La Roche-Posay is a skincare brand that is well-known for its commitment to sensitive skincare products and irritation-free formulas. However, with cruelty-free becoming an increasingly important factor when it comes to choosing cosmetics brands, you may be wondering if La Roche-Posay has any kind of commitment to cruelty-free manufacturing.
In this full guide, we’ll be diving deep into the La Roche-Posay brand to determine once and for all if any of its products are cruelty-free, in addition to looking at how vegan-friendly and organic its cosmetics truly are.
- What Is La Roche-Posay Known For?
- Is La Roche-Posay Cruelty-Free?
- Is La Roche-Posay Sold in Mainland China?
- Is La Roche-Posay Vegan?
- Is La Roche-Posay Natural or Organic?
- Is La Roche-Posay Gluten-Free?
- Where Can You Buy La Roche-Posay Products?
- Alternative Brands to La Roche-Posay
- Finding Cruelty-Free Beauty You Love
What Is La Roche-Posay Known For?
La Roche-Posay is known for creating cosmetic products that are designed to be non-irritating, with sensitive skin users in mind. The brand was founded in 1975 after thermal spring water from the town of La Roche-Posay, France was incorporated into its skincare products, adding valuable trace minerals and antioxidant properties into the brand’s cosmetics. This thermal spring water is the cornerstone of the brand and is included in almost every product the brand creates today.
Some of the most popular products from La Roche-Posay include the Effaclar line of products, designed to keep complexions clear, and sunscreens that are designed for sensitive skin. Many who try out the brand’s various products end up loving it and leave glowing reviews about how gentle, yet effective, the products are and how the brand is suited for those with sensitive or easily irritated skin.
Is La Roche-Posay Cruelty-Free?
The La Roche-Posay brand is not cruelty-free. On their website, the brand states that they do not test their products or ingredients on animals, except “if regulatory authorities required it for safety or regulatory purposes.”
What this translates to is the fact that La Roche-Posay does in fact allow, and will pay for, animal testing when necessary to sell their products. The website also does not provide any information on their suppliers or on which products are most likely to have undergone animal testing.
Additionally, the parent company for La Roche-Posay is L’Oréal. This is a company that is notoriously not cruelty-free, and they have the same standard of no animal testing unless “required,” which essentially translates to not being a dedicated cruelty-free brand.
La Roche-Posay does not have any certifications from organizations like PETA or Leaping Bunny to attest to the fact they that are cruelty-free because of the above reasons, so if you are looking for a cruelty-free line of skincare products, you may want to jump down to our section below to find some alternatives.
Is La Roche-Posay Sold in Mainland China?
La Roche-Posay is sold in mainland China, which many consumers may recognize as another mark of not being cruelty-free. China has strict regulations and requires certain cosmetics products to undergo animal testing before being sold in the country. And considering the fact that La Roche-Posay states on its website that the brand will adhere to testing requirements, it can be assumed that the brand actively engages in paying for animal testing in order to have their products sold in China.
Is La Roche-Posay Vegan?
While a few products here and there may end up being vegan, La Roche-Posay is not a vegan brand and they are not committed to producing vegan products. Many of their cosmetics products use animal-derived ingredients such as collagen, lanolin, milk, silk, keratin, and honey, so if you are a vegan, you may want to avoid this brand altogether.
Is La Roche-Posay Natural or Organic?
La Roche-Posay does state on its website that its products are paraben-free, non-comedogenic, and dermatologically tested to ensure that they are safe for allergy-prone and sensitive skin, but the brand does not indicate anywhere that its products are natural or organic. La Roche-Posay is also not certified anywhere for being organic. You may want to avoid some of the ingredients in their skincare products if you are a lover of natural or clean beauty.
Is La Roche-Posay Gluten-Free?
Much like with vegan products, some of the items that La Roche-Posay creates may be gluten-free, but the brand as a whole is not a dedicated gluten-free manufacturer. And in these cases, the brand can not guarantee that any of its ingredients come from a completely allergen-free environment. If gluten-free cosmetics are a major issue for you, you may want to avoid this brand completely to reduce the risk of exposure.
Where Can You Buy La Roche-Posay Products?
If you are still interested in buying some of La Roche-Posay’s products, you can purchase them directly from the brand’s website, through a beauty store such as Ulta, or through Amazon. When purchasing on Amazon, ensure that your cosmetics are coming from the brand’s storefront or a verified seller, as you don’t want to accidentally purchase a counterfeited product.
Alternative Brands to La Roche-Posay
If you want to maintain a commitment to cruelty-free products and would rather not purchase from La Roche-Posay, you can check out these other skincare brands below that are certified cruelty-free, in addition to carrying certain vegan or all-natural options.
Juice Beauty
Juice Beauty is both a vegan and cruelty-free brand that is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and PETA, and certified vegan by the American Vegetarian Association. The brand is known for its commitment to sustainability and earth-based, naturally sourced skincare products.
OSEA
Founded in 1996, OSEA is a brand that is completely vegan and certified by both PETA and the Leaping Bunny organization. The brand works to create products that are skin-safe, sustainable, and contain no traces of animal ingredients or animal testing.
Drunk Elephant
A cruelty-free brand that is one of today’s leaders in clean beauty, Drunk Elephant strives to create sustainable, skin-safe products that people of all skin types will love, including those with sensitive-skin. It is important to note that while Drunk Elephant does offer several vegan products, the entire brand isn’t certified vegan.
Finding Cruelty-Free Beauty You Love
Finding cruelty-free beauty brands and products is at the forefront of many consumers’ minds, and it may be disheartening to see that certain popular brands, such as La Roche-Posay, haven’t made the commitment to being completely cruelty-free just yet. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives out there to La Roche-Posay if you would rather invest in cosmetics that are ethically produced and designed with animal welfare in mind.