Is Biore Cruelty-Free And Vegan?

B​iore is a popular beauty and skin care brand known for its pore strips, facial cleansers, and acne scrubs. They claim that their products produce results that you can both see and feel. But where do they stand on animal testing and using animal-derived ingredients? Is Biore cruelty-free and vegan?

B​iore is not truly cruelty-free and vegan. Biore sells their products in mainland China, where animal testing is required by law. The company claims to be vegan-friendly, but many of its products contain glycerin and stearic acid, ingredients that can be derived from plants but may also come from animals.

I​n the rest of this post, we’ll discuss why Biore isn’t 100% cruelty-free and vegan.

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Is Biore Cruelty-Free?

O​n their website, Biore claims to be cruelty-free. However, even they will admit that their products are only cruelty-free in Western markets.

What does that mean? Because Biore sells their products in mainland China, they have to pay the Chinese government to conduct animal testing before selling their products.

For many years, Chinese law has required all cosmetics to be tested on animals to insure their safety before being used on humans. In recent years, they have relaxed their requirements for animal testing, but many cosmetics are still required to be tested on animals.

W​hile it’s good that Biore is honest about their products only being cruelty-free in their Western markets and not in China, the fact that they are willing to sell their products where animal testing is legally required prevents them from being truly cruelty-free.

Companies committed to eliminating animal testing refuse to sell their products anywhere required by law.

Is Biore Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?

B​iore is owned by the Japanese company Kao Corporation. The Kao website claims that they don’t test their products on animals or ask third parties to conduct testing on their behalf.

However, in the following sentence, they admit that they test their products on animals in places where it’s required by law or expected by society.

O​f course, this means that neither Biore nor its parent company Kao Corporation are cruelty-free. To show real commitment to being cruelty-free, a company needs to ban any kind of animal testing on their products, even if it means not being able to sell them in places where it’s required or recommended.

Is Biore Certified Cruelty-Free?

B​iore does not have any cruelty-free certifications. The two most common cruelty-free certifications come from PETA and Leaping Bunny.

These third-party certifications came about because there is no legal definition of cruelty-free. This allows companies like Biore to claim they are a cruelty-free brand, even when they sell their products in mainland China where animal testing is required by law.

PETA lists companies that do and don’t test their products on animals, while Leaping Bunny-certified companies can place the Leaping Bunny logo on their products, which denotes they meet specific criteria and are, in fact, cruelty-free, per Leaping Bunny’s strict standards.

W​hile Biore doesn’t test their products on animals where it’s not required by law, the fact that they conduct animal testing in mainland China prevents them from being certified cruelty-free.

Here are some stipulations required by Leaping Bunny to be able to place the Leaping Bunny logo on products:

• They can’t test their products or any ingredients in their products on animals.
• They can’t receive ingredients from suppliers who test their items on animals.
• They must require all suppliers to sign a certificate stating that they don’t test any of their ingredients or products on animals.
• T​hey have to conduct regular monitoring of their suppliers to ensure they are adhering to the no animal testing policy.
• They can’t sell their products anywhere that animal testing is required by law, like mainland China.

Obviously, Biore fails to meet almost all of these qualifications, barring them from being able to use the Leaping Bunny logo. Hopefully, they will decide to adhere to these requirements in the future, which would allow them to be considered truly cruelty-free.

Is Biore Vegan?

B​iore claims that their products are vegan-friendly, but it’s not entirely true. First of all, about 80% of their products contain either glycerin or stearic acid. These ingredients can come from plants, but they can also be derived from animals.

While it’s likely that Biore uses ingredients derived from plants, they’ve failed to make that clear. This causes confusion on whether their products are truly vegan.

I​n addition to possibly using animal-derived ingredients, Biore is not a cruelty-free brand. Because of this, they can’t be considered 100% vegan.

To be vegan, a company should not only use strictly plant-based ingredients but also refrain from any kind of animal testing.

D​o Biore Products Contain Animal-Derived Ingredients?

S​ome Biore skincare products may contain animal-derived ingredients. Most of their products contain either stearic acid or glycerin. Since Biore has not clarified where they source these ingredients from, we can’t say for sure whether they’re plant- or animal-derived.

H​owever, a small percentage of Biore products do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. To know for sure if a product is free from animal-derived ingredients, it’s important to read the ingredient label.

Is Biore Sold In China?

Y​es, Biore is available for purchase in mainland China. Because animal testing is required for most cosmetics sold in China, this means that Biore products are tested on animals as well.

Biore pays the Chinese government to have their products tested on animals before placing them on store shelves.

B​iore’s presence on store shelves in countries like China, where animal testing is required, prevents the company from being considered cruelty-free by animal rights enthusiasts.

Though they refrain from testing their products on animals in the United States, they aren’t against testing their products on animals in China, where it’s required.

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Final Thoughts: Is Biore Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

B​iore has undoubtedly taken steps to eliminate animal testing in their western markets, but their sales presence in China prevents them from being a cruelty-free and vegan brand.

While Biore’s skincare products, especially their products for oily skin, are effective and affordable, and easy to find, if you would prefer to use a cruelty free product, consider affordable drugstore cruelty-free brands like e.l.f. or Burt’s Bees.

Hopefully, Biore will change its operations in the future and only sell their products in countries where they aren’t required to test them on animals first and become a truly cruelty free brand.