Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Eco Elsie
Released in 1994, Laneige is a relative newcomer to the cosmetics game, so it would be reasonable to assume they’d follow a more modern, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free business model.
That said, in today’s world where animals are still subjugated, abused, and killed for human pleasure, you can never be too careful, so let’s do a deep dive on Laneige’s morals. Are they hiding a dark secret?
Laneige’s focus point as a product is advanced water sciences – all good so far. Their goal is to hydrate the skin like never before, helping it to appear supple and smooth, and ultimately, reduce the visible signs of aging. Sounds like a noble intention.
The brand name, Leneige, is taken from the French, ‘la neige’, that translates to, ‘the snow’. It’s an elegant name and aligns with their mission of hydration and clear complexions.
It connotes a freshness, immaculacy, and innocence, drawing to mind images of sparkling pastures of soft virgin snow. But is this imagery an embodiment of the purity of their operation or something more sinister entirely.
Well, we’re afraid to say, it’s the latter. The honorable mission statement, the lovely French name…it’s all just smoke and mirrors, a product of intelligent and deceptive marketing. Laneige is not cruelty-free!
Is Laneige Vegan?
Laneige doesn’t overtly state they are a vegan company. You won’t find any of those lovely ‘V’ labels on any of their packaging or anything to indicate they’re a progressive animal-friendly brand. But that alone doesn’t signify that they don’t have vegan products.
You’ll find a number of foods available on the shelves of your local supermarket that aren’t specifically marketed as vegan, yet a quick scan of the ingredients reveals that they are.
There are whole online communities dedicated to spreading the word about these hidden vegan gems. So, could this be the case with at least a few Laneige products?
Nope! Not a single Laneigi product is vegan – disappointing, we know. Their products are loaded with animal derived ingredients such as…
- Stearic acid derived from pig’s stomachs – So messed up!
- Glycerin which typically comes from animal fats – Why?!!
- Squalene which is a substance collected from shark liver oil – Just stop…
We were able to dig up these three awful non-vegan ingredients in a matter of minutes. Give yourself half an hour, and we bet you could find a whole lot more. Vegan friends! Stay away from Laneige products.
Is Laneige an Ethical Company
For many, this is a subjective question, the answer to which depends on individual morals and differences both personal and cultural in nature. To us; however, there are no two ways about it. Laneige is not an ethical company; not by a long shot.
Some might argue that the animal by-products aren’t that bad, that this kind of animal exploitation isn’t as severe as the meat and dairy industry, but that’s not true.
The systematic and industrialized enslavement, murder, and subsequent harvesting of animals is a singular mechanism, just with different products and end users from company to company.
Whether they’re scraping a pig’s stomach for stearic acid or straight-up dipping bacon in their moisturizers, it’s all part of the same problem, and Laneige is doing absolutely nothing to put a halt to this distinctly immoral practice.
In addition, Laneige’s ‘Glowy Makeup Serum’ contains something called mica. Mica powder is known to commonly be mined and refined using child labor organizations.
Some people might be swayed by the effectiveness of these ingredients in maintaining their skin’s elasticity and youthfulness, and while that might be the case, it’s an incredibly selfish outlook.
Besides, just wait until you hear about their testing process. Try calling them an ethical company then.
Does Laneige Test on Animals?
Let’s take a close look at Leneige’s statement on the issue.
It begins with them announcing that they are ‘seeking peaceful coexistence between nature, human beings, and businesses’. They go on to say that they ‘respect all living creatures’ and that they ‘have voluntarily discontinued animal testing on cosmetic ingredients and finished goods since 2008’. They then let it slip that they continued to source ingredients from suppliers that do test on animals for a further five years, making their ‘efforts’ completely redundant.
But wait, doesn’t that mean they haven’t tested on animals since 2013? Well, no, actually it doesn’t because they wrap things up with, ‘exceptions to this principle will apply however, if animal testing is required or bound by local government or laws’.
As they sell their products in China, a country that does enforce these animals testing laws, Laneige never stopped testing their products on animals, making their principles abundantly clear: animal welfare isn’t important where profit is concerned.
They try to veil this oblique moral turpitude with a vague mirage of words, a few sentences promising something and giving nothing. Words that say one thing, while their actions speak an entirely different and opposite language.
Are Laneige Products Toxic?
Well, you’d assume if there is a toxicity to their products, they discover it in the animal testing phase, letting the animals take the fall, so we can enjoy slightly softer skin and miracle makeup, but here’s the thing, it’s still dangerous.
Not only is mica powder sourced from child labor camps, it’s often muddled with a bunch of other ingredients that are known to be toxic such as arsenic, lead, and mercury.
Laneige paint themselves to be an honest and progressive company, but there’s a good chance that their products still contain the same poisonous ingredients as cosmetics used in the Elizabethan era.
Their Lip Sleeping Mask Formula contains trace elements of ingredients that are either allergens or can affect the immune system, and it contains a moderate amount of ingredients that are either restricted or banned by industry safety guidelines set forth by Canada, Japan, the EU and the US.
At this point, we think it’s pretty clear that it’s best to avoid Laneige products until they adopt a more genuine stance on the exploitation of animals and children. At the very least, you should try to limit your usage of their products.
