NARS is a French cosmetics and skincare company founded by professional make-up artist and photographer François Nars, but is Nars cruelty-free in 2019?
Is Nars Cruelty-Free?
Nars is not cruelty-free in 2019; Nars’ cosmetics are sold in mainland China and are required by law to be tested on animals in 2019.
It should also be noted that Nars is owned by Shiseido, a parent corporation that is not cruelty-free in 2019 and tests on animals when required by law.
Nars Animal Testing Policy
On their website, it states that Nars does not test on animals nor ask others to test on their behalf, except where required by law.
Below is a screenshot of what is currently stated on Nars’ website:
The disclaimer “except where required by law” implies that Nars may be selling their products in mainland China where animal testing is required by law for all imported cosmetics in 2019.
Nars Sold in China?
In June of 2017, Nars made an announcement on their Instagram that they have decided to start selling their cosmetics in China, as a result, Nars has agreed to allow the Chinese government to test their products on animals.
“We want you to know that we hear you. The global elimination of animal testing needs to happen. We firmly believe that product and ingredient safety can be proven by non-animal methods, but we must comply with the local laws of the markets in which we operate, including in China.”
We have decided to make NARS available in China because we feel it is important to bring our vision of beauty and artistry to fans in the region. NARS does not test on animals or ask others to do so on our behalf, except where required by law. NARS is committed and actively working to advance alternative testing methods. We are proud to support the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS), a globally recognised organisation at the forefront of advancing non-animal methods in China and around the world. NARS is hopeful that together, we can work toward a cruelty-free world.”
Although Nars may not be conducting the animal tests themselves, they are knowingly consenting and paying the Chinese government to test their products on animals before they can sell in their country.
Because of Nars’ decision to sell their products in China, we would not consider Nars to be cruelty-free as their products are required by law to be tested on animals.
Is Nars Vegan?
Nars claims some of their cosmetics are free of animal-derived ingrdients however since Nars is not cruelty-free as they test on animals when required by law, we wouldn’t consider anything produced or manufactured by Nars to be vegan by our standards.
Below is a screenshot of what is currently stated on Nars website about their vegan status:
In order for cosmetics to be considered vegan by ethical elephant‘s standards, they must not be tested on animals, anywhere in the world and must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Therefore we would not consider any of Nars cosmetics to be vegan.
Cruelty-Free Alternatives
Looking for a cruelty-free alternative to Nars? We recommend the following cruelty-free cosmetics brands:
- Too Faced (owned by Estee Lauder)
- Tarte (owned by Kose)
- COVER FX – 100% Vegan
- Anastasia Beverly Hills
- Kat Von D – 100% Vegan
What do you think?