Some By Mi is not cruelty free because their products are tested on animals where required by law (in mainland China).
Additionally, Some By Mi is not 100% vegan as a brand.
To learn more about this brand and find out why they’re not cruelty free, keep on reading!
And if you’re looking for new K-beauty products to add to your beauty routine, make sure to check out the last section of this post where you’ll find some of the best Some By Mi cruelty free alternatives.
Let’s dive right in!
Is Some By Mi cruelty free? Are Some By Mi products tested on animals?
Some By Mi is NOT cruelty free.
In order to be cruelty free, brands:
- Must not test their finished products or ingredients on animals
- Must make sure that their suppliers don’t test on animals
- Must not commission third parties to test their products on animals
- Must not sell their products in stores in mainland China, or other countries where animal testing is still required by law
Some By Mi doesn’t have an official animal testing policy posted on their website and there’s little information about them online.
That’s why I reached out to them to ask them about their animal testing policy.
This is their answer (I’ve highlighted the important part):
We’d like to inform you that from 2013 to 2018, South Korean law forbids finished products and ingredients to be tested on animals.
source: email communication with Some By Mi
However, when animal testing is required by law for the product to be sold in countries such as China, animal testing may take place locally (in China).
Our products are exported to China and our products are tested by the Chinese Sanitary Permit Authority.
Unfortunately, at this moment all brands that sell their products in stores in mainland China have to agree to have their products tested on animals, so they can’t be cruelty free.
Therefore, Some By Mi is not cruelty free.
Keep on reading for more information!
Is Some By Mi sold in China?
Some By Mi is sold in mainland China where animal testing is still required by law.
Why can’t cruelty free brands sell in mainland China?
Animal testing is still happening for products sold in physical stores in mainland China.
Pre-market animal testing is required for all special-use imported products, and non-routine post-market testing on animals may also be done in cases of customer complaints.
However, please keep in mind that this doesn’t apply to products sold in stores at the airports, or in Hong Kong.
Also, products can be sold online and shipped to mainland China without being tested on animals.
Is Some By Mi owned by a parent brand? If yes, is it cruelty free?
Some By Mi is owned by Perennebell, a company that isn’t cruelty free because they own this brand that isn’t cruelty free.
Is Some By Mi vegan?
Some By Mi is not 100% vegan. Some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
We are doing our best in excluding animal-derived ingredients as much as possible when formulating our products.
source: email communication with Some By Mi
However, for the snail secretion filtrate used in our Snail Truecica Miracle Repair series, no snails are harmed in the process of collection of the ingredient.
Aside from this and some type PHA from milk-based ingredients, there are no other ingredients derived from animals.
We are doing our best to exclude animal-based ingredients and we are happy to inform you that our latest products will be formulated without any animal-derived ingredients in them.
Additionally, please note that since Some By Mi products may be tested on animals in China and are therefore not cruelty free, I wouldn’t consider them vegan-friendly.
Cruelty free and vegan alternatives to Some By Mi
Some By Mi is a popular K-Beauty brand. They’re mostly known for their skincare products for problematic and acne-prone skin.
There are so many beauty brands that are cruelty free!
That’s why, in my opinion, there’s really no excuse for supporting brands that test on animals.
Some of the best cruelty free alternatives to Some By Mi are:
If you want to discover more Korean beauty skincare brands, check out my post on Cruelty Free Korean Skin Care: 7 Best K-Beauty Brands.
Now it’s your turn!
What are your favorite cruelty free brands?
Let me know in the comments below!