Clarins Group is luxury skincare, cosmetics, and perfume brand founded in 1954 in France. Its founder is Jacques Courtin-Clarens, who was a medical student at the time of the brand’s creation.
Clarins is well-known for having a new and unique approach towards body and face care and treatments. It started producing items exclusively based on plants. This was an unusual practice at the time.
The brand became international during the 1970s when it started selling products all across Europe. At the beginning of 1981, it created its first subsidiary company in the USA. In the next 25 years, the brand opened 19 subsidiary companies, creating distribution in over 150 countries. In fact, Clarins is the owner of various cosmetics brands, such as Kibio. Until 2008, it was the owner of L’Occitane. It also owns several perfume companies, such as David Yurman Fragrances, Porsche Design Parfums, and Swarovski Parfums.
The brand is the primary member of The Courtin Arthritis Foundation, founded by Jacques Courtin-Clarens.
Is Clarins Cruelty-Free?
| Not sold in China? | No |
| PETA Certified | No |
| Leaping Bunny Certified | No |
| Has vegan products | No |
| Not owned by a Parent Company that does Animal Testing? | No |
Clarins is not a cruelty-free brand.
Clarins doesn’t test its finished products on animals, as the EU regulations forbid it. The brand claims to use alternative testing methods and that it doesn’t harm any animals during the manufacturing process. However, there is no statement about any of the brand’s ingredients and suppliers. Also, Clarins does pay a third party to conduct testing in the countries where animal testing of imported products is required by law. In other words, they don’t have any problem engaging in animal testing when it gives the brand profit.
In case you like Clarins’ products, but can’t support a brand that conducts animal testing, you can always contact the company’s representatives and respectfully and politely ask them to reconsider their animal testing policies. Just remember to stay kind, as hate speech never accomplishes anything.
Alternative Cruelty-Free Anti-Aging Products
Amazon.com
Alternative Cruelty-Free Night Creams
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Are Clarins products sold in China?
Yes, Clarins sells its products in mainland China.
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What is the Deal with China?
Even though animal testing is proven to be an unnecessary and unethical practice, some countries still require it by law. This is the case with the second-biggest market in the world, China.
China requires any beauty product to be tested on animals before allowing importation and being sold in Chinese stores. Any company or brand that makes the decision to sell in China has also decided to test on animals – either by themselves or, usually, by paying a third-party company to test on their behalf. This is the main reason why a lot of brands can’t achieve a true cruelty-free status. After growing public outrage, China did lift some regulations in 2014, which allowed certain beauty products, such as shampoos and other skincare items, to be imported without testing, but this is still a small percentage.
A lot of brands that claim to be cruelty-free are being misleading thanks to these laws. Even if a brand doesn’t conduct animal testing on its own, by deciding to take the opportunity and sell in countries such as China, it is allowing a third-party to test the final product on animals. This is why PETA and the Leaping Bunny Program have forbidden brands that they certify to expand their market in this direction – and rightfully so.
A lot of companies are working with the Chinese government on lifting these regulations, and legislation was proposed in 2019 that should stop mandatory animal testing. However until today, no substantial progress has been made in this regard, we continue to wait patiently.
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Is Clarins Vegan?
Clarins is not a vegan brand. Most of its products use animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products. The brand doesn’t claim to be vegan. However, it has a comprehensive list of vegan-friendly products on its website.
What products does Clarins sell?
Clarins became truly popular in 1987, with the creation of its first sunscreen. Some would even consider this event to be the actual creation of the brand. Apart from sunscreen, the brand manufactures various skincare items, such as lotions, oils, and serums. It has products for most skin conditions and all skin types.
Besides skincare, Clarins sells perfumes and has well-known perfume lines, created in cooperation with big names such as Swarovski and Porsche.
Alternative Cruelty-Free Anti-Aging Products
Amazon.com
Alternative Cruelty-Free Night Creams
Amazon.com
