Is Shiseido Cruelty-Free?

Does Shiseido test on animals or sell in China?

Shiseido is a Japanese beauty company that was founded 140 years ago. But is Shiseido cruelty-free or do they test on animals?

For a company to be considered cruelty-free they have to meet all of the following criteria:

• Do not test any of their products or ingredients on animals
• Don’t allow others to test on their behalf 
• Do not sell in a country where animal testing is required. 

After doing a bit of research, I found that Shiseido doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free parent company. 

Let’s look into what all of that really means and what you can do about it.

Is Shiseido Certified Cruelty-Free?

When researching a brand’s cruelty-free status my first stop is the certified cruelty-free list. There are three organizations that give official certifications to brands around the world; Leaping Bunny, Peta, and Choose Cruelty-Free.

Shiseido is not found on any of these organizations’ cruelty-free lists. However, they are found on Peta’s list of brands to avoid. 

Does Shiseido Test on Animals?

The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Shiseido’s policy can be found in the ‘Sustainability and Customer Satisfaction’ section of their website. Here is what it states:

“Shiseido has established a safety assurance system based on alternative methods and has discontinued animal testing in cosmetics/quasi drugs that are developed in April, 2013 or later. This excludes cases in which we must explain the safety to society.

We will continue to develop effective alternative methods in the future and proactively and sternly work with administrative agencies in various countries with the aim of establishing alternative methods as official methods (to be certified as official experimental methods according to laws and regulations of various countries/regions).”

In cases in which we must explain the safety to society

“This refers to cases in which we must prove again the safety of ingredients that are in the market and the only option in order to do so is animal testing, as well as cases in which animal testing is essential to assure the safety of cosmetics in some countries*.

*some countries: In China, in order to guarantee the safety of imported cosmetics, safety studies including animal testing may be required.”

Shiseido’s animal testing policy contradicts itself. It states that they do not test on animals and don’t tolerate exceptions. However, they choose to sell in China where animal testing is required for imported cosmetics. Therefore, Shiseido does allow animal testing on their products.

What About China’s New Animal Testing Laws?

China has announced that as of May 1, 2021, general cosmetics such as shampoo, body wash, lipstick, lotion, and makeup can be sold without being tested on animals. However, a company is required to jump through various hoops for this to happen. As of now, Shiseido has not been exempt and their products can still be tested on animals by the Chinese health authority. Even if an exemption happens it is still possible that the products can be subjected to post-market testing. 

What Brands Does Shiseido Own?

Shiseido is a multinational beauty company that owns several popular cosmetics brands. Below is a list of all the brands owned by them. 

Many people in the cruelty-free community choose to completely boycott any brand owned by a non-cruelty-free parent company. So, I try to provide as much information as possible so that you have the resources to make your own decision. 

So, I’ve indicated which brands are sold in China or are certified cruelty-free. I would err on the side of caution for any of the companies that don’t have additional information.

• Ag Deo 24
• Anessa – SOLD IN CHINA
• Aquair – SOLD IN CHINA
• Aqua Label
• Aupres – SOLD IN CHINA
• bareMinerals – PETA CERTIFIED
• Benefique
• Cle de Peau Beaute
• Dolce & Gabbana – SOLD IN CHINA
• D Program – SOLD IN CHINA
• Elixir – SOLD IN CHINA
• Haku
• Integrate
• Ipsa – SOLD IN CHINA
• Issey Miyake – SOLD IN CHINA
• Laura Mercier
• Majolica Majorca
• Maquillage
• Narciso Rodriguez – SOLD IN CHINA
• NARS – SOLD IN CHINA
• Perfect Cover
• Prior
• Pure & Mild – SOLD IN CHINA
• Sea Breeze
• Senka – SOLD IN CHINA
• Serge Lutens
• Shiseido Professional
• Shiseido – SOLD IN CHINA
• Tsubaki – SOLD IN CHINA
• Uno
• Urara – SOLD IN CHINA
• Za – SOLD IN CHINA

Wrap Up: Is Shiseido Cruelty-Free?

No, Shiseido is not a cruelty-free cosmetics company. Even though they claim to not test on animals, they choose to sell in a country that requires imported cosmetics to be tested.

Therefore, Shiseido is not considered to be cruelty-free. They will be added to my list of brands that test on animals. 

However, they do own some Peta-certified cruelty-free beauty brands. But the choice is yours on whether you feel comfortable using them.

Now I’d like to hear from you…What are your thoughts about Shiseido? Will you boycott them completely or use some of their cruelty-free brands? Please leave your comments below!

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