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You can find TokyoMilk cruelty-free products on Amazon.
TokyoMilk is Cruelty-Free
TokyoMilk 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 TokyoMilk to be Cruelty-Free.
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on TokyoMilk’s website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
TokyoMilk has confirmed they only sell their products in Hong Kong and not in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“I just received clarification that we ONLY ship to Hong Kong NOT the Mainland of China due to their animal testing regulations!”
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.
TokyoMilk 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 TokyoMilk, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
The following is a snippet of the email response I received from TokyoMilk when I asked if all of their products are vegan:
“Most Margot Elena products are items that are vegan, we do have a few that do contain non-vegan ingredients. Most hand cremes are not vegan free, as well as shower gels. These are the only two products that will not fall under the Vegan category.”
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 TokyoMilk’s products made?
I asked TokyoMilk where their products are manufactured and they told me:
“Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in our products! Our products are products in the U.S.A.”
I hope this article helped you to understand TokyoMilk’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
