Shiseido is NOT cruelty-free or vegan.

This means Shiseido tests on animals directly or through third-parties and uses animal-derived ingredients. Some brands that fall under this category only test on animals where required by law, which means they’re not cruelty-free.

Brands currently owned by Shiseido:

Company Overview

Founded in 1872, Shiseido is a Japanese multinational beauty company that specializes in skin care, hair care, cosmetics, and fragrance.

Shiseido performed a cruelty-free cardinal sin when they moved NARS (acquired in 2000) into the Chinese market, meaning the historically cruelty-free company is now tested on animals.

They own two other brands that are individually considered cruelty-free — Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals and Buxom — but it’s highly likely these brands will soon follow NARS’ suit and be tested on animals “when mandated by law” (ie: China). Additionally, the profit these brands earn will find its way up to Shiseido, where it will be used to fund animal testing for their other brands.

Animal Testing Policy

They not only allow the Chinese authorities to perform animal testing on their products, but they also perform animal testing on ingredients themselves in their research facilities located in China, Thailand, USA, and France.

Their animal testing policy can’t even be found on their website. Instead, their only mention of animal testing can be found at the very end of the very last sentence of the very last paragraph of the very last section of their about page:

“The company is passionate about maintaining environmental consciousness and the eradication of animal testing.”

But the above is only a half-truth.

Look at how sneakily they’ve worded their real animal testing policy, buried deep in a PDF about “Shiseido’s Value Creation:”

“Shiseido does not test its cosmetic products or ingredients on animals except when absolutely mandated by law, or in the rare case where there are absolutely no alternative methods for guaranteeing product safety.”

This means Shiseido does test on animals and is therefore not a cruelty-free company.

Read Shiseido’s full animal testing policy (page 39).

Looking for cruelty-free brands?

Browse my curated list of cruelty-free brands to find brands that are 100% vegan and 100% cruelty-free.