You can find Tata Harper cruelty-free products at tataharperskincare.com, Sephora, Nordstrom, The Detox Market, Amazon.

Tata Harper is *Cruelty-Free

Tata Harper 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 Tata Harper to be *Cruelty-Free.

*2022 Update! It’s just been announced that Tata Harper has been acquired by Amorepacific, a parent corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.

It’s your choice whether you want to support or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to this. I encourage you to do what you’re comfortable with, but I think it’s important to disclose that Amorepacific will soon own Tata Harper.

Below is a screenshot of Tata Harper’s official animal testing statement:

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

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

“We are not sold in China as of yet but are available in some areas online.“

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.

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

The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Tata Harper’s official website about its vegan products:

How to know which of Tata Harper’s products are vegan?

All of Tata Harper’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website.

Tata Harper Vegan Product List

The following Tata Harper products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

Cleansers – Tata Harper Vegan

• Nourishing Oil Cleanser
• Purifying Cleanser
• Refreshing Cleanser
• Regenerating Cleanser

Serums, Moisturizers, Oils – Tata Harper Vegan

• Beautifying Face Oil
• Boosted Contouring Serum
• Clarifying Moisturizer
• Concentrated Brightening Essence
• Concentrated Brightening Serum
• Crème Riche
• Elixir Vitae
• Elixir Vitae Eye Serum
• Hydrating Floral Essence
• Rejuvenating Serum
• Restorative Eye Creme
• Retinoic Nutrient Face Oil

Masks – Tata Harper Vegan

• Boosted Contouring Eye Mask
• Moisturizing Mask
• Resurfacing Mask

Body – Tata Harper Vegan

• Revitalizing Body Oil

Aromatherapy – Tata Harper Vegan

• Aromatic Bedtime Treatment
• Aromatic Energy Treatment
• Aromatic Irritability Treatment
• Aromatic Stress Treatment

Not Vegan – Tata Harper Skincare

Below is a list of Tata Harper skincare products that are not considered vegan as they contain beeswax, honey, and/or carmine.

• Be True Lip Treatment (contains beeswax) – not vegan
• Clarifying Cleanser (contains honey) – not vegan
• Clarifying Mask (contains honey) – not vegan
• Hydrating Floral Mask (contains beeswax) – not vegan
• Illuminating Moisturizer (contains honey) – not vegan
• Lip and Cheek Tints (contains beeswax and carmine) – not vegan
• Purifying Mask (contains yogurt powder) – not vegan
• Rebuilding Moisturizer (contains honey) – not vegan
• Redefining Body Balm (contains beeswax) – not vegan
• Repairative Moisturizer (contains honey) – not vegan
• Smoothing Body Scrub (contains beeswax) – 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 Tata Harper’s products made?

“Tata Harper grows ingredients, manufactures and packages her entire line of products from her 1,200-acre Vermont complex which features a certified-organic farm.”

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 Tata Harper if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“To the best of our knowledge, all of our ingredients are responsibly sourced including the mica in the Very Flashy.“

Tata Harper claims, “to the best of their knowledge” their mica is “responsibly-sourced”. However, it’s not clear where their mica is mined or sourced from and how they track or audit to ensure no child labor was involved.

I hope this article helped you to understand Tata Harper’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!