is shu uemura cruelty free

Is Shu Uemura Cruelty-Free?

Does Shu Uemura test on animals or sell in China?

Shu Uemura is a Japanese cosmetics brand that was founded by its namesake in 1967. They sell makeup such as foundation, lipstick, and blush. But is Shu Uemura cruelty-free or do they test their products 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 Shu Uemura doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free makeup brand. 

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

Is Shu Uemura 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.

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

shu uemura peta

Does Shu Uemura Test on Animals?

The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Shu Uemura’s policy can be found in the FAQ section of their website. Here is what it states:

“No. shu uemura does not use animals to test its products, and does not have animal testing conducted by anyone else to support our product safety review. Instead, shu uemura ensures product safety through L’Oréal’s research and development of state-of-the-art alternative methods to animal testing, including the use of reconstructed skin models. Others, completely independent of L’Oréal and outside the direction or control of L’Oréal, might do animal testing pursuant to their local requirements.”

Shu Uemura’s animal testing policy is contradictory. It states they do not test on animals but testing may be conducted due to local laws. You can’t declare that testing is not allowed then knowingly sell where local authorities require it.  Therefore, Shu Uemura does allow animal testing on their products.

shu uemura animal testing policy

Is Shu Uemura Sold in China?

Yes, Shu Uemura does sell in China. After doing a quick Google search I was able to locate Shu Uemura’s Chinese website. A brand doesn’t create a website for another country unless they are serving those customers. I’ve included an image of the website below. 

shu uemura chinese website

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, Shu Uemura 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 Shu Uemura Owned By a Parent Company?

Yes, Shu Uemura is owned by L’Oreal, 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 Shu Uemura Vegan?

Shu Uemura 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 Shu Uemura?

There are several cruelty-free makeup alternatives to Shu Uemura. Check out the list below:

Wrap Up: Is Shu Uemura Cruelty-Free?

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

Therefore, Shu Uemura 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 Shu Uemura? Please leave your comments below!

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is shu uemura cruelty-free

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