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You can find Koh Gen Do cruelty-free products at Sephora, Nordstrom, Beautylish, and on Amazon.
Koh Gen Do is Cruelty-Free
Koh Gen Do 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 Koh Gen Do to be Cruelty-Free.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Koh Gen Do 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 have a store in China that we retail in. We have circumnavigated
Since Hong Kong is not part of mainland China and they don’t have the same animal testing laws as China, Koh Gen Do can sell their products in Hong Kong and remain to be cruelty-free.
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.
Cosmetics 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 Koh Gen Do, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Koh Gen Do’s products are vegan?
All of Koh Gen Do’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website. See below for an example.
Koh Gen Do Vegan Product List
As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Koh Gen Do vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.
The following Koh Gen Do products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. This vegan product list was provided by Koh Gen Do.
Cleansers
- Cleansing Water
- Cleansing Water Cloth
- Foaming Facial Wash
- Oriental Plants Cleansing Cream
- Oriental Plants Soap
Moisturizers
- Herbal Mist
- Oriental Plants Cleansing Cream
- Oriental Plants Cream
- Oriental Plants Lotion I
- Oriental Plants Lotion II
Essence
Treatments
Masks
Makeup
Not Vegan – Koh Gen Do
The following Koh Gen Do products are not suitable for vegans as they contain some animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
- All in One Moisture Gel (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- All in One Moisture Gel Rich (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- Brightening Moisture Mask (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- Macro Vintage Royal Massage Milk (Contains Royal Jelly, Honey, Bifida Ferment Lysate) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Aqua Foundation (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Aqua Foundation Illuminator (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Contrast Powder (Glow) (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Creamy Lipstick (Contains Carmine) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Face Powder (Contains Silk Powder) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Gloss Film Foundation (Contains Silk) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Lip Gloss (Contains Carmine) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Lipstick (Contains Carmine) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Long Lush Treatment Mascara (Contains Beeswax and Silk) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Makeup Color Base (Contains Silk and Chitosan) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Mineral Color Palette (Contains Carmine) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Mineral Cheek Palette (Contains Carmine) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Mineral Eye Shadow Palette (Contains Elastin and Carmine) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Mineral Eyebrow Powder (Contains Squalane) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Mineral Eyeliner Pencil (Contains Silk) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Mineral Liquid Eyeliner (Contains Silk) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Moisture Foundation (Contains Lanolate) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder (Contains Silk Powder) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Pressed Powder (Contains Silk Powder) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Pressed Powder Refill (Contains Silk Powder) – not vegan
- Maifanshi Sheer Lucent Powder (Contains Glycosphingolipids) – not vegan
- Oriental Plants Facial Wash (Contains Bifida Ferment Lysate) – not vegan
- Oriental Plants Night Moisture Mask (Contains Bifida Ferment Lysate) – not vegan
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any 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 Koh Gen Do’s products made?
When I asked Koh Gen Do where their products are manufactured, they told me:
“Our products are made in Japan.”
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 Koh Gen Do if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.
I hope this article helped you to understand Koh Gen Do’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
