Is Origins Cruelty-Free?

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

Origins’ Animal Testing Policy

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

Origins recently updated the animal testing statement found on the FAQ of their website.

See below for a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Origins’ website:

To compare, see below for a screenshot (taken on June 11, 2022) of what Origins’ old animal testing statement used to say:

Origins removed the part where they state that some countries where they sell their products require animal testing as part of their regulatory safety process.

Policies stating that some countries require animal testing 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 Origins Sold in China?

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

Below are a couple of screenshots of Origins store locator showing results in mainland China and their Chinese website:

However, it’s not stated anywhere that Origins 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 Origins) are still required by law to be tested on animals in 2023.

Because Origins 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 Origins 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 Origins to be cruelty-free by our standards.

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

Is Origins Certified Cruelty-Free?

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

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

Is Origins Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

Yes. Origins is owned by Estee Lauder, 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, Origins is NOT cruelty-free, and neither is its parent corporation, Estee Lauder.

Does Origins Test on Animals?

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

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

Is Origins Vegan?

❌ Origins is NOT vegan. Origins claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but Origins engages in animal testing in some capacity, so we wouldn’t consider any Origins products vegan at this time.

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.

I also noticed Sephora listing some of Origins products in their “Vegan Skincare” category but note that Origins is NOT cruelty-free. Origins products are tested on animals.

I’m assuming Sephora is labeling products as “vegan” when they’re formulated without any animal ingredients or by-products. But “Vegan” Cosmetics should also consider whether the products or its ingredients were tested on animals, anywhere in the world.

Cruelty-Free Alternatives

Looking for a cruelty-free alternative to Origins? We recommend the following cruelty-free skincare brands:

• Juice Beauty
• Dermalogica *owned by Unilever
• OSEA
• Skyn Iceland
• 100% Pure