Isana is a German cosmetics and personal care brand that was founded in the late 1990s. The brand creates natural products for body, hair, and face for men, women, and children while keeping affordable prices.
Isana tries to keep its production environment-friendly. They claim to be producing extracts from prematurely harvested virgin fruit for their Isana Loves the Earth collection, so the trees can produce more fruit on their place. Not only that, but their bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic – not including the cap – and created in cooperation with Plastic Bank. This Canadian company monetizes plastic waste in countries with a high poverty rate.
Today, Isana produces more than 750 different products and sells them worldwide. It is one of the most well-known personal care companies in Europe.
Is Isana Cruelty-Free?
| Not sold in China? | Yes |
| PETA Certified | No |
| Leaping Bunny Certified | No |
| Has vegan products | No |
| Not owned by a Parent Company that does Animal Testing? | No |
Isana’s cruelty-free status is debatable.
Isana doesn’t test its finished products on animals. At the same time, none of its formulations and ingredients are tested on animals, as well. Isana also states that all of its suppliers are cruelty-free, and that it doesn’t pay any third-party to test on its behalf. Isana also doesn’t sell its products in countries where animal testing is mandatory and required by law.
However, Isana manufactures shaving brushes created from natural badger hair. As it is considered that natural badger’s hair cannot be obtained in a cruelty-free way, many people believe that Isana cannot be considered as a cruelty-free brand.
If you love Isana but can’t stand behind a company that sells products made from animal hair, you can always contact the brand’s representatives and kindly ask them to remove the said brushes from their product list.
Alternative Cruelty-Free Hair Oils
Amazon.com
Alternative Cruelty-Free Day Creams
Amazon.com
Are Isana products sold in China?
No, Isana doesn’t sell 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 Isana Vegan?
Isana is not a 100% vegan brand. Although most of its products don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products, such as lanolin and beeswax, the badger hair brushes prevent it from being considered a vegan brand.
Who owns Isana and does the parent company test on animals?
Isana is owned by Rossmann, a German drug store chain that owns and sells mostly cruelty-free brands. In fact, Isana is one of the only brands Rossmann owns with a questionable cruelty-free status.
What products does Isana sell?
Isana sells a wide variety of skincare products, hair care, and face care of men, women, and children. It produces products for aesthetic issues individuals may experience, such as dark circles or discoloration, as well as items for various skin problems. It has several collections depending on its target audience, such as Isana men, Isana kids, Isana youngs, Isana med – for people with sensitive skin, and Isana professional, including hair colors and hair care products.
Alternative Cruelty-Free Hair Oils
Amazon.com
Alternative Cruelty-Free Day Creams
Amazon.com
