What is Cruelty-Free Beauty?

Thankfully, the cruelty-free movement has gained a lot of momentum over the last few years. We sat down with Sodashi Founder, Megan Larsen, to talk more about Sodashi’s commitment to this ethos and what’s next on the cruelty-free agenda.

What does ‘cruelty-free’ mean to you and how have you incorporated this into the Sodashi brand?

Cruelty-Free means absolutely no cruelty to animals in every aspect of our business.  From the sourcing and processing of Sodashi ingredients, through to formulating, testing and manufacturing our products.

Through which practises are the cruelty-free ethos incorporated into the Sodashi manufacturing process and company culture? 

We work very closely with our ingredient suppliers to guarantee that not one of our ingredients is ever tested on animals prior to them reaching us.

In 2017, we obtained a Choose Cruelty-Free accreditation for our entire product range. To achieve this, we had to thoroughly audit every single one of our ingredients and our suppliers to ensure they didn’t test on animals.

All of our products are tested on the Sodashi team as well as friends and family – not animals, and we have a bunch of very willing product testers in our office!

When you started the Sodashi brand, was it important that all products included no animal products? 

Absolutely.  We are a botanical brand and from the start, I was intent on harnessing the power of plants and extracts across the Sodashi range. Did you know that botanical essential oils are 70% more powerful than the plants from which they are extracted? This is why we are so firmly committed to using botanical products rather than any derived from animals.

Have you encountered any challenges when adhering to a cruelty-free ethos?

The only challenges we’ve encountered is ensuring that all of our ingredients are not tested on animals, but thankfully because we use ingredients that are pure and single origin it has not proved too difficult. We have built long, trusting relationships with all of our ingredient suppliers and this has helped us ensure that all aspects of the procurement process are ethical and transparent.

We’ve also specifically chosen not to launch Sodashi in China – a huge and very lucrative market, as the product registration process requires mandatory animal testing. Until this changes, Sodashi will not be available in China. We are committed to our values and only sell in regions where we can adhere to our status as a cruelty-free company.

How has the marketplace responded to Sodashi’s status as a cruelty-free company? 

From day one in 1999, we have always had been applauded for the quality of our products, the purity of our ingredients and our no animal testing approach. Awareness of our cruelty-free status also increased upon receiving our official accreditation from Choose Cruelty-Free.

In your opinion, what is next for the cruelty-free movement? 

I’m glad to see that the cruelty-free movement is gaining momentum and it’s wonderful to see a wider range of products on the market. Hopefully, this will continue to grow and our choice of cruelty-free items will continue to increase!

Sodashi is proud to be officially accredited by Choose Cruelty-Free.

To find out more about this accreditation initiative, please click here.