Is Dr. Jart Cruelty-Free?
Does Dr. Jart test on animals or sell in China?
Dr. Jart is a well-known k-beauty company that can be found all over the world. But is Dr. Jart cruelty-free?
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 Dr. Jart doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free skincare brand.
Let’s look into what all of that really means and what you can do about it.
Is Dr. Jart 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.
Dr. Jart is not found on any of these organizations’ cruelty-free lists. However, they are found on Peta’s list of brands to avoid.
Does Dr. Jart Test on Animals?
The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Dr. Jart’s policy can be found in the ‘FAQ’ section of their website. Here is what it states:
“Dr.Jart+ has a strong belief that cosmetic animal testing is not necessary and should be eliminated worldwide. We do not test on animals and our parent company, Estée Lauder Companies, is helping to bring about change in countries where cosmetics animal testing is conducted on our products as required by law. More on Estée Lauder Companies’ position here https://estee.cm/2OPYeQt.”
Dr. Jart’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, Dr. Jart does allow animal testing on their products.
Is Dr. Jart Sold in China?
Yes, Dr. Jart does sell in China. They don’t have a separate website for the Chinese market. However, they can be found on Sephora China’s website. I’ve included an image of the website below.
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, Dr. Jart 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.
Is Dr. Jart Owned By a Parent Company?
Yes, Dr. Jart is owned by Estee Lauder, a company that tests on animals. You can view a full list of brands that they own to see which other companies you should avoid.
Is Dr. Jart Vegan?
Dr. Jart is not considered to be vegan because they test their products or ingredients on animals or allow others to do so on their behalf. So, until this changes, we choose not to look into whether they may or may not have products that don’t contain animal ingredients.
What are Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Dr. Jart?
There are several cruelty-free skincare alternatives to Dr. Jart. Check out the list below:
Wrap Up: Is Dr. Jart Cruelty-Free?
No, Dr. Jart is not a cruelty-free skincare brand. Even though they claim to not test on animals, they choose to sell in a country that requires imported cosmetics to be tested on animals.
Therefore, Dr. Jart is not considered to be cruelty-free. They will be added to my list of brands that test on animals.
Now I’d like to hear from you…What are your thoughts about Dr. Jart? Please leave your comments below!