Is Laura Mercier Cruelty-Free and Vegan? (Its Not So Clear!)

Laura Mercier is a high-end yet popular brand.

Let’s face it, their translucent setting powder changed the game and introduced many of us to smooth under eyes and flawless skin.

It would be a shame to throw the pot out.

So is Laura Mercier cruelty-free?

Let’s find out!

Is Laura Mercier cruelty free?

Animal lovers rejoice, for  Laura Mercier is cruelty-free!

Their website clearly states that they do not test on animals, nor do they ask anyone to test animals on their behalf for new products or ingredients.

Is Laura Mercier approved by PETA or Leaping Bunny?

It is worth noting that Laura Mercier has not been certified as cruelty-free by third-party organizations.

Usually, PETA or Leaping Bunny will certify that the brand is cruelty-free.

You might have seen little bunny logos on other products?

That is proof that it has been certified by a third party. 

Laura Mercier is yet to have this certification from a third-party organization.

For some users, this can be off-putting, and they would avoid using any products.

It might just be that Laura Mercier is awaiting this confirmation and certification from third-party organizations. 

What about the parent company?

In 2018, Laura Mercier was taken over by The Shiseido Group.

The parent company owns other brands such as Nars and Bare Minerals.

The Shiseido Group also acquired ReVive when they purchased Laura Mercier. 

The Shiseido Group is based in Japan and is unfortunately not cruelty-free.

Why?

Shiseido currently sells their products in countries where animal testing is required by law.

They also test products and ingredients on animals before entering the market, meaning they cannot be classed as cruelty-free. 

What does this mean for Laura Mercier?

It does not automatically mean that they are not cruelty-free. 

Shiseido owns two other brands that are cruelty-free and certified by PETA: BareMinerals and Buxom.

So, Shiseido’s animal testing does not reflect on all of their brands.

Cruelty-free beauty is not as common in Japan as in other parts of the world, but there are signs that this is changing! 

Gurwitch Products previously owned Laura Mercier.

The parent company also owned the skincare brand ReVive.

Their parent company, Gurwitch Products, is a cruelty-free company! 

Although ReVive is sold in Hong-Kong, it is not available in mainland China.

Why is this important?

We are going to look into this a little further on, so stay with us! 

Their previous owner provided comfort for many that Laura Mercier was cruelty-free, but Laura Mercier still maintains that they do not test animals. 

Does Laura Mercier test on animals?

Laura Mercier does not test on animals!

They do not test their products or ingredients on animals, nor do they ask others to test on their behalf.

Great news for those wanting to move away from products that have been tested on animals!

So how does Laura Mercier test their products?

They use alternate methods and offer their products to be tested on volunteer panels in clinical settings. 

Is Laura Mercier Vegan?

Unfortunately, Laura Mercier is not labeled as vegan.

As labeled on their website and product ingredient lists animal bi-products that make their products unsuitable for vegans.

This is not uncommon in the beauty industry, with animal bi-products being used for generations, though there is slowly moving away from this. 

Laura Mercier confirms that they use lanolin and beeswax in some of their products.

These ingredients will be listed on their website and the ingredients list of individual products.

They also use some natural animal hairs in their make-up brushes and emu oil in some other products. 

Does Laura Mercier sell their products in China?

You might have heard that the laws regarding selling beauty products in China are different from those in the US and Europe.

In China and some other countries, it is the law that beauty products must be tested on animals before brands can sell them.

This law includes products that are imported from other countries.

There is some exclusion now; cosmetics sold via cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) are not subject to animal testing laws. 

These animal testing laws mean that brands selling their products in China or shipping to China will have to test their products on animals.

In recent years, some brands have been able to negotiate with Chinese regulations to trade in China without testing on animals. 

It is expected that as time goes on and more brands transition to cruelty-free products.

Many people also expect to see regulations change, with PETA putting pressure on countries such as China to change their animal testing laws.

So what does this mean for Laura  Mercier?

Well, Laura Mercier products are not currently sold in China.

They also do not sell their products in any other country where there are laws regarding animal testing.

Currently, Laura Mercier does not directly ship to any country outside of the US. 

Laura Mercier can be purchased in other European countries on websites like Cult Beauty or Look Fantastic.

These companies tend to ship to various countries, often also excluding countries with animal testing rules.

You can find the countries they ship to and their animal testing policies directly on their websites. 

Final word 

So, is Laura Mercier cruelty-free?

As you can see, it is a bit of a grey area.

While the brand claims to be cruelty-free and does not test on animals, they are yet to be certified by third-party organizations, PETA and Leaping Bunny. 

Many beauty product users will not class the brand as cruelty-free until they receive this classification. 

Their products are not currently vegan, although we are hopeful to see some changes with the rise in vegan beauty!

The products are not sold in countries that enforce animal testing too. 

For those eager to buy Laura Mercier, their claims of being cruelty-free might be enough for you to get your powder fix!

Otherwise, sit tight!

We are sure we will see some changes soon!