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gitti is Cruelty-Free
gitti 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 gitti to be Cruelty-Free.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
gitti 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 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.
gitti is 100% Vegan
gitti 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.
Where are gitti’s products made?
gitti states on its website,
“Where are your products manufactured?
All gitti products are composed of high-quality ingredients, are produced ethically in the EU, and are 100% vegan and eco-friendly. We develop and produce our formulas in conjunction with partners in Germany, Poland and France in particular.”
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 gitti if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“The “shimmering” particles in the product are beads made of mica. This raw material we use is environmentally friendly, vegan and from certified ethical cultivation – it contains no plastic.
In detail: We used 2 different types of mica to create a multidimensional effect (they reflect light in different ways, so when combined they create a unique effect). In the INCIs you will find them as:
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite – known as synthetic mica.
Mica – ethically sourced and with a certified supply chain from our Italian supplier.
More specifically, our products contain mica ethically grown in Spain and in India.
Unfortunately, in connection with mica there are always really terrible circumstances such as child labour, which is why we have taken great care in selecting our suppliers to ensure that our mica comes from certified ethical cultivation and that our supplier can assure us of this.”
I hope this article helped you to understand gitti’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
