There is a misleading article by Forbes, listing La Prairie as a cruelty-free brand. From what I could find, I don’t consider La Prairie to be cruelty-free and I will tell you why.
Does La Prairie test on animals?
I could not find any information about it on their website, so I will be using the statement found on their parent company’s website:
- “This is why we do not conduct any animal testing for our cosmetic products and their ingredients and do not have any animal testing done on our behalf – unless, in the very rare case, this is specifically required by law.”
Assuming, it’s the same for La Praire as it is for their parent company, from this text I am understanding that La Prairie does test on animals. They try to defend themselves by saying that they do in the rare case when it is required by law. If they did not add this line, I would have told you straight they don’t test on animals. However, since they added the “when required by law” part I consider them as an animal testing company.
Is La Prairie owned by a parent that is not cruelty-free?
German brand Beiersdorf owns La Prairie. PETA lists Beiersdorf as an animal testing company.
Is La Prairie certified cruelty-free?
No La Prairie is not certified cruelty-free.
Is La Prairie cruelty-free?
Assuming that the Beiersdorf animal testing policy above is true for also La Prairie, the answer to this question would be that La Prairie is not cruelty-free. However, lets for a moment assume that the text above is not true for La Prairie. Let’s also assume that maybe they don’t sell in countries in China and answer two more questions for more detail.
Does La Prairie sell in Mainland China?
Yes, La Prairie sells in Mainland China. I found this when I went to their official website and switched country. I noticed that there is a difference between selling in China or selling to Chinese consumers. Selling in China is when the company is registered in China and is selling products in shops, salons, etc. In this case, the authorities can confiscate products and test them on animals.
Selling to China is when a company is not registered in China and sells products online to international addresses including China. In this case, the authorities have no products to confiscate, so no animal testing i.e., in this case, the brand can be cruelty-free. However, La Prairie is registered in China and from their Store Finder option, I could find a list of shops that stock La Prairie. There is one last criterion that I check when I evaluate whether a brand is cruelty-free, let’s go through it next.
Are La Prairie products in Mainland China are cosmetics?
I noticed that their makeup items are not listed so I was going to jump with joy until I discovered that they sell creams. Chinese authorities do not consider only oral care and soap as cosmetics. The rest would be cosmetics. So yes La Prairie sells cosmetics in Mainland China.
Which brands should I support instead?
If you are looking for a brand who is serious about their anti-animal-testing policy. Check my list of brands that are against animal testing.
Source: La Prairie Mainland China website and Beiersdorf animal testing policy as at 16.2.2020
