Let’s look into the CHANEL brand’s current animal testing policy and cruelty-free status in 2021.
Is CHANEL Cruelty-Free?
Is CHANEL a cruelty-free brand? NO! CHANEL products are sold in China and it is mandatory by law in China for cosmetics to be tested on animals. So CHANEL allows and/or finances animal testing for licence of sale in China.
Is CHANEL Sold in China?
YES! CHANEL is sold in mainland China. CHANEL entered the Chinese market in 1999 with its first store in Beijing.
As per the Chinese guidelines, all products except soaps and oral care fall under the Cosmetics category and cosmetics that are imported and sold in a physical store in China are required by law to be tested on animals. These tests can be pre-market and/ or post market tests which in most cases are financed by the parent company to allow the sale of their products and in other cases animal tests are conducted by the chinese authorities in case of a consumer complaint and they are not liable to inform the brand in the event of such tests.
Is CHANEL Vegan?
Is CHANEL a vegan brand? NO!
CHANEL cannot be considered a vegan brand because 1) it’s products are available for sale in China, a country where animal testing is compulsory and 2) The ingredients in their skin care products contain collagen, milk, honey, lanolin which are derived from animals.
And because as a brand CHANEL is involved in animal cruelty it cannot be considered vegan.
What is CHANEL’s Animal Testing Policy?
As of 2021, there is no official statement pertaining to animal testing on the CHANEL website.
They have a 76 pager document called ‘Report to Society’, which can be found listed in their FAQ sections under the LA MAISON CHANEL tab, and it addresses and covers a wide range of topics however there is nothing conclusive with regards to animal testing.
This statement in the Legal compliance and Ethics section, surely leaves a lot open to interpretation.
We are also strongly committed to conducting business in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations in all markets in which we operate.
Is CHANEL Owned By a Private Company?
CHANEL is a French company privately owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.
What Does CHANEL Sell?
CHANEL is a luxury brand retailing in Fashion, Fragrance, Fine Jewellery, Watches, Make-up and Skin care products.
What is CHANEL’s Current Cruelty-Free Position?
CHANEL’s current position is that it is not a cruelty-free brand.
Although the fashion brand was one of the first ones to introduce faux fur and stop the use of fur and exotic animal skins from reptiles. However, the production of faux fur is not regulated and it is debatable that they do contain dog/cat hair along with the synthetic ingredients.
Regardless of whether this is conclusive, CHANEL still cannot be classified as a cruelty-free brand until they stop the sale of products in China and adopt the usage of completely animal free ingredients in the formulas of the skin care products.
I Use CHANEL Products. What Can I Do to Help?
CHANEL No.5 is a much loved perfume and so are the other products from the brand. Write to them, show them you care, for the brand as well as the animals who don’t deserve the ill treatment meted on them for our beautification purposes. They can push for laws to be put in place that bans all kinds of cruelty. If all major brands come together and decide to pull out sales from China, the Chinese Government will be compelled to look into their laws which will eventually prove to be a big win for all of us. It may certainly seem like a mountain task but if everyone who cares takes one step, CHANGE is inevitable.
