The following list consists of companies that are not cruelty-free. Its main source is PETA, and we’ve supplemented it with our own research. These brands engage in animal testing OR fund animal testing in some capacity, the most common example being by testing on animals where the law requires it. Also note that some of the brands listed here misleadingly label themselves as “cruelty-free”, a term that is not regulated.
Big Corporations Who Test On Animals
Most of these brands are owned by a few giant corporations: L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, Procter & Gamble, Clorox, Johnson & Johnson, S.C. Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive, Reckitt Benckiser, Church & Dwight, Unilever, and Henkel.
These companies own the majority of the brands we commonly find in most retailer stores and drugstores, and they’re making no real efforts to change their unethical policies.
There are however two exceptions, the first one being Colgate-Palmolive, which have agreed to gradually change their policy. PETA currently lists Colgate-Palmolive as “working toward regulatory changes to reduce the number of animals used for testing”. This does NOT mean the company is or will be cruelty-free in the near future! It’s only a small step in the right direction, and the company still DOES test on animals at this point.
The second exception consists of a few select brands. While in most cases, brands that are owned by companies that test on animals are not cruelty-free, L’Oreal is one of the few companies to own brands that have kept their ethical stances and have remained cruelty-free under the ownership. The same goes for Too Faced and Becca (now owned by Estee Lauder but still cruelty-free) and Tom’s of Maine (Colgate-Palmolive). All the brands mentioned on this list, however, do test on animals.
Please note that this list is not exhaustive. This list only includes companies that claimed they test on animals at some point, or sell in China; there are many other companies who remained silent about their animal testing policy.
Looking for cruelty-free brands?
For a list of cruelty-free brands, visit our list of 350+ vetted cruelty-free brands.
Avon has never tested on animals, i use to sell it! They pride themselves on not using animals products or testing on them. Dior uses natural scents in his perfumes and dose not need to test as his brand and many other ‘older classic brands’ listed here are tried and tested and dont test either. You should be careful not to spread gossip. In fact thanks to true campaigners to ban cruelty to animals has pretty much already succeeded as there are very few who can use animals in the creation and testing as it is a world wide ban now! ( in the west) Stay away from asia made products and stick to time tested european brands
Avon and Dior sell in China. Maybe don’t accuse the wonderful creator of this website of ‘gossip’ when you clearly haven’t done a minute of research yourself?
Benefit doesn’t actually test on animals, it just doesn’t claim to be cruelty free as it is possible a compound or something similar has been previously tested on animals by an external company. It says so in their FAQs on their website
Benefit sells in China.
Avon does test on animals. Even when they said they were not. They lied and were caught.They were outsourcing testing for decades and were in multiple lawsuits over misleading consumers. They are a horrible company just like L’Oreal and Proctor & Gamble. http://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/avon-mary-kay-estee-lauder-and-revlon-are-paying-for-tests-on-animals/ and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2110787/Avon-withdraws-animal-test-claims-website-complaints.html Urban Decay is not cruelty free, they are owned by the barbaric company L’Oreal who kills millions of animals throughout all it’s subsidiaries. If you buy a product that was cruelty free and is now owned by a company that isn’t. Then you are putting dollars in the pockets of the murderers. That includes Urban Decay, who is owned by L’Oreal.
This is a great list – sharing!
Brands of animal meals who test on animals? It has no sense omg..
AMAZING COSMETICS does not test on animals. Your information is incorrect for that brand.
They sell in China, so no, it’s not incorrect.
I mean the laws in Europe ban testing cosmetics on animals, so my favourite French skincare brands Avène and Vichy can’t test on animals or outsource animals testing for products sold within Europe (I think that’s the law right now – correct me if I’m wrong)
But I assume they sell products in China which requires animal testing on cosmetics, which really sucks because in the end it’s up to them where they sell their products. China is the biggest emerging market in the world, and in the end producers will go where there are masses of new consumers. China really does need to change it’s stance on cosmetic animal testing (and it’s stance on a lot of things *cough* human rights abuses *cough* the death penalty *cough*)
Still I don’t know where I stand ethically by using these brands, the only brands I know will keep my skin clear and healthy and in a selfish way – allow myself to feel good – knowing that the products being sold to me have not been tested on animals in Europe, but may have been tested on animals in China. I guess I have a bit to think about now.
Hi Hope. I understand your dilemma. For me, as soon as I learned about how animals were treated in these tests that was it I couldn’t use any of those products any more. If a company doesn’t test in Europe or America but then does just to sell in China I think that’s unethical and I won’t have any part of it. A few years ago I started using essential oils and it opened up a whole new world for me in terms of skin care. Its not just about the essential oils but using completely natural and cheap products you probably have at home anyway to care for your skin. The toxins in these branded products are what are damaging your skin. I recently started a blog about the changes I make if you want to have a look let me know x
It might take some time to find what works for you, but there are a LOT of truly cruelty free options, including ones that are great for very sensitive skin. I highly recommend checking out Paula’s Chouce. Their ingredients/ formulations are top notch, they use no fragrance or known irritants, & they have fab customer service w/ an easy return policy should anything not work out for you. They also offer consultations to help you figure out what will likely work best for your skin type/ issues of you ate overwhelmed by the choices available. I use a number of their products & at 37 my skin is the best it’s ever been. I truly cannot recommend them highly enough.
Does anyone know if dr fresh and the companies they are are cruelty free or vegan? I can’t find anything pointing in either direction
Why do detergents need to test on animals?
To check for skin/eye irritants.
Oh I have a question. Is urban decay animal tested ?
It is owned by L’Oréal, but the company itself does not test on animals and their products are not sold in China, so I consider them cruelty-free.
Thank you so much for all the tips about the make up and from head to toe !!! And very nice blog website Kitty ! 😉 Love the website to know what to buy things what cruelty is and not. And I am new to go vegan btw. So go on with your cruelty free blog ! ? And it is VERY handy to make copies and to put it in my map. It’s so stupid that I spend my money on expensive animal brands !!! ?
Thank you Miss Vina! 🙂
All product ingredients have to be tested before the FDA can approve it for human use, that’s just how it is and how it always has been. Even if the company is cruelty free, it just means they’re using ingredients that were tested by another company and proven safe by the FDA. So nothing is actually cruelty free.
I’m looking for more info on a company called Just Natural Skin Care, I don’t see them on either of your lists. They claim they do not test, but… a lot of these places claim that…
Thank you so much for posting this helpful list!
xo,
Allie @ LunaVida
http://www.lunavidablog.com
The Dr Brandt website says that they do not test on animals. From their site: “At dr. brandt® skincare, we are proud to say that we are a cruelty-free-oriented organization. We do not engage in animal testing, nor do we use animal-derived ingredients in any of our products. As leaders in the skincare science industry, we consider it our charge to continually innovate new and effective ways to test products without the use of animals, relying instead on advanced testing methodologies that are strictly cruelty-free. We thoroughly investigate each of the ingredients used in our products, selecting only the finest materials from facilities that measure their results with high-tech machinery instead of animals.” Or do they sell their products in China?
if you look through Mary Kay’s website, they say that they don’t test on animals… if that was missed, do this many companies TRULY test on animals? i just want to support makeup companies that dont test, and I bought Mary Kay because they dont.
Hi Jordan, I wrote about this recently. Unfortunately Mary Kay lost its cruelty-free status: https://staging.crueltyfreekitty.com/news/does-mary-kay-test-on-animals/
Garneer is claiming to not test on animals anymore. Can anyone verify this? I can’t find anything.
I’m actually under the impression that maybelline, l’oread and such do not test on animals (it’s stated on their website under the FAQ page as of a few months ago)
They all sell in China.
Be careful with products that claim to not test on animals, they often use loopholes by getting other companies to test the products for them. It’s always better to check online before you buy. Or you can use apps that check the product for you. Hope this helps 🙂
Amazing Cosmetics website says they don’t test on animals. And less than a month ago I went to a Clarins training and they said they don’t test on animals. I’m confused 🙁
They only test on animals in China.
Hi Samm, I’ve been working for Bobbi Brown (Estee Lauder Companies) and I was informed they are cruelty free. For almost two years I believed in that lie and I was teaching our customers how animal friendly Bobbi Brown is! When I realized what the bs it was, I left my job. I’m a 100% cruelty free makeup artist now and I feel sick every time I see the Bobbi Brown logo. It’s very easy to be misinformed by the companies.
Hi!
Sorry, but I would like to know if Eveline, Elea, Balea, Catrice, Strep, Lycia do tests on animals!
Thanks!
Disgusting, for all those sub-humans who inflict CRUELTY to animals deserve to be severely punished ? ?
Hi Suzi… What is your take on brands like Nivea and Eucerin? Beiersdorf is supposed to cruelty-free, given the EU ruling. And they say so on a couple of websites:
http://www.eucerin.co.uk/our-research/research-background/testing-of-efficacy-safety-and-tolerability
http://www.vegfamily.com/cruelty-free-companies/
Thanks!
Hi Anu. I find it odd that Nivea/Beiersdorf would be considered cruelty-free given that they sell their products in China and claim to test on animals where required by law.
Makes sense. Thanks for your prompt reply, Suzi. Also, thanks for posting about Moroccanoil today. It is so sad but I’m thankful to have heard about it.
Benefit DOESN’T taste on animals. The thing is that Benefir doesn’t pay to PETA to appear in the Cruelty Free/Vegan list.
They’re sold in China, therefore tests on animals.
The headline says that it’s companies that do test on animals, and further down you say that the list is companies that have tested on animals. Is it fair to assume that companies that have stopped testing are still on your list?
No, these are companies that currently test on animals.
Benefit does not test on animals. “Since 1989, the Perfumes & Cosmetics companies of LVMH group (including Benefit Cosmetics) have not performed any tests on animals
for our products – this was implemented long before the 2013 official
ban set by the European Union. We are deeply committed to the
elimination of animal testing.”
Benefit is sold in China.
Dr. JART DOESN’T test on animals. They are dermatologist tested, and majority of the line is Vegan. I work for the company. It’s cruelty free.
Sold in China unfortunately.
a lot of brands who state they do not test on animals is because they themsleves are not testing (ie; Benefit) and they are hiring 3rd parties to carry out their testing, or they hire someone to hire someone to do it so they can claim they are cruelty free when infact they are not because they care more about profit, its all a marketing scam!! And it sucks that even brands like Nars who are “cruelty free” are owned by monster’s like Shiseido because in the end they are still reaping benefits. DIY or small Indie brands are they way to go!
You can’t trust brand representatives because they usually dont know and you cant trust the packaging because its all cleverly worded to avoid technicalities, such as brands claiming to be all natural, for example Bare Minerals might have (some natural) options but they market themselves and claim a beautiful natural finish to make you believe its all natural.
Animal testing is awful but I also believe animal derived ingriendents are, although the animal would rather be dead then in those cages. Who wants a cruelty-free lipstick made of dead beetles and sheeps wool/oil? Who wants a cruelty-free anti aging moisturizer with snake venom? (kate sommerville) Who wants a cruelty-free face masks with snail-secretions?
What’s more misleading is that animal-derived ingredients are totally considered “natural”. So your natural cruelty-free brand is full of animal by-products and dead insects.
Vegan is the most ethical choice! Even if you can’t fully commit make the difference when you can!
Glamglow sold out to Estee Lauder, all about greed and profit!
The Body Shop has good products and they are supposed to be cruelty free. I had a rash on my scalp that would not go away and the only thing that helped me was a their Ginger Shampoo. Tom’s Toothpaste is also excellent.