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You can find Seche cruelty-free products at Ulta, Amazon, and Walmart.
Seche is Cruelty-Free
Seche 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 Seche to be Cruelty-Free.
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Seche’s website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Seche has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
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, or any third parties.
Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.
Seche is Not 100% Vegan
‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.
In the case of Seche, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Seche’s products are vegan?
When I emailed to ask Seche if all of their products are vegan, they responded saying, “Hello, yes, Seche product are vegan. There is no Carmine n the product if it is clear.” However, their website’s FAQ says otherwise and states their mustache waxes are not vegan.
See below for a screenshot of what’s currently stated on their website:
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 Seche’s products made?
“The majority of Seche products are made in the USA. For certain products, we do work closely with our international partners to craft some of our barber tools. The Seche Shave Brush is made in China with a 100% Nylon Synthetic Fibers which our vendor produces for us.”
*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 Seche if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“All of our products and ingredients are cruelty free. Our vendors have provided a declaration of product compliance for each ingredient / product.
Our vendors do now have any child or slave labor. Our upper management has visited facilities and factories and can confirm this. Also, the documents we routinely require are GMP and ISO’s from the factories that are certified by a government agency, this also confirms the nonuse of child and slave labor. The Mica we use in different products is sourced from different vendors. If you would like to provide us with a specific list of products we can reach out to our vendors and request the origin of the Mica.”
I hope this article helped you to understand Seche’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
