Is Clarins Cruelty Free in 2025? Honest Guide

Thinking about buying Clarins products, but worried about animal testing? You’re not alone. Many shoppers today want to know if their favorite beauty brands, like Clarins, test on animals. This article will give you a clear answer about Clarins’ cruelty-free status in 2025.

Is Clarins Cruelty Free?

No, Clarins’ cruelty-free status is not confirmed for 2025. Here’s why:

• Clarins allows its finished products to be tested on animals when testing is required by law in certain countries
• The brand sells its products in China, where mandatory animal testing is required for imported cosmetics
• Clarins does not have certification from any recognized cruelty-free organizations like Leaping Bunny or PETA, so is Clarins certified cruelty-free? No.

On their website, Clarins states: 

“Clarins stopped all animal testing many years ago in favour of alternative state-of-the-art methods. However, some countries require animal testing, which they carry out themselves to assess the safety of cosmetic products. We are obliged to comply with these regulations, but we are working closely with the relevant authorities to put an end to such practices.”

This statement reveals that while Clarins itself might not conduct animal testing directly, they allow their products to be tested on animals where required by law – a key reason they cannot be considered truly “cruelty-free.”

Does Clarins Test on Animals?

Clarins claims they don’t test on animals themselves. But the full story is more complicated. 

In their official statement, Clarins says they “do not test on animals” and use “alternate testing methods.” However, they add an important exception – they comply with laws in countries that require animal testing, which means that the brand pays for third-party testing.

When a brand says they don’t test “except where required by law,” it usually means they sell in markets like mainland China. In China, imported cosmetics in China often require animal testing by law.

Clarins has been around since 1954. For many years, they’ve claimed to use alternative testing methods instead of animal testing. But their decision to engage in animal testing where required shows they’re willing to set aside these values for business growth.

What this means: Even if Clarins doesn’t do the testing themselves, they pay for and allow testing on their products by third parties in certain countries. This is why they fail to meet cruelty-free standards, even if some companies can be fully cruelty-free without formal certification.

Clarins in China: Market Presence and Testing Requirements

Clarins is available for sale in physical stores in mainland China. This is confirmed by their store locator showing multiple locations across China and their Chinese website where Clarins sold products are displayed.

China has special rules for imported cosmetics. While some recent changes to China’s animal testing laws happened in 2021, most foreign beauty brands still need to have their products tested on animals to sell there. Here’s why:

For a brand to avoid animal testing in China, they must:

• Only sell “general” cosmetics (not special ones like sunscreens or hair dye)
• Not sell products for babies or children
• Not include any new cosmetic ingredients
• Have policies to recall products rather than allow situations where post-market testing is required
• Either manufacture in China OR have specific safety certificates for products manufactured outside of China
  

Based on available information, Clarins hasn’t taken the necessary steps to meet these requirements. 

By choosing to sell in Chinese stores, Clarins must agree to and pay for animal testing by Chinese authorities even though many shoppers choose brands based on ethical practices.

Cruelty-Free Certification Standards

There are three main organizations that certify brands as cruelty-free:

Leaping Bunny: Considered the gold standard for cruelty-free certification. They require brands to:

• Not test finished products on animals
• Not test ingredients on animals
• Not use suppliers that suppliers test on animals
• Not sell in markets requiring animal testing
• Submit to regular audits

PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies: Companies must sign a statement promising they’re cruelty-free and don’t allow third parties to test on their behalf.

Choose Cruelty Free: Similar standards to Leaping Bunny with strict policies against animal testing at all stages of production.

Clarins doesn’t have certification from any of these organizations. This is because they don’t meet the basic requirement of refusing to sell in markets that require animal testing.

Third-party certification is important because it verifies a brand’s claims through regular audits and checks. Without it, consumers must rely on the company’s own statements, which may not tell the whole story or confirm if they are fully cruelty-free without being certified.

My Clarins: Exception to the Rule?

In 2019, Clarins launched a skincare line called “My Clarins” aimed at younger customers. The company claims this specific line is both cruelty-free and vegan.

On their website, Clarins states: 

“My Clarins is free of all animal-derived ingredients like beeswax, carmine, lanolin, etc. Clarins has deliberately chosen to only distribute My Clarins to available for sale in countries that do not require animal testing.”

While this sounds promising, there’s an important point to consider: My Clarins is just one small product line under the larger Clarins brand. 

The main Clarins brand still tests on animals where required by law. Consumers must decide if they choose to support this line or choose to boycott the entire brand.

Is Clarins Vegan?

No, Clarins is not vegan as a brand. Being “vegan means products don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients. Being cruelty-free means no animal testing. These are two separate things.

Clarins uses several animal-derived ingredients in many of their products, including:

• Beeswax
• Honey
• Lanolin (from sheep’s wool)
• Carmine (made from insects)
• Animal-derived collagen

While Clarins might offer some vegan products within the My Clarins line, their main product lines contain animal-derived ingredients, showing that not all products are vegan.

Most animal rights organizations consider truly vegan products to be both free of animal ingredients AND not tested on animals. 

Since Clarins products are tested on animals in some markets, even vegan products even without animal ingredients wouldn’t be considered truly vegan by strict standards, unlike dedicated vegan brands. 

Clarins needs to completely overhaul its testing policy to be considered among brands that offer vegan and cruelty-free options.

Clarins’ Parent Company and Corporate Structure

Clarins is owned by Groupe Clarins, a family-owned company founded in 1954 by Jacques Courtin-Clarins. Unlike some beauty brands owned by a parent company, Clarins remains independently owned.

Groupe Clarins owns several brands:

• Clarins (skincare and makeup)
• Azzaro (fragrances)
• Mugler (fragrances)
• My Blend (personalized skincare)

None of the brands owned by Groupe Clarins are certified cruelty-free, meaning the parent companies are not cruelty-free in their entirety. 

This is different from some other beauty conglomerates like L’Oréal or Estée Lauder, which own both brands that test on animals (parent company that tests) and some that are certified cruelty-free, although brands like Procter & Gamble also face scrutiny.

Because Clarins is family-owned, they have full control over their animal testing policies without pressure from outside shareholders or parent companies. 

This means their decision to allow animal testing where required by law is entirely their own business choice, and they operate independently from the parent structure, because they are the parent. They function independently from the parent company because they are family-owned.

Clarins’ Sustainability and Ethical Initiatives

While Clarins fails on cruelty-free standards, they do have other ethical initiatives:

• Plant-based formulas: Many Clarins products use plant extracts and botanicals
• Sustainable sourcing: They claim to source ingredients responsibly
• Eco-friendly packaging: Efforts to reduce plastic and use recycled materials
• Fair trade partnerships: Working with communities that supply ingredients

Clarins’ website highlights their commitment to “Responsible Beauty” with focuses on plants, people, and planet. They have reduced carbon emissions and water usage in their manufacturing processes.

However, these positive efforts don’t offset their animal testing policies. A brand’s stance on animal testing is often seen as a good indicator of their ethical principles. 

Many consumers and ethical experts believe that true corporate responsibility must include a commitment to ending animal suffering. 

As The Good Shopping Guide notes, Clarins receives a “poor score in our Ethical Skincare Ratings Table and therefore does not meet our ethical benchmark,” which is a clear indicator of their ethical practices lacking in this crucial area. 

Many believe that true corporate responsibility requires a policy in place to end animal suffering across the beauty industry globally.

Truly Cruelty-Free Luxury Alternatives to Clarins

If you love Clarins products but want cruelty-free alternatives, here are some luxury brands with similar quality that don’t test on animals. To find these, consumers often have to research which companies must obtain the proper certifications or have transparent policies:

Tatcha: Luxury Japanese-inspired skincare with botanical ingredients. Great alternative to Clarins’ facial oils and creams.

Glow Recipe: Fruit-based skincare with effective formulas. Try their moisturizers in place of Clarins’ hydrating products.

Sunday Riley: High-performance skincare with active ingredients similar to Clarins’ anti-aging lines.

Biossance: Clean beauty brand focusing on sustainable ingredients. Their facial oils are excellent alternatives to Clarins oils.

Ole Henriksen: Vitamin C-focused skincare similar to Clarins’ brightening products.

Herbivore: Natural luxury skincare with minimalist formulations.

Pai Skincare: Perfect for sensitive skin types who might use Clarins’ gentle formulations.

These brands offer high-quality, effective products without animal testing, proving you don’t need to compromise ethics for luxury when you choose products. They adhere to strict cruelty-free standards.

Conclusion

Clarins is not cruelty-free in 2025. Despite their claims about using alternative testing methods, they choose to sell in markets that require animal testing by law. 

While their My Clarins line claims to be cruelty-free and vegan, supporting any part of a company that tests on animals is still indirectly supporting animal testing practices that haven’t significantly changed since 2023.

For truly ethical beauty choices, look to certified cruelty-free brands that refuse to sell in markets requiring animal testing. These brands prove that effective, luxury skincare doesn’t need to come at the cost of animal suffering.

FAQs About Clarins and Cruelty-Free Cosmetics

“`