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.
Wtf!! Testing chemicals on innocent and defenceless animals?? This is very sad
That’s all marketing PR…same blurb from MAC and any other company selling in China. If you buy something that tests in China, the money that you spend goes to the company. The company then has to pay the animal testing agency in China to get approval for sale, so yes, if you buy something in the US, Canada, or where ever, your purchases contribute to the funding of that animal testing. And yes, there is something they can choose to do, not sell in China, like all of the real cruelty-free companies choose to do. Fine if you choose to buy it or sell it, but don’t make false cruelty-free claims.
L’oreal no longer tests on animals.
http://www.lorealusa.com/csr-commitments/l%E2%80%99or%C3%A9al-answers/the-question-of-animal-testing
true – do not buy products containing = sls/sles/paraben/mineral oil/palm oil
The first hit when you google ‘Is GlamGlow sold in China?’ should be all the evidence you need? Here’s the relevant section:
‘“The most important launch in Asia has been China,” says Dellimore. “Glamglow launched in China with Sephora in 170 stores and within the first week became the number one selling skin care product in Sephora China in store and online. China represents a difficult and highly competitive market and we are excited to lead the skin care world in Sephora China.”’
http://www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/technical/article_page/Glamglow__Positively_glowing/91760
Sells in China.
Here’s the first hit when you google ‘Is GlamGlow sold in China’: http://www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/technical/article_page/Glamglow__Positively_glowing/91760
Key section: ‘“The most important launch in Asia has been China,” says Dellimore. “Glamglow launched in China with Sephora in 170 stores and within the first week became the number one selling skin care product in Sephora China in store and online. China represents a difficult and highly competitive market and we are excited to lead the skin care world in Sephora China.”’
They have to test for eye, skin and respiratory irritants. Obviously I agree with you that they shouldn’t use animals to do this.
If a brand sells their beauty, perfume or home care products in China, they are consenting to animal testing and cannot be considered cruelty free.
Hi! so sad to see that so many brands still test on animals.. can I ask where you found that Origins tests on animals? I use their products and always believed they didn’t test on animals but on volunteers since that’s what they said on their website..
They sell in China.
You’ve literally linked to Avon’s statement that they conduct animal testing when required by law, ie in China.
So’s Physician’s Formula! It’s on PETA’s list.
https://staging.crueltyfreekitty.com/does-physicians-formula-test-on-animals/
Just because CHINA tests these products in CHINA does not mean that the PRODUCT COMPANIES test on animals.
If I bought a product and tested it on my cat before I used it, that doesn’t make the company a cruelty brand.
There is nothing the company can do once the products enter China.
If you’re buying your products from China, then you have a problem. If you’re buying them from Europe or USA, then they are CRUELTY FREE.
You can blame the brand for what CHINA does with it.
Your analogy is faulty. Here’s one: Imagine you make cruelty-free soap, and somebody told you you could increase your profits 1000% by selling to China. You are totally aware that this would mean your products would be subject to animal testing, but you do it anyway because $$$. China’s the biggest market in the world, so who cares if a few bunnies have to die?
These companies all know the ethical cost of doing business in China, and choose to do it anyway, as per the above example. How can you defend that?
Actually, you can blame the brand, because it is the brand who is paying an animal testing agency in China so their products can be approved for sale. Given that the Chinese market is probably just as big, if not bigger than that of Europe and North America combined, so it’s not like it’s a minute amount of products being tested, it’s more like half of all of the company’s products.
WHAT?? You need to RE-READ WHAT you wrote yourself……..I hope you don’t think that China tears all these products down just to animal test???!!! HUH?
NO. no, no, no….
If a company wants to do business in China, THEN YES, that company will abide by all of China’s rules or they don’t sell anything………..
Nivea DOES NOT test on animals. Also L’Oreal and all of it’s affiliates (like Maybelline etc) NO LONGER test on animals anywhere in the world. http://www.loreal.com/sustainability/l'or%C3%A9al-answers/the-question-of-animal-testing
Please update this and make sure your research is THOROUGH before posting.
Unfortunately this is incorrect.
The full statement you’re quoting is: L’Oréal no longer tests on animals any of its products or any of its ingredients, anywhere in the world. Nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes.
L’Oreal still tests on animals where required by law, meaning they’re not cruelty-free.
“An exception could be made if regulatory authorities required it for safety or regulatory purposes.” This is right after their bolded statement in the link you provided.
While they seem to be working toward being truly cruelty-free, they still sell in China. And mainland China still requires, at this time, animal testing. :/ So technically, they’re not cruelty-free. Sorry, Cinnamon Bun.
Also, as a note, I’ve worked for manufacturers in the Health & Beauty industry. When a company includes vague statements like quoted above, you can bet your buns that they’re going to take advantage of the legal wiggle room those statements provide. If they didn’t, those statements wouldn’t even be there.
Unfortunately, non-animal in-vivo testing is way more expensive than traditional animal testing, and these cosmetic mega-companies just don’t care about anything except their profit margins. 🙁 The only way it will change is when the consumer demands higher standards regarding their testing procedures. Which is why it comes down to our thorough understanding of current laws, in the US and globally, and our choices regarding what we will tolerate when it comes to animal torture.
It would be awesome if you labeled those which are sold in China with an asterisk or something as to why they are not cruelty-free. I’m only a transitioning vegan and while many here would still hate me for it, I’d still like to know which are “better” in that it’s China’s fault, not the company as a whole. (Yes I understand the company should still back out of China if they truly care, but it would just also be nice to know in general their stance.)
It’s most definitely the companies’ ‘fault’, though. They all know the ethical cost of doing business in China, and choose to do it anyway because $$$. They can be considered no less cruelty-free than any other testing company – just less honest.
Where is this information coming from?
The companies’ own websites, mostly. CFK communicates directly with many companies too.
Moroccan oil was listed as cruelty free but crossed out and is not currently listed as animal testing. Can anyone clarify?
They started selling in China but there’s no longer evidence of this online.
I’ve found Moroccan oil crossed out on the cruelty free list but not on this one. Can anyone clarify?
Forever living Do not test on animals
Paul Mitchell does not test on animals. He also has a pet line of products.
So… just slather coconut oil onto everything?
I think every brand I use is in this list.
Thank you Marta for your kind words! Fortunately I’m used to those types of comments now. 🙂
I find that a lot of people really want to trust that their favorite brands are cruelty-free, and don’t want to hear otherwise. It’s a shame the fake cruelty-free policies are winning sometimes.
http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/19/technology/unilever-buying-seventh-generation/ That’s so sad…..
Thankyou so much for this!!!
Does proactive test on animals?
This is a very misleading post. I can not stand up for all of these companies… but I can stand up for the one I work for. Mary Kay – USA does not test on animals. Most of our plants in other countries do not test on animals either. However, our plants in China do – because it is REQUIRED there by their laws… not because we choose to. In fact I am most certain that quite a few of these companies listed here are for that very same reason.
its no excuse. they choose money and suffering of animals over sound moral stance and simply the humane choice
And the humane choice is to not to try and change the rules and regulations for product testing in China? It’s no excuse to try and to right someone’s wrong doing? A country that requires many companies’ products if not all of their own products to be tested on animals? How does testing in one single country change their moral stance? So cruel they must be to want to make an actual effort in the world.
This argument really baffles me – it’s not like these companies have been forced at gunpoint to sell in China? They do so because $$$, plain and simple. Profits before ethics. There are plenty of ethical brands that won’t touch China with a barge pole until its laws change, big profits be damned. THOSE are the brands I choose to support.
This, 100%.
UNILEVER is set to buy Seventh Generation …… although UNILEVER is not listed here. Some of their products are. Such as SUAVE, SUNLIGHT, etc,. So once Seventh Generation is bought buy UNILEVER …… I will not buy Seventh Generation anymore.
It is so frustrating to see some of the (actually almost ALL) of the top notch and my favorite brands such as YSL and Dior to be not cruelty-free.there are so many make up products that I love from these brands and now im discouraged because idk what to do if i have to switch out these products because there rlly isnt great dupes for it:((
can you update it, cause in peta’s website they said pantene is cruelty free http://www.peta.org/living/humane-home/buy/