Cruelty-free Japanese brands are not common. Although brands sometimes release information about their own animal testing policies, this information is not necessarily applicable to their suppliers, and they may also sell in physical stores in mainland China, where their products may be subject to pre- or post-market animal testing, without disclosing that information. This means their animal testing policy may refer only to if animal testing is performed in product development, and not to if they pay for animal testing to be conducted so they can sell in a particular country.
As of May 1, 2021, China implemented changes to its laws meaning, according to Ethical Elephant, “some cosmetics may qualify to be exempt from their animal testing requirements.” Check the Ethical Elephant blog here for more detailed info and an easy-to understand chart in English.
The following is a list of animal-ingredient-free options that can be obtained in Japan. Where we have any information about the company’s cruelty-free-policy (if one exists), we will share it below.
There will be very few or no vegan and cruelty-free choices in typical drugstores or grocery stores. The only brand listed here which may be found in these types of stores is Shabondama. Ordering online or going to a specialty store such as Cosme Kitchen or Lush for an imported option may be your best bet.
For those who do not live in Japan, products sold on Rakuten Ichiba can be shipped to other countries via Rakuten Global Express (English), Rakuten’s official overseas delivery service (click here for Rakuten Global Express in Japanese). They will combine your Rakuten Ichiba (Japanese) order with orders from other shopping websites, including those that do not ship overseas, and send everything to you. They do not send refrigerated or frozen items- if you order them, they will be sent to you unrefrigerated. Sign-up is free. Learn how to use the service here (English). Those in Japan can purchase any product that is carried on Rakuten Ichiba directly, of course without using Rakuten Global Express, which is only for overseas shoppers.
Argital products may be found at Cosme Kitchen stores.
・Argital, an Italian company, has many certified vegan products, although some products are non-vegan as they include things like propolis and honey. The FAQ (English) states:
“Which products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
All Argital products are certified Vegan Ok a part from: Dentie and propolis toothpaste, honey and propolis soap, hand cream with helichrysum and propolis, propolis cream, saturn oil, earth oil.”
Online purchase links: Argital website, Cosme Kitchen website, Rakuten Ichiba
Photos from website.
Auromere products may be found at Cosme Kitchen stores.
・Auromere (English) is a Japanese brand owned by a company called BbyE that has a variety of cruelty-free brands that don’t use “ingredients obtained by killing animals.” However, it is still necessary to check if each BbyE brand/product is 100% free of animal ingredients such as beeswax.
Regarding Auromere, the website states ““auromère” is excluding the chemical component as much as possible. We also consider the global environment and fair trade. No use of animal ingredients / Cruelty-free. So you can use it with confidence even for vegans. It is a “Natural & Ethical” brand that makes things friendly to people, the environment and society.”
The Auromere line consists of four flavors of toothpastes, three herbal soaps and an herbal mouthwash. The toothpastes are made with more than twenty herbs. The mouthwash is made with twenty-two kinds of herbal extracts. The soaps are detailed in our Kitchen Soap & Soap section.
About animal testing, it says: “We are committed to avoid any and all animal tests from the planning phase to the launch of products.**
**Except when we are obliged to fulfil our accountability to the society or required by the authority.”
The customer service can answer English queries.
Online purchase links: Cosme Kitchen website, Rakuten Ichiba, Sincere Garden (BbyE)
Some photos from website.
・Davids vegan and cruelty-free (certified by Leaping Bunny) whitening toothpaste is available for online purchase from the previously linked Davids Japan website (Japanese), It is manufactured in America by an American company.
Online purchase links: Davids Japan, Earth Friendly, Rakuten Ichiba
・Diem is a Japanese brand selling Botanical Mouthwash/ディエム ボタニカル マウスウォッシュ and Diem Botanical Toothpaste/ディエム ボタニカル トゥースペースト. It says “no animal-derived ingredients” in English on the Diem website. No information is given about the company’s animal testing policy. The products are available in flavors including Spearmint Rosemary, Rose Aroma Mint, and Mandarin Orange Grapefruit.
Online purchase links: Diem website, Rakuten Ichiba
Photos from website.
Ecostore toothpaste may be found at Cosme Kitchen stores.
・Ecostore is a vegetarian brand from New Zealand with mostly vegan products. The Australian Ecostore website states “A lot of our products are vegan-friendly, however some of our products do contain goat’s milk, Manuka honey, beeswax or propolis from bees. These ingredients are carefully selected and must meet certain criteria before we use them. They must be sustainably harvested and animal welfare assured.” Check the New Zealand Ecostore website’s (English) individual product pages to see which products are vegan. The products are are certified cruelty-free by PETA.
The Complete Care, Whitening, and Kids toothpastes and the Complete Care mouthwash are all marked vegan on the New Zealand Ecostore website. The Propolis toothpaste is not vegan as it contains propolis, made by bees.
Some vegans may not wish to purchase Ecostore products until Ecostore ends the use of goats’ milk (in light of the campaign by Animal Liberation Victoria and requests for Ecostore to do so – visit the Animal Liberation Victoria website (English) for further information).
Online purchase links: Cosme Kitchen website, Ecostore Japan website, Rakuten Ichiba
Photos from website.
・Glo-Up toothpaste, an original product from the Japanese Okuchi no Senmonten (meaning Mouth Specialist Shop) company, is listed as vegan and halal and 動物実験はしていません/doubutsu jikken wa shite imasen, meaning animal experiments not used. It is manufactured in Malaysia.
Online purchase links: Okuchi no Senmonten website, Rakuten Ichiba
Photo from website.
・Logona Naturkosmetik is a German company that has a line of toothpastes under the name Logodent. The German Logodent website (English) states “We fight against animal testing worldwide and promote alternative testing methods” and “All products that are highlighted as “vegan” contain absolutely no animal products.” Be sure to check that the individual product you want to buy is marked “vegan” on the package or the website.
Online purchase links: Logona & Friends, Rakuten Ichiba
Photo from website.
・Lush is a very popular store in Japan with more than 70 branches countrywide. Lush also sells its products through its own website. It does not do animal testing or buy from suppliers that do animal testing and all the products are vegan or vegetarian. The company’s website states that about 80% of Lush products are vegan.
Lush sells tooth jelly/歯磨きジェリー (a type of toothpaste) as well as toothy tabs/歯磨き用タブレット and mouthwash tabs/マウスウォッシュタブレット, small tablets of toothpaste or mouthwash. You can also look at the products in English on the Lush USA website. Be sure to double check that the product you want to buy is vegan.
The largest branch of Lush in Asia is in Shinjuku, Tokyo, so this branch would presumably have the biggest selection of these products to check out in person. As of 2019 this branch had exclusive flavors of the tooth jelly, detailed in the Matcha Japan article LUSH Shinjuku – Exclusive Products At The Largest Store In Asia (English).
Lush provides an online shopping guide in English to help English speakers navigate their purchase.
Online purchase link: Lush website
Photos from website.
・Marvis toothpaste from Italy is listed by the blog Ethical Elephant (English) as being cruelty-free and 100% vegan. Check the Marvis Japan website for a list of physical stores and popups which carry the toothpastes.
Online purchase links: Japanese version of the Look Fantastic website, Marvis Japan website, Rakuten Ichiba
Photo from website.
・Shabondama Sekken, meaning “soap bubble soap,” is a Japanese soap company whose website’s Q&A section states that Shabondama Sekken products are not animal tested in product development or research safety tests and it does not ask other organizations to do animal testing for them, because Shabondoma Sekken is using ingredients that are proven to be safe on humans.
Some of the products are made by combining animal fats with vegetable fats and oils, and some with are made with vegetable fats and oils but no animal fats. The full list of products made without animal fats, including bar soap, facial soap, laundry detergent, and toothpaste can be found here. However it isn’t clearly stated that all of the products from the list are vegan, as some may have other ingredients added in and it isn’t clearly stated that these other ingredients are vegan.
The Shabondama toothpastes are a “maybe.” All of them are on the list of items that are made of vegetable fats. However, they have other ingredients added in. For example, there is an EM, effective microorganisms, toothpaste with lactobacillus. It isn’t clear if these are obtained from dairy or how they are propagated, for example on what kind of medium.
Their regular peppermint toothpaste is pictured below.
Photo from website.
ONLINE
The iHerb website (page language can be set to English) is a good place to find vegan items like toothpastes and dental floss- the items pictured were available as of this writing in June 2021. The Tom’s of Maine toothpastes were indicated as vegan on the Tom’s website and the three dental flosses, Eco-Dent Gentle Floss, Mint; Dr Tung’s Activated Charcoal Floss, Lemongrass; and Hello Activated Charcoal Infused Floss were all labeled vegan on the iHerb website. Shipping (which is international to Japan) takes 5-7 days. Find more information about ordering from iHerb in our vegan online shopping section. To get a discount on your order please feel free to use our referral codes: CYK4452 or ARA5497.
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Is it Vegan? (Japan) 