NuFACE

Last Updated: February 25, 2024

How Ethical Is NuFACE?

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 NuFACE’s ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is NuFACE cruelty-free or vegan? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on NuFACE’s policies.
NuFACE is NOT Cruelty-Free. NuFACE engages in animal testing by allowing its products to be animal-tested.
Yes, NuFACE sells its products in stores in mainland China under conditions where animal testing is still legally required.
NuFACE claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but because NuFACE engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t classify anything sold or produced by NuFACE to be vegan.

NuFACE

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NuFACE is NOT Cruelty-Free!

NuFACE allows its products or ingredients to be tested on animals when required by law including when selling in stores in mainland China.

NuFACE’s Animal Testing Policy

While researching to learn more about NuFACE’s cruelty-free status, I couldn’t find the brand’s official animal testing policy anywhere on its website.

So I reached out to NuFACE to ask for more information about their animal testing policy. More specifically, I wanted to know if they commission or allow others to test their products/ingredients on animals, including when selling in countries that require animal testing (like in mainland China).

And NuFACE responded by saying:

Thank you for contacting NuFACE. We appreciate your interest in our company. NuFACE does not conduct testing of our cosmetic products on animals and require non-animal testing statements from our raw material suppliers during product development. All skincare and gel primers are vegan.

Our NuFACE Gel Primers are medical devices and regulated by the US FDA2. During product development, we source raw materials which are not tested on animals but animal testing is required by the FDA to ensure safety of the final product. NuFACE is concerned with animal welfare standards and the quality and safety of our products. NuFACE is monitoring alternatives to animal testing closely, as China is also taking steps toward reducing the use of animal testing.

Based on NuFACE’s response, the company admits to allowing its Gel Primers to be tested on animals as required by law by the FDA.

Truly cruelty-free brands will never allow their products or ingredients to be tested on animals. Cruelty-free companies have a policy where if the law requires them to test on animals then they will refuse to produce or sell their products under those conditions.

In addition, NuFACE also mentions China’s animal testing laws which 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 NuFACE Sold in China?

In my research, I discovered that NuFACE products are indeed sold in stores in mainland China.

Below is a screenshot of NuFACE’s Chinese website:

But Doesn’t China No Longer Test on Animals?

Companies can bypass China’s pre-market animal testing by choosing to manufacture their ordinary or general cosmetics in China, but it’s not stated anywhere that NuFACE has taken this route.

Additionally, the possibility of post-market animal testing is not completely ruled out and may be conducted on some cosmetics sold in physical stores in China.

As of May 1, 2021, cosmetic companies can also export and sell their ordinary or general cosmetics in China without animal testing only if they meet a set of preconditions first. However, meeting these conditions has proven difficult, and it’s still unclear what exactly is accepted according to the new regulations. So there’s no word yet of any company that has successfully done so.

Follow the highlighted lines in the graphic below to see why most cosmetics sold in China (like NuFACE) are still required by law to be tested on animals in 2022.

Because NuFACE 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 2022.

Although NuFACE may not be conducting these animal tests themselves, they knowingly allow Chinese authorities to test their products on animals to sell in China.

For those reasons, we would not consider NuFACE to be cruelty-free by our standards.

Cruelty-Free Policies

Many truly cruelty-free brands have chosen not to sell their products in China because of its animal testing laws. Unfortunately, NuFACE 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 NuFACE already does not meet the last two, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.

Complete Cruelty-Free Checklist

Is NuFACE Certified Cruelty-Free?

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

Because NuFACE is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is looking into or substantiating NuFACE’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.

Is NuFACE Cruelty-Free?

To sum up, NuFACE allows its products or ingredients to be tested on animals where required by law by the FDA and by Chinese authorities. Therefore, we would NOT consider NuFACE to be a cruelty-free brand.

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

Is NuFACE Vegan?

NuFACE claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but because NuFACE engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t classify anything sold or produced by NuFACE to be vegan.

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 NuFACE

Looking to switch to cruelty-free brands? Here are some cruelty-free and vegan-friendly options that are similar to NuFACE devices:

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