You can find Root cruelty-free products at rootpretty.com

Root is Cruelty-Free

Root 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 Root to be Cruelty-Free.

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

Root has confirmed they only sell their products online and not in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

“We do ship to China, but do not have any brick and mortar stores or wholesalers there.”

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.

Root is 100% Vegan

Root has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

The following is a snippet of the email response I received from Root when I asked if all of their products are vegan:

“We are 100% vegan and do NOT test on our furry (or not furry) friends :)”

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 Root’s products made?

Root states on its website,

“PROUDLY MADE & LOCATED IN THE USA – Root is a proud USA based company. All of our products are made in the USA, including our Handmade Vegan Makeup Brushes! Our suppliers are based in the USA, & the majority of our packaging & supplies are made right here in the USA, too. Root is also an independent company.”

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 Root if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“We proudly source our mica only from suppliers who are able to provide us with fair trade certificates and our products are always Fair Trade. We definitely require documentation from them so that we ensure our product is not only the best quality but safe and child labor free!”

I hope this article helped you to understand Root’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!