There’s a lot of broad-brush stroking that happens on the Internet, which can be dangerous as often mis-truths arise from much of the content we all come across. One example is the notion that if you’re a US beauty company and you sell in China you must test on animals. I can tell you unequivocally that isn’t always the truth - especially not for Amazing Cosmetics.
I’d like to explain how we sell our goods in China, and how we manage to do so without testing on our furry friends. Going back to 2011, we met with the president of Sephora Asia who was keen to launch the brand in China. At that time, our category of cosmetics wasn’t required to animal test. Therefore, we forged ahead taking on the long and cumbersome registration process, which we were warned would take longer than the pregnancy of an elephant (nearly two years!)😬. Truer words were never spoken because it was a full year + before we were finally able to launch as an exclusive brand in all Sephora stores throughout the country, as well as on their web platform. We did very well and embraced the relationships that we built with the Sephora team and their customers. However, the registration of goods had an expiration date, and when the time arrived to re-register the rules had changed. To remain doing business in the country, we’d have to comply with the updated rules and test. It was quite a blow, but doing so would go against everything we believed in. So, to be honest, at great hardship as we were and are still a small company, we agreed to part ways with Sephora. The team being a wonderful partner, understood and supported our decision.
Fast forward a year and we found a new buyer who loved the brand, and they were able to still make it work so we could re-launch. Sephora explained that we could manufacture our bulk like we always do in the US and identify a distributor in China to fill and assemble. They’d be responsible to register with the government, follow all good manufacturing policies and deliver to Sephora’s warehouses. We’ve significantly decreased our profit as we now have a middleman, but it’s worth it as the Chinese consumer is a savvy cosmetic connoisseur with a serious acumen when it comes to appreciating beauty products.
We’re so incredibly fortunate to have been introduced to our distributor who’s now a friend. The entire team is honest, hard-working and gracious. The very same can be said for every person from the Sephora side. And the Chinese people are hospitable and kind. It’s been a real joy getting to know them and learning more about the culture. I’ve discovered by my travels that we’re all more alike than we are different, and the world continues to be a fascinating, awe inspiring place! 💗🌏
Lisa Thurman