Susan Harmsworth laid the foundation of ESPA in 1992, a brand that made its name all around the world within no time. All thanks to its ideology of promoting well-being through natural ingredients.
From the beginning, ESPA has been obsessed with bringing in the best skincare formulas for your face and body.
To make this possible, the brand has built a laboratory where a team of passionate chemists works together to research and develop new products.
ESPA is a strong advocate of using only natural ingredients in skincare products. That is why the brand does not use synthetic colors or fragrances, the same goes for harmful compounds like parabens.
ESPA has strictly forbidden any ingredient that may cause harm to the skin of its users.
Every product that ESPA launches into the market is full of natural ingredients like essential oils, flower extracts, and minerals. These elements boost the health of your skin, improve texture and give you a youthful glow.
Apart from its skincare products, ESPA is famous for its luxurious spa services. The brand offers exotic skincare treatments and massages at spas located at various destinations. To be more specific, ESPA has more than three hundred spas located in fifty-five countries.
These spas are nothing like ordinary ones. From relaxation rooms and sleeping pods to gyms and cafes, ESPA spas have everything to make your experience memorable.
In short, ESPA is a brand that cares a lot about physical and mental well-being. But is this ideology limited to humans only, or do they care about the well-being of animals as well? The answer to this depends on their policy regarding animal testing.
Animal testing is a brutal practice that has been around for decades without any repercussions.
Now the times have changed, and people have become more conscious about the impact their choices might have. Shoppers now prefer cruelty-free brands over conventional ones.
There is a whole criterion that a brand must fulfill to obtain the title of cruelty-free. Does ESPA meets that criterion, and is ESPA a cruelty-free brand?
To answer that we need to know all the practices that a cruelty-free brand can and can not carry out.
A cruelty-free brand:
● Can not subject ingredients it uses to animal testing.
● Can not subject its final products to animal testing.
● Can not hire a third party to perform animal testing on its behalf.
● Can not have suppliers or distributors who have pro-animal testing policies
● Can not sell its products in countries that require animal testing.
● Must be acknowledged by an international cruelty-free organization.
So does ESPA fulfill all these conditions? Let’s find out one by one.
Is ESPA testing the individual ingredients on animals?
The official statement on the brand’s website claims that they do not test their ingredients on animals.
Is ESPA testing the final products on animals?
According to the official statement, the brand is not testing its final products on animals.
Is ESPA in contract with any third party that carries out animal testing for it?
No, the brand claims they are not paying any third party to perform animal testing.
Is any of ESPA’s suppliers or distributors perform animal testing?
ESPA’s website does not talk about the stance of its distributors and suppliers on animal testing.
Is ESPA selling its products in countries that require animal testing for hygiene purposes?
China has a law of testing cosmetics on animals for hygiene purposes. There is no statement on their website regarding their sales in China.
Is ESPA acknowledged as an internationally recognized cruelty-free organization?
Three major organizations award cruelty-free certificates to the brand after serious scrutiny.
Name of those organizations are as follows:
1. Peta’s beauty without bunnies program
2. Leaping Bunny certification through CCIC
3. Leaping Bunny certification through cruelty-free international
ESPA does not own a certificate for any of these organizations.
Since we do not believe in claims that come with a certificate, it is safe to say that ESPA is not cruelty-free.
Is ESPA vegan-friendly?
Vegan-friendly products do not contain any ingredients that come from animal origin. This means they are made up of all the natural goodness found in the plants around us.
Honey, collagen, lanolin, beeswax, and gelatin are animal-derived ingredients commonly used in the skincare industry.
Vegan alternatives are now available for all these ingredients, and people are more inclined toward them for the best reasons.
Using vegan-friendly products is not only kind toward animals but for your health as well. You see, vegan products are crafted with natural ingredients and are chemical-free.
This makes them a better choice for anyone whose skin is too sensitive or breakouts frequently.
Vegan products have lots of minerals and substances like aloe vera gel, all these together make your skin subtle and make it youthful.
Now that we know why vegan-friendly products are beneficial for humans and animals. Let’s get down to business.
Is ESPA vegan-friendly?
Unfortunately, the answer is no, ESPA has a wide range of products, and not all of them are vegan-friendly.
The brand does care about its vegan consumers though. If you are wondering how go to the official website, you’ll discover that ESPA has put all its100% vegan products in one section.
This makes it easy for people to choose the vegan-friendly product they like without going through a long list of ingredients.
So, in short, ESPA is not 100% vegan-friendly.
Is ESPA ethical?
Believe it or not, ESPA is the only skincare brand with Ecovadis Silver Award, verifying the brand’s good manufacturing practices, and the passion for sustainability.
The factory where ESPA manufactures its products uses electricity generated from renewable sources. Other than this, all the packaging materials used by the brand are recyclable and renewable.
The brand has also removed all harmful chemicals from its products, including parabens, SLS, PEG, and silicone.
This shows that ESPA is committed to making its skincare products environmentally and user-friendly. But lack of clarity regarding animal testing policies and nonvegan products shows that ESPA is not 100% ethical.
