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Is SMD Cosmetics Cruelty-Free?
🐰 SMD Cosmetics is a cruelty-free brand. None of SMD Cosmetics’ ingredients or products are tested on animals. SMD Cosmetics has met all the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included in our Cruelty-Free Directory.
Does SMD Cosmetics Test on Animals?
When asking, does SMD Cosmetics test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of SMD Cosmetics’ ingredients or suppliers test on animals. And they don’t sell in any country or under conditions that may require animal testing by law.
In our research, we discovered the following:
- ✓ SMD Cosmetics confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf.
- ✓ SMD Cosmetics confirmed all their ingredient suppliers do not test on animals
- ✓ SMD Cosmetics confirmed they do not allow or sell their products under conditions where animal testing is required by law
By meeting all of our Cruelty-Free Criteria, SMD Cosmetics is a truly cruelty-free brand by our standards.
What is SMD Cosmetics’ Animal Testing Policy?
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on SMD Cosmetics’ website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
SMD Cosmetics has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“We do not sell SMD Cosmetics in China. Although, recently, China’s laws have also changed and post market animal testing is no longer required.”
With the current changes to China’s animal testing laws, some cosmetics sold in China can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, without meeting those conditions, animal testing is still legally required for most cosmetics sold in China in 2023.
Is SMD Cosmetics Certified Cruelty-Free?
SMD Cosmetics is not certified by a third-party cruelty-free accreditation like Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Although SMD Cosmetics is not certified cruelty-free, the company has confirmed to us it is a truly cruelty-free brand by meeting all the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist.
Note that companies can remain to be cruelty-free without an official cruelty-free certification. Some companies may choose not to be certified cruelty-free because of cost, privacy, or lack of resources.
Cruelty-Free Policies 2023
Just because a brand claims it is ‘Cruelty-Free,’ doesn’t always mean that’s the case.
That’s because 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.
How We Assess Cruelty-Free Policies
Since 2015, the start of my blog, I’ve been emailing companies asking about their animal testing policies and cruelty-free commitments.
And based on the responses I receive from companies, I’ll research to find any supporting facts needed before concluding whether the brand should be classified as “Cruelty-Free,” “Animal-Tested,” or “Grey Area – Unclear Policies.”
☕️ Every week, I continue to reach out to new brands while trying my best to keep current brands updated. If you found any of my posts or guides helpful, consider Buying Me A Coffee! I would greatly appreciate it! ❤️
What about Vegan?
Just because something is called Cruelty-Free, doesn’t always mean it’s Vegan. And vice versa.
Cruelty-Free only refers to no animal testing, while Vegan means formulated without animal products.
Some brands are Cruelty-Free, but not Vegan.
And some are Vegan, but not Cruelty-Free.
Another important distinction to know is, Vegan in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand is 100% Vegan or a specific product is Vegan.
Is SMD Cosmetics Vegan?
⭐️ SMD Cosmetics is NOT an entirely vegan brand. But SMD Cosmetics offers some vegan options that are free of animal products.
How to know which of SMD Cosmetics’ products are vegan?
SMD Cosmetics claims all of its products are vegan except its Saromae Snail Serum.
The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on SMD Cosmetics’s website about its vegan claims:
Where to buy SMD Cosmetics? Check out Saks Fifth Ave and Amazon!
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But Vegan is generally used to mean formulated without animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Some common animal products 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 unless a brand explicitly labels its ingredients or product as Vegan, it’s often 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 chose were from non-animal sources.
Where are SMD Cosmetics’ products made?
SMD Cosmetics states on its FAQ page,
“Where are the products formulated?
All products are formulated and manufactured in South Korea.”
I hope this article helped you to understand SMD Cosmetics’ cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
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