SW Basics

Last Updated: January 12, 2022

How Ethical Is SW Basics?

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 SW Basics' ethics and initiatives.

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Ethical Analysis

Is SW Basics cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on SW Basics’ policies.
SW Basics is cruelty-free. None of SW Basics’ ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
Not all of SW Basics products are vegan but they have some vegan options.
SW Basics is a certified B Corporation and SW Basics is committed to using organic, fair-trade, and natural ingredients. Most of their products also come in glass jars with minimal plastic components.
SW Basics products come in glass jars with minimal plastic components. And they also offer some products packaged in a recyclable tube made from sugarcane resin.

About SW Basics

SW Basics offers truly all-natural skincare made with 5 ingredients or less.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
PRODUCTS: Skincare, Bath & Body Care
CERTIFICATIONS: PETA-Certified

SW Basics

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

You can find SW Basics cruelty-free products at Target or on Amazon.

SW Basics is Cruelty-Free

SW Basics 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 SW Basics to be Cruelty-Free.

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

SW Basics has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

“We don’t sell or manufacture anything in China.”

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.

SW Basics 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 SW Basics, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.

“Thanks for reaching out 🙂 Almost everything is 100% vegan. The Lip Balms and Diaper Cream are not – they both contain beeswax. We have Salves as a great vegan alternative to the Lip Balms though!”

How to know which of SW Basics’ products are vegan?

All of SW Basics’ vegan products are clearly marked 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.


I hope this article helped you to understand SW Basics’s 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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