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You can find Herbivore cruelty-free products at herbivorebotanicals.com, Sephora, Nordstrom, Dermstore, and Amazon.
Herbivore is Cruelty-Free
Herbivore 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 Herbivore to be Cruelty-Free.
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Herbivore’s website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Herbivore has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“We do not sell our products in mainland China, so they are not tested on animals in any direct or indirect fashion.”
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.
Herbivore is 100% Vegan
Herbivore has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Herbivore’s website about its vegan claims:
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 Herbivore’s products made?
I asked Herbivore where their products are manufactured and they told me:
“Thanks for reaching out! That’s a great question. We responsibly source a number of ingredients from around the world. All of our products are produced in Seattle with the exception of our facial tools, which are produced in Shenzhen, China. Our products are shipped from our centrally located distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee.”
*Note: Cosmetics made in China are not required to be tested on animals. Only cosmetics that are imported and sold in physical stores in mainland China are required to be tested on animals according to China’s animal testing laws.
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 Herbivore if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“Thank you for reaching out to us! That is a great question. At this time, we do not any carry any products that contain Mica.
We previously discontinued the production of our Rose Quartz Body Oil, which featured a highly-stigmatized ingredient, Mica, which many choose to avoid due to its complicated relationship to unethical mining practices. Although we have always sourced our Mica from sustainable sources (lab-grown to be platelet-for-platelet identical to natural Mica), we chose to discontinue this product in solidarity.”
I hope this article helped you to understand Herbivore’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
