart engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t consider anything sold or produced by Dr. Jart to be vegan anyways.

Dr. Jart (Estee Lauder)

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Is Dr. Jart Cruelty-Free?

☠️ Dr. Jart is NOT cruelty-free in 2023. Dr. Jart allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, including when selling in stores in mainland China.

Dr. Jart’s Animal Testing Policy

When asking, does Dr. Jart test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of Dr. Jart’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.

On Dr. Jart’s website, they claim to believe that animal testing is not necessary, however, they continue to state their parent company, Estee Lauder’s animal testing policy. Estee Lauder states they allow their products to be tested on animals in countries where animal testing is required by law.

See below for a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Dr. Jart’s website:

Policies stating “countries where animal testing is conducted on our products as required by law” usually imply the company is selling its products in mainland China. That’s because cosmetics sold in stores in mainland China are required by law to be tested on animals.

Is Dr. Jart Sold in China?

Over the years, several sources have reported Dr. Jart’s expansion into the Chinese market and the company’s decision to open multiple stores in China, confirming the brand is indeed selling in China.

In addition, Dr. Jart is sold in Sephora stores in mainland China. See below for a screenshot of Dr. Jart sold at Sephora China:

Dr. Jart Sold in China - Required to test on animals and NOT cruelty-free
Dr. Jart Sold in China – Required to test on animals

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 Dr. Jart 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 Dr. Jart) are still required by law to be tested on animals in 2023.

Because Dr. Jart 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 Dr. Jart 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 Dr. Jart to be cruelty-free by our standards.

☕️ Every week, I continue to reach out to new brands while trying my best to keep current brands updated. If you found any of my posts or guides helpful, consider Buying Me A Coffee! I would greatly appreciate it! ❤️

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, Dr. Jart 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 Dr. Jart already does not meet the last two, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.

Complete Cruelty-Free Checklist

Is Dr. Jart Certified Cruelty-Free?

Dr. Jart is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.

Since Dr. Jart is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is substantiating or auditing Dr. Jart’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.

Is Dr. Jart Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

Yes. Dr. Jart is owned by Estee Lauder, a parent corporation that still engages in animal testing in 2023.

Some cruelty-free consumers may choose to purchase and support cruelty-free brands owned by animal-tested parent corporations as they hope it will convince the parent company to become cruelty-free.

But in this case, Dr. Jart is NOT cruelty-free, and neither is its parent corporation, Estee Lauder.

Does Dr. Jart Test on Animals?

To wrap up, Dr. Jart allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, like when selling in China. Therefore, we would NOT consider Dr. Jart to be a cruelty-free brand.

Currently, Dr. Jart is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.

Is Dr. Jart Vegan?

Dr. Jart is NOT vegan. ComDr. Jartpany does not claim or market itself to offer any vegan-friendly options. And since Dr. Jart engages in animal testing in some capacity, we wouldn’t consider any Dr. Jart products vegan anyways.

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 Dr Jart:

Looking to switch to cruelty-free brands? Here are some cruelty-free and vegan-friendly options that are similar to Dr. Jart+:

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