Sadly, Origins is not cruelty free.
What a bummer! The Origin’s face masks are basically a cult beauty classic. I’ve been a fan of the face masks myself for a long time. Call me a hippie, but I was initially drawn to the brand’s products by the logo (a silhouetted tree) and promise of plant-to-formula skin care products. Joking aside, what made me a dedicated Origins buyer for several years was that their products just work really well. Period. Sounds great, right? Well…
Things took a turn for the worse when I began researching some of the face masks to review for you guys. I could not have been more disappointed when I discovered that Origins was yet an other company who stood by the ominous “animal testing where required by law” caveat. This statement appears in their FAQ section, tucked towards the very bottom, at the time of me posting:
Origins Natural Resources Inc. is committed to the elimination of animal testing. We are equally committed to consumer health and safety, and bringing to market products that comply with applicable regulations in every country in which our products are sold. We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. We evaluate our finished products in clinical tests on volunteer panels.
Origins Natural Resources Inc. fully supports the development and global acceptance of non-animal testing alternatives. To this end, the Company works extensively with the industry at large and the global scientific community to research and fund these alternatives.”
*Gasp* Say it isn’t so!
Although I have read similar statements from other companies, this one particularly hurt. Mainly because I’d falsely assumed for years that because of their “holistic” approach that they would also stand firmly against testing on animals. And I was also a little worried that if I looked, I wouldn’t like the answer.
As you may already know, companies who wish to sell their products in mainland China (Hong Kong is exempt) are required by law to have their finished products tested on animals before being available for public use. Origins will always get a second chance from me if this ever changes, but until that time I will regretful no longer buy from them myself.
The only good side to this (because I’m always going to find that silver lining!) is that I guess I will just have to research face masks by other brands. I’ll post again when I’ve discovered something effective, non-toxic and cruelty-free! *Fills shopping cart full with face masks & avoids checking bank statements for a while.*
Do you have a suggested face mask for me to try? Let me know in the comments section below!
Photo by Bill Williams
