As you know, I’m passionate about nails. I’m also passionate about preventing cruelty to animals. Animal testing for cosmetics is painful and unnecessary. Besides having to live their lives in a cage at a lab, animals are subject to cruel tests (cosmetics in the eyes, having their skin peeled with chemicals or dermabrasion, and a sickening variety of other tests). Google it if you don’t believe me- there are lots of videos, photos and firsthand accounts.
In this day and age, we don’t need to test cosmetics on animals. I love to be fabulous, but not if an animal has to pay the price. With so many cruelty-free choices, you don’t need to support companies that still test cosmetics on animals. Spend your money elswehere!
My source for which companies test on animals and which don’t is www.caringconsumer.com , associated with the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Now, I think that certain philosophies of the People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals are sometimes wacky and I don’t always agree with them, but, if PETA states a company does not test on animals, I trust them. They have a list, updated regularly, of companies that do and don’t test. In order to make it onto the “Does Not Test” list, the company has to sign a statement saying they do not test on animal and submit it to PETA.
Thanks to increasing consumer awareness, the pressure is on for companies to halt animal testing. If you choose to boycott these companies, let them know why (politely, of course!)
I’m just going to list major brands/products here. For the complete lowdown on cruelty-free nail companies, including a lot of brands I’ve never heard of, check this out.
They also discuss household products, personal care products, and lots of other things, so check out the full list! I’ve updated this list to show some of the most popular nail polish and Health and Beauty product companies. This is by no means a complete list, but is meant to cover many of the usual consumer brands found worldwide.
Companies that DO Test on Animals:
- Aussie
- Aveeno (Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Listerine, Lubriderm, Neutrogena, Rembrandt, ROC, tests cosmetic products in addition to their medical products)
- Avon. Avon was the first major cosmetics company to end animal testing on both on its finished product and ingredients in 1989, but appears to have re-started to expand into the China market.
- Bic
- Borghese
- Clairol
- Clean and Clear
- Clinique– owned by Estee Lauder, who has resumed testing in 2012.
- Coppertone
- Cover Girl (Proctor and Gamble)
- Dial
- Dolce & Gabana
- Dove
- Essie- used to be cruelty free as an independent brand but was acquired by L’Oreal, which is not cruelty free.
- Estee Lauder- unfortunately resumed animal testing in 2012 after a two decade moratorium. Boo! This affects Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Bumble + Bumble, La Mer, Prescriptives, Origins, Clinique, MAC and several other subsidiary companies.
- Garnier
- Gilette
- Hawaiian Tropic
- Head and Shoulders
- Johnson and Johnson
- Jovan
- JOOP
- Kiehl’s
- Lancome
- L’Oreal (Kérastase, Matrix, Mizani, Redken, L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York, SoftSheen-Carson, Biotherm, The Body Shop, Cacharel, Diesel Perfumes, Giorgio Armani Parfums, Guy Laroche, Helena Rubinstein, Paloma Picasso, Ralph Lauren, Shu Uemura, Victor et Rolf parfum, Dermablend, La Roche-Posay, SkinCeuticals, Vichy Laboratoires.) L’Oreal says they don’t “generally” test but will not sign a statement confirming it, so for safety’s sake, they go on the Bad Guy list).
- Mary Kay. Resumed in 2012 in order to comply with Chinese regulations to sell in China. What a joke.
- Maybelline
- Marc Jacobs (perfumes and cosmetics)
- Max Factor
- Neutrogena
- NYC
- Philopsophy
- Proctor and Gamble (Always, Aussie, Cover Girl, Clairol, Crest, Downey, Eukanuba, Febreze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Iams, Infusium 23, Ivory, Joy, Max Factor, Mr. Clean, Olay, Pampers, Pantene, Physique, Puffs, Scope, Secret, Swiffer, Tampax, Tide, Zest, Old Spice)
- Rimmel
- Unilever (Axe, Dove, Lux, Ponds, Suave, Sunsilk, Vaseline, Caress, Degree, Lever 2000.)
Cruelty-Free Companies- Spend your $$$ Here
As mentioned above, these companies do not test on animals and have either sent me an email confiming it or signed a statement.
AlmayOwned by Revlon, back on the testing wagon again, apparently.- American International Industries (China Glaze, Seche, 5 Second Nail Glue, ESN European Secret Nails)
- Bath and Body Works
Bobbi Brown.Parent company is Estee Lauder, who used to be cruelty-free but recently resumed animal testing in order to sell products in China. Considering the crap China puts in their food/cosmetics and their dismal safety records, China’s requiring testing on Western cosmetic products in use for decades in the US/EU is beyond ridiculous.- Bonnie Bell
- Color Club- not only cruelty free but vegan too!
- DuWop Cosmetics
- e.l.f.
- Garden Botanika
- GOSH Cosmetics (vegan too)
- Hard Candy
- Jane Cosmetics
- Julep
- LA Girl
- Kiss Products (nail glues, etc.)
- Kleancolor. http://www.kleancolor.com/nav/faq.html
- Milani
- Nubar- Not only formaldehyde, DBP and tolulene free, but vegan and with an awesome formula
- NYX- New York Cosmetics
- OCC Cosmetics (vegan too)
- Orly
Revlon(surprise, they used to be one of the Bad Guys. Back on the testing wagon again?)Sally HansenStatus unclear. They have been sold and reacquired in the last couple years but now looks like their parent company is a tester.- Spa Ritual- vegan too!
- Wet N Wild. http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/wet-n-wild.aspx
- Zoya
Urban Decay– Sold to L’Oreal in the last quarter of 2012. L’Oreal tests on animals. Major hypocrisy here- they built their brand on being cruelty free, then agreed to animal testing as a regulatory requirement to sell on the Chine$e market. Then they justified this 180 degree turnaround by saying “now we can raise awareness about animal rights issues with the Chinese.” Um, by engaging in cosmetics animal testing? Then they waffled back after public outcry. Then…sold their brand to a non-cruelty free company.
Companies do change, brands are acquired by different companies, and statuses do change. I realize it’s confusing enough to feel like giving up on selecting cruelty-free products, but if we all do the best we can, it’s a giant step in the right direction. I was personally very disappointed when OPI and Essie sold their brands to companies that do test on animals.
My personal philosophy: If a parent company tests on animals, I’m not buying their subsidiary brand (ie OPI/Coty) because I don’t want any of my money to go to the parent company. I don’t care if OPI itself remains cruelty-free, I’m not buying it. There are so many other choices out there, I don’t feel I have to compromise!
NeverTooMuchGlitter Nail Wonderland 
Nice to see there’s more companies on the good list than the bad list! I’m shocked Neutrogena test on animals! For some reason (probably all their ads about how clean and pure their stuff is) I thought they didn’t do that sort of thing. I’m not going to be buying their facial cleanser anymore now…
Thanks Nixxy! Awesome! I’m glad to hear that, and I hope Neutrogena and their parent company will stop animal testing soon.
Thank you so much for posting this – it’s nice to know which companies are against animal testing. I don’t understand why some companies refuse to stop using animals – obviously (by the length of the good guys list) it’s possible to get by without resorting to cruelty.
Thank you for publishing this, it’s really good to know! I’m glad there’s more companies on the non-animaltesting list.
Kerastase is part of L’Oreal too. Does that mean they animal test? Dammit Kerastase!!
Shannon- No problem. I hope this helps out!
Alexlyndra- Thanks- I hope you can get lots of non-animal tested brands in Europe.
Amber- Not sure, not all brands will test, but their parent company does. Some people can live with this, some want to boycott the brand entirely.
Also: Please see the updated list, the original list was just for nail polishes. Unfortunately there are still a lot of health and beauty products companies that do test.
Thanks for posting this information, I’m sad to find out that I own several nail polishes made by the bad companies already 😦
I’ll have to pay more attention to more than colors when I go shopping from now on!
Kae- I probably got a couple too, but I won’t buy those in the future. I sometimes get Maybelliene from the dollar store- once it’s gone to the liquidator, the company no longer gets any money from the sale. But I still prefer to steer clear.
If we just do a little better step by step, that’s the most important thing!
Thank you for the list! I’m so happy that most of my nail polish and other cosmetics are on the good guys’ list, but I will share this info with my friends and family.
Thank you Pam! There is an amazingly complete list at http://www.caringconsumer.com which has tons more stuff as well. Thanks for spreading the word!
The EU recently banned cosmetics tested on animals. Hopefully the rest of the world will follow.
JInnzor- I heard that good news and I hope the rest of the world will folow!
i believe it says right on the AUSSIE product: WE DO NOT TEST ON ANIMALS. ???
Hi Sophia,
Thanks for your comment! The parent company of Aussie is Procter and Gamble, a company that is engaged extensively in animal testing. Some people feel OK if the product itself is not tested, but for me personally, I choose not to support any companies that test. With all the alternatives and 100% cruelty free products, there are a lot of good options.
also, i believe neutrogena does NOT test, but the parent company does (J&J).
You are correct about that- J&J is the parent company and does test. Of course, they are required by law to test certain medical products, but they also test shampoo, body care products, etc.
Lovely post.
… the ‘required by law’ thing is bunk shit. There are many companies now that don’t test any of their products or ingredients on animals, plus there has already been such extensive testing done on most chemicals that there is no need to keep performing tests. Another element to consider is that animal tests are being needlessly repeated by competing super-companies who do not share research. Plus, testing on cultivated human cells is more accurate.
PS
It was Global Boycott Prcoter & Gamble Day last week. See http://www.pandgkills.com for info.
dawnofanewera.wordpress.com to see some photos from the demo in Vancouver.
Hey. Sally Hansen is a part of Del Labs and Del Labs does indeed test on animals.
http://www.imeem.com/groups/TGtB85yE/forums/vJbH8FTO/GdPOhi2p/companies-that-test-on-animals/
Thanks Amy. I’ll look into it and see. PETA said they were not testing, but let me check it again.
SH states they test cosmetics only on human subjects http://www.sallyhansen.com/contact_us_faqs.cfm?division=7
Del Labs was acquired by Coty last year. Coty representatives have said they don’t test on animals in writing, but it could be questionable. I’ll be doing an update soon about polishes, so I’ll mention that we’re not 100% sure about SH. The problem is that now cosmetic companies divide all the sections in their corporate group and some test and some don’t. I don’t want to support any testing companies at all. I know the conflicting information confuses people, but I’ll make sure to highlight companies that I know don’t test, such as OPI, Essie, etc.
This is from the Sally Hansen website:
“Does Sally Hansen test on animals?
No, we do not test our finished products or ingredients on animals, nor do we commission any third party to do so. Coty Inc. Statement on Animal Testing: Coty Inc. is a leader in the global beauty industry and one of the world’s largest fragrance companies. We have developed a portfolio of notable brands and offer innovative products of outstanding quality for which we are committed to maintaining the highest possible standards of consumer safety.”
So it seems kind of questionable, as though Sally Hansen products are cruelty-free but other Coty products may not be.
Thanks for your comment! Coty is absolutely not cruelty-free, so that’s why SH is on the bad guy list.
I saw Maybelline on the test list but now Maybelline have sent a statement to PETA claiming they do not test on animals it’s all getting a bit confusing to me all different substitories are made by parent companies that are animal testers and the parent companies substitories are claiming not to test on animals. You can spend all your life looking at different websites and they are all going to tell you different things just go by what you think is right all websites are going to say different things and that makes you extremely confused.
Hi Sara.
There have been a lot of positive changes and a lot of companies have stopped testing. Unilever and Proctor & Gamble are always bad news and are responsible for a lot of ongoing cosmetics testing. It may take effort to make sure that your products are cruelty-free, but it’s well worth the effort and time. PETA’s do-not-test list is updated every quarter or 6 months, so just check that.
Great list! Just wondering about Color club, did they confirm by email that they don’t test and if so – did they confirm that they don’t test any ingredients to? TIA!
Check Nubar – I think they are cruelty free too.
They are cruelty free and vegan 🙂
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Rimmel are part of Coty who do test on animals…
Thanks for letting me know!
Surprised about L’oreal when you see Jane Fonda, Andie McDowell, Eva, etc all advertising the use of their products.
Do they know or just don’t care – Pity!! because they set the example. Definitely will not be using their products in future. Thanks.
I hate to tell you but MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, and OPI all test on animals. Bath and Body Works “finished products” aren’t tested on animals but the ingredients are so they are just as cruel as companies that test their finished products on animals. If you want an accurate list check the PETA website.
Hi Susan,
You should take a look at the Caring Consumer (PETA) website again. According to them, OPI, Clinique, MAC, Estee Lauder, etc. do not test. I just checked the list again.
http://search.caringconsumer.com/search_list_icons.aspx?Donottest=-1&Product=Sub_65&Dotest=-1
Bath and Body works includes the language “This finished product not tested on animals” to be compliant with EU law. I have seen this labelling in the UK as well. PETA says they don’t test.
Click to access companiesDontTest.pdf
Susan: But OPI is on PETAs cruelty free list?
I still wonder about Color club, how do you know that they are vegan? (see my question above)
TIA!
Hi Linda,
I believe Susan was mistaken about OPI, etc. as they are on the latest “don’t test” list from PETA. I just checked it myself this morning.
Color Club is cruelty free and vegan- they told me so in an email.
So is Nubar, SpaRitual and at least one other that I can’t recall off the top of my head. There are a lot of choices and I hope there will be even more in the future!
You might find this helpful.
http://www.uncaged.co.uk/animaltesting.htm
This list is also helpful, though they do list companies whose parent conducts testing.
http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/companies.php
I have found with further research that PETA’s list is not all it seems. They’re not trying to deceive anyone, but it doesn’t have the strictest criteria. Admittedly, it’s a mine field, and very difficult to navigate at that. I’ve pretty much stuck with companies that are 100% clear in their advertising – Urban Decay and Nubar are two who come to mind, but their are others obviously.
I think the best thing is to email every company you want to purchase from, and ask very specific questions. Asking if they are cruelty free is too vague, but asking if the company tests final product, commisions testing of product or ingredients, and whether they have 100% clarity from their suppliers about whether they test or commision. The next step is to sift through their answers. 😉 If you get clear and definitive responses, you should be golden. If it’s wishy washy and full of vagueries, steer clear. 😉
I’d definitely be glad to hear of a few more companies that are safe to buy from! 🙂
It’s so awesome that the brands i love, ALL OF THEM, don’t test on animals. Just happens to be that when i look up each brand i have and run into, they don’t test! Thank god i have to have good nail polish and make up. I just happen to love good brands and the good ones i love don’t test. Rock on essie, MAC, OPI, Stila (i heard somewhere they don’t), Clinique, etc. BTW, I’m double checking on sally hansen, i heard sally hansen does test on animals several times! I don’t trust this company at all, you should check it too.
Hi there,
I just watched a video on Peta Asia Pacific called Inside Bioresearch and the investigator very clearly states that in that laboratory Revlon and Avon is tested on animals. She even shows a rabbit that has had Revlon lipstick put into her bottom eyelid. I’ve contacted Peta US but no reply as yet but I will never buy Revlon or Avon again and I don’t trust Petas list to be correct so wont be following that anymore. I had heard that they are easy going when compiling their cruelty free list not like here in Australia very strict, we have an organisation called Choose Cruelty Free and it is hard to get onto their list if you are a company. At least they can be trusted. In the UK they follow strict guidelines also.
So always dig deeper, follow your gut feeling it’s usually right when it comes to these big corporations. It’s all about the bottom dollar, they care about nothing else.
Thanks for the tip, I will do some further research on Revlon and Avon. Keep us posted on what you find out!
In other words, all drug store brands suck and some top of the line ones do too. Almay i’ve always heard doesn’t test…..my sister is a vegetarian and would always buy that one. True or not, i dunno, but that’s what she bought. Does it say Yves saint laurent, cause that one does test on animals for sure.
Hi again
Just wanted to update you on Revlon. Peta US got back to me and said the video that I watched was old pre 1990. She said that Revlon do not test on animals anymore. So I have emailed Peta Asia Pacific asking why they are showing old videos and not telling us when they were made. It’s really wrong if these companies are not testing anymore, we wouldn’t know cause their names are being said very clearly on the video. I’ll let you know what they say when they get back to me. I still do not trust Petas list.
As for Yves St Laurent I believe they do test but they weren’t mentioned on the video.
It’s easier to stick with the companies you know absolutely dont test like Innoxa and here in Australia the brand Australis and Face of Australia.
Thanks for the update. I know Revlon used to test and has said they’ve stopped. As far as AVON, I thought they never did test! But I’ve written an inquiry to them about it. PETA’s list is generally a good guide for starters but I encourage people to do research for themselves. But for people just becoming aware of the horrors of testing, it’s a handy place to begin.
Thank you for this list.
I love Revlon and Essie products and I am very happy and
impressed that they Do Not engage in animal testing.
I am a member of PETA and am also glad when these companies
commit themselves by signing PETA”S Cruelty Free commitment
document.
PETA also has a booklet …Caring Consumer Guide… that lists companies
that Do animal testing and those that Do Not animal test.
This list can be viewed online or you can send for the booklet
(Cruelty-Free Shopping Guide.)
This booklet is..50/$5.00; which is the suggested donation.
I, myself bought 100 and passed them out to family, friends, co-workers and used them for activist work and have left them in animal friendly
businesses.
They are a handy little pocket size booklet to carry with you when you
shop.
Marie-Ann
The Essie brand has recently sold out to L’oreal…uhhggg!
>.<
^
Thanks for letting me know! I’ve added it to my latest blog post. I guess that means I’ve bought my last Essie. Boo!!!
Now that the weather is heating up I’ve been on the lookout for effective, reasonably priced and cruelty free sunscreen. I was surprised to see Hawaiian Tropic on the “bad” list — the bottles I looked at said they DID NOT test on animals. Anyone heard anything about this?
Any suggestions for other good brands? thanks!
Hi Maya! Thanks for stopping by and for your concern over animals. Hawaiian Tropic doesn’t test on animals, but their parent company, Playtex, does test.
Here’s a brief list from PETA about some cruelty-free sunscreen products.
http://www.caringconsumer.com/cosmetics_summer.asp
I don’t always agree with PETA by any means, but their list is a good starting point. If you have a Whole Foods or other health food store nearby, I recommend the Kiss My Face line- I like their products a lot and they aren’t outrageously expensive.
For the absolute lowdown on completely cruelty free companies, go to the Leaping Bunny site. They research parent companies, ingredients, the whole nine. Peta’s list is not all its cracked up to be.
Hi, Thank you for this article. I try to use cruelty free products too, but unfortunatle we dont have all that offer here. No almay, no china glaze, etc etc. But anyway, AVON tests on animals. They say they test when required by law, and thats bullshit to me.
No one here has mentioned The Body Shop. They are 100% cruelty free, and have even started to venture into an organic line for face care. Great company! I buy most of my products here. Also St. Ives doesn’t test on animals at all either, and their products (body wash, lotion) are very reasonably priced!
Thanks for pointing that out! The reason I didn’t mention the Body Shoppe is because they were acquired by L’Oreal, which is a major animal tester. St. Ives is a good addition to the list- thanks!
There is NO LAW that requires animal testing for cosmetics or household items prior to sale. Although, it’s a rough cycle: Consumers sue companies for whatever may be wrong with the product, so the company tramples ethical values and tests on animals to prevent lawsuits.
Hi Just FYI unfortunately Sally Hansen does test on animals….they say they don’t but Del labs which is their lab does test on animals.
P.S. The reason some labels read not tested on animals is because the final product was not tested on animals, however they do not refer to the individual ingredients in the product which were tested on the animals, it is just a clever way of tricking the public…sucks doesn’t it.
Thanks Dianita! I will be on the lookout for that.
http://www.astrostar.com/DO-Test.htm
http://www.gan.ca/lifestyle/animal+testing/choose+cruelty-free+products/index.en.html
the following 2 sites have all the companies that do test on animals aveeno isnt one of them sadly coty has just bought opi word has yet to come if opi products will begin to be tested on animals
Thanks a billion for posting this! I stumbled upon your website since I’m also a glitter fanatic, but this post proved to me your website is worth much more than just fulfilling my glitter fix. Keep up the great work – nobody else posts this information on their blogs!
Thanks Amanda! I’m so glad you stopped by! I’ve just updated the list to reflect the latest information I have. Animal welfare is very, very important to me and we can be fabulous AND cruelty free at the same time! Keep telling everyone that you’re cruelty-free and encourage them to do the same.
Sadly, in 2010, OPI and Essie, two major independent brands that didn’t test on animals were acquired by companies that do test. Bummer. We should be moving AWAY from cruelty. Both of them have no place in my world anymore!
I am sorry to inform you but Estee Lauder, MAC are owned by parent company that test on animals and Revlon Inc.(Almay) parent company Still test on animals. They say on there products we do not test on animals unless required by law. That means they will have to test on animals if the government wants it.
Thanks for your comment.
Estee Lauder has this to say:
“ANIMAL TESTING POLICY
Estée Lauder is committed to the elimination of animal testing. We are equally committed to consumer health and safety, and bringing to market products that comply with applicable regulations in every country in which our products are sold.
We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. We evaluate our finished products in clinical tests on volunteer panels.
Estée Lauder fully supports the development and global acceptance of non-animal testing alternatives. To this end, the Company works extensively with the industry at large and the global scientific community to research and fund these alternatives.”
Almay says this:
“13. does ALMAY test their products on animals?
No. ALMAY relies on the judgment of pharmacological, toxicological and medical experts. We use non-animal alternative test methods as well as the safety histories of formulations and ingredients to determine product safety.”
While the Estee Lauder one seems a bit dodgy, the Almay seems quite clear.
I use PeTA’s Caring Consumer list as well as a couple others from the EU to determine what’s cruelty-free. If a company is listed on the site and I know it to be false, of course I will not list it. But I find these lists help people to make good choices about cruelty-free products in a simple and clear way. If I parse the details and legalese with most people, their eyes glaze over and they just grab whatever off the shelf. At least armed with these lists, it’s a starting point.
Don’t forget to add Zoya to the list. They are Vegan and do not test on animals.
Urban Decay also doesn’t.
Thanks for that- I totally forgot about poor Zoya and UD!
I didn’t read all the comments to see if anyone else had posted this, but it looks like even though OPI was bought out by an animal testing parent company, they will personally continue non-animal testing policies.
This blogger wrote to PETA, who wrote back on the matter:
Thanks and hope this is helpful!!
I think it’s worth noting that while a lot of parent companies test, some of the smaller companies under them still maintain their no-testing policy (ie St Ives). I personally feel that it’s important to support the subdivisions of a company that are still remaining cruelty-free, but I also understand why someone may not want to indirectly support a parent company who engages in testing.
Thanks for your comments and input! With all the true cruelty-free alternatives out there, I don’t feel the need to put my money in the pockets of companies that test on animals. Ultimately, it’s all going towards a company that doesn’t respect the same things I do.
Thanks for your input and the information. My stance is this: OPI allowed themselves to be bought out by a company that tests on animals. They knew this when they sold their brand. That’s the bottom line here and why I’m through with them, and many of my readers are too. Same thing with Essie and Sally Hansen when they flip-flopped on animal testing. Those brands just don’t belong on my blog, on my nails, or in my work anymore. Period end.
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Thank you for this entry! I too am concerned about animal testing, and do what I can to avoid giving money to companies that do test. I’m currently writing an entry in my own blog about my favourite polishes (GOSH Cosmetics nail polishes – GOSH is company that is cruelty-free and not on your list, please add :), and use Seche Vite, which is my favourite top coat. Thanks for confirming whether they test or not ( I believe I read that in another entry you made, but since this is related I decided to post here).
I also did not know this about OPI. It seems to be the thing to do these days. I knew it about Essie, and while I love their colour selection, I am not a huge fan of the nail polish formula / consistency.
And if animal testing was required by law, what about the ton of companies that have never conducted animal testing and remain successfully in business? That is just a sad cop-out in my opinion.
I’ll be following this blog 🙂
You are very welcome! Animal welfare is VERY important to me and any friend of animals is a friend of mine too. Let me just confirm the GOSH info before I add it to my list.
OPI sold out to Cody and Essie sold out to L’Oreal- both large companies who test, and that’s a huge bummer. I was hoping to see things going in the OTHER direction- from testing to stopping it. And the “animal testing required by law” is bunk.
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I agree. Animal testing is becoming exposed as being totally unnecessary and cruel these days. It still surprises me though, the number of people who purchase whatever product in the drugstore without even questioning where it comes from. Some of my favourite beauty gurus on YouTube do it, and it saddens me.
Here is the PETA link to Gosh’s profile on their site.
http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/2787.aspx?SearchUrl=%2Fliving%2Fbeauty-and-personal-care%2Fcompanies%2Fsearch.aspx%3FTesting%3D0%26Range%3D3%26PageIndex%3D2
🙂 They aren’t on Leaping Bunny, but it is my understanding that Leaping Bunny is newer?
Hey, I am not sure, but Hawaiian Tropic claims to not test on animals (well, at least that is what I found on the bottle), where did you find the information that they test on animals?
Now, I also have a question concerning Revlon and Almay – why do so many people think that they’re lying about their non-testing policy? I did some research and, as far as I know, Revlon is currently a completely independent company (and Almay is one of their branches, right?). They didn’t use to be, but now they are. They also are on the Peta list – why would there be any doubt about their truthfulness?
Companies will say that they do not test but they use ingredients that HAVE been tested, possibly by other entities.
Yes, you’re right, many ingredients used in cosmetics probably have been tested at one time or another. And I know it’s very difficult to navigate the maze of information out there, and there’s a lot of shady practices and misinformation out there. But I’m doing my best to get the word out and ensure my stash is as cruelty-free as possible and to help others in that area.
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I’ve been doing research and it appears that even though OPI and Essie have been sold to testing companies, they remain cruelty-free 🙂
Yes, I’ve heard the same thing but since their parent companies tests, I’m not interested in supporting them at all. Since there’s some great alternatives out there (Spa Ritual, Color Club, etc.) I’m just going to stick with them.
Estee Lauder is NOT a cruelty-free company. A GREAT resource
for reliable info about who tests on animals and who does not, is
PeTA (People for the ethical treatment of animals.) I hope you’ll
make this correction on your cruelty-free list on your website.
Thank you – and the animals thank you, too!
Thanks for the information, I will look into it. As I mentioned in the post, I did get my testing/no-testing list from PeTA, and according to their information at that time, Estee Lauder WAS cruelty-free. I’ll check into it and update the list as needed.
urban decay is not all vegan, but they do have a some vegan products.
I sent an inquiry to UD about their nail polish and they did tell me their nail polish lines were 100% vegan. I’ll clarify that in the post.
You’re a wonderful person for spreading the word and helping keep this list up-to-date and as confusion-free as possible! Thanks!
I’m curious about a couple companies that I’ve seen mentioned “here & there” as being cruelty-free & hoping you could find out for sure & post about it here so others will know. The two companies are – Scherer (Petites, Petites Color Fever and CQ polishes sold exclusively at Rite Aid) and L.A. Colors. I already checked the websites for both companies, which don’t specify whether or not they are cruelty-free. They are both relatively cheaper brands, but the CQ, Scherer Chameleon, and Petites Color Fever colors have been gaining in popularity lately after colors like CQ Slate (dupe to Nicole by OPI Khloe Had A Little Lam Lam / MAC Deep Sea), Color Petites Daze, Chameleon Blue Sky, etc… have been featured on nail blogs this past year. L.A. Colors just came out with some amazing glitters for 2012, but I don’t want to support them if they’re not cruelty-free.
I really appreciate your help, and hope you can find the answers without any trouble. Happy New Year fellow friend of the animals! =)
Hi there! Thanks so much for your comments and concern about animals! As far as making enquiries, the best way is to look for a “contact us” link on the webpage of the company in question, that’s what I generally go.
LA Colors does have the PeTA cruelty free rabbit logo, but you can contact them directly here:
http://lacolors.com/contact.php
Scherer is here: http://www.cqcosmetics.com/contact/
I can make inquiries, but right now I’m in the middle of planning an international move, so it may be a bit delayed. Give it a try and see if they answer your enquiries!
Thanks for you help! Also, the LA. Girls brand is cruelty-free, They have the bunny logo on their website too…
Have a safe, smooth move! 😉
Oh yes, and Piggy Paint, Peacekeeper, and No Miss! appear to be cruelty-free brands as well. No Miss & Peacekeeper I’ve seen sold at Whole Foods. I can vouch for the awesomeness of No Miss. Depending on the selection, you might be surprised with some amazing shades!
NYC (New York Color) is owned by Coty which tests on animals so i’m surprised that it’s on the non-tested list.
That was a mistake, NYX Cosmetics are cruelty-free. NYC is indeed owned by Coty, so it’s on the tested list. I have updated the list.
Sally Hansen DOES test on animals. I’ve heard many products of L’Oreal DO NOT test on animals but not all [unclear]
It’s so unfortunate how many of these products are needed but does not have a non-animal-tested product!
Thanks for your comment. Yes, that information is reflected in the list. L’Oreal as a parent company does support animal testing, even if some of their in-house brands do not, so I stay away from them entirely.
Just out of curiosity, what sort of product are you having a hard time finding in a cruelty-free version?
Thanks!
You should move the crossed out ones to the “do test” list. It would make it easier to understand at first glance.
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If you also boycott brands where the parent company tests on animals, estee lauders parent company tests, and they also own clinique and MAC.
I had actually emailed PETA about this, they will support the subsidiary companies that do not test, and that annoys me, because eventually, the money you are trying to spend on companies with a conscience, will end up back with the bad guys.
Also, have L’Oreal changed? they are still listed by PETA as a company who do test on animals?
It looks like Estee Lauder has done an about-face on their animal testing policy so I will reflect the list to show this. L’Oreal is on my bad guy list as well. I’ll update with the latest news- thanks for pointing that out.
Thanks for this post… exactly what I was looking for.
i know this is an old post, but please update this…urban decay has just agreed to animal testing in china, and this is going to be an issues that people will be reading more about online, so i fear someone stumbling across this and thinking everyone on this list is cruelty free! this needs to be updated!
Hi there, thanks for letting us know. I will need some written evidence since that’s what I base the list on. Please provide the link, etc that states this and I’ll update the list accordingly.
I was sad to hear about Urban Decay 😦
http://www.urbandecay.com/Urban-Decay-China/Urban-Decay-in-China,default,pg.html
http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-press-statement-animal-testing-and-china
Me too, we’ll have to see how all that unfolds but it’s not looking good.
& have you heard anything about Jordana Cosmetics? I couldnt find anything online that was for sure, and the few people I asked online said they didnt think they tested on animals but couldnt provide written evidence..Thanks!
Let me check into it and see what I find.
Thank you soooo much for this! Thank you for your time and help to end animal testing.
My pleasure, it’s an issue that is very close to my heart. Keep spreading the word!
Philippines companies are still doing animal testing, there is no law, they still do kill cock fighting. And US companies are blind testing in countries that allow it. Check on a company called ( appropriately) shady cosmetique laboratory
I hate those evil scients that test on animals there is NO need to test on animals its just worong it cherred me up where I saw products which was not tested on animals but I was shocked to see loreal on the be list and other products which I use a but some which on the good list I use anyway like gosh make up thank u for putting. Those lists up coz now I can see which ones to buy and which ones not to buy and TRY TO STOP ANIMAL CRUETY ONCE AND FOR ALL :).
Writen by annabelle thomas age 12
I have been trying so hard to rekindle my habit of abstaining from purchasing from any animal testing companies. It is even more difficult now that most of my favorites have switched back to testing 😦 I wanted to tell you about a new line I just did a product review on. They are from Germany and just expanded into the US. You can find them at ULTA. They are called Essence, and do not test on animals. 🙂 You can find my review here. http://www.beautiful-incentives.com/2012/08/essence-makeup-review-german-based.html I also did my own post on cruelty free makeup with the link to the PETA pdf for a complete and looooong list of the non animal testing companies, as well as the ones that do test. HTH! And awesome article.
Thanks for the info! I’m in Singapore and have not seen that line, but I’ll keep my eyes out for it when I go back to the US on holiday. It is hard to find cruelty-free products, but it’s really worth it!
Thanks for this! I’ve recently become cruelty free and this helped a lot! 🙂
That’s great to hear! It can be a bit confusing and frustrating at times, but it makes a huge difference! Thanks for considering compassion to animals in your daily life. ❤
Hey thanks for this 🙂 I was just wondering if you could add Marks and Spencer and Superdrug own- brand products to the list that DON’T test on animals (for people who live in the UK please?)Marks and Spencers is excellent, its perfumes, nail varnishes, makeup and even suntan lotion all have the leaping bunny logo…
Great, let me just confirm it and I’ll be delighted to add them onto the Good Guy list. 🙂
thankyou 😀
Hi, I haven’t had time to read through all the replies here, but in case no one else has mentioned it (and apologies if they have!)…
Revlon IS apparently now on the “bad list” again 😦
Let me check into it and I’ll update as necessary. Do you have any info about it or a link?
Revlon is on the bad list in peta. unfortunatelly
Then that just changed recently, since they used to be on the Do Not Test list. I’ll check it out and update.
And what about Chanel? i think they say they dont test, but what is the real truth?
Hey, loving your blog great ideas and tips from someone who cares about others, brilliant!!
But i have to say that I work for The Body Shop and they are 100% curelity free no animal testing no use of beetle shells etc. Thats one of the reasons I love them they do lots of wprk for animal charities and liads of others like Children on the edge.
Their products have lits of Natural ingrediants too.
Keep up the great work on your blog 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment! The reason I have left off the Body Shop is because they are currently owned by L’Oreal, who does test on animals. Has there been any change in the ownership? I really hope so because I used to shop there all the time and love the products but stopped after they were acquired by L’Oreal. I do understand the Body Shop itself is cruelty-free though, and I will make a note on the list.
after reading the last few comments i would like to know if revlon is still on the good list? also you have the name “new york cosmetics” next to NXY i did a search for it and came up with nothing, is that the company that owns them? or maybe just a mistake
Yes, I did confirm that they’re testing now, unfortunately. Check out PeTA’s Caring Consumer list for all the details. In fact, it’s a good idea to check it out regularly just to have the latest information.
NYC and NYX (not NXY, that’s probably why you didn’t find any info) are two seperate companies with two different owners. NYC Cosmetics is owned by Coty, who does test, and NYX is cruelty free. http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/t-faq.aspx
Thanks for caring about animals! 🙂
Hello 🙂
Just thought i’d let you know, i actually emailed L’Oreal asking if they tested on animals, and they have not tested on animals since 1989, and this included everything in their portfolio. They were also recognised as a “High street hero” by the RSPCa, and it’s mentioned in google aswell. I have kept in mind, however, that i’m in Australia, and the RSPCA applies to Australia and the UK, so i’m uncertain if the cruelty-free information applies to L’Oreal USA.
By “Borghese” do you mean “Bourjois”? I haven’t heard of Borghese, but not to worry 🙂
I find it’s best to email the company for the best answers, as some of google’s info isn’t accurate, and i look at PETA’s web page, but as i’m in Australia, many of the brands listed aren’t availabe where i live.
I’ve been a vegetarian for 3 years, and an animal lover all my life, so i’m very meticulous about wearing and using cruelty free make up and skincare, as well as not wearing leather, fur or feathers, nor anything which an animal suffered to give.
Thanks for being another animal lover, have a lovely day 🙂
Thanks so much for the info- L’Oreal USA is distinct from other L’Oreal companies though. They do test and engage in animal testing for their Asian markets. Borghese and Bourjois are not related. It’s good to email companies asking their animal testing policies, but bear in mind NO company is going to admit directly to it. It’s bad for business. They have others test on their behalf or often have a subsidiary do it. That’s why we need outside groups to look into what’s happening.
No problemo, i’m happy to contribute 🙂 Yes, i know what you mean, but usually they’re legally obliged to tell us, but yes, like you said, we need outside groups to look into it. I emailed Revlon yesterday and they said they haven’t tested since ’89 and they’d be interested in where PETA got their info from.
It’s easier to buy cruelty free in Australia, as animal testing and cruelty are both illegal, however we do get imported products that could be tested on animals, so i always check with the seller first. As for not admitting to animal testing, i find whoever doesn’t want to get into trouble just ignores emails from animal rights activists, but you’re right that some will lie through their teeth, emailing is still worth a try though, as a lot of what we hear on google is just gossip, but if there’s proof like awards from PETA or the RSPCA, at least you can rest assure know that it’s true.
If you’re into online shopping, i suggest you try Aussie companies, ’cause at least you know there’s no animal testing.
By the way, some more companies who are cruelty free and vegan include: Manic Panic, Stargazer, Medusa’s Make up, Illamasqua and Lime Crime to list a few. They all cater to Goth, Punk and Theatre make up which is why i love them 🙂
Best wishes 🙂
Thank you for posting this and taking a stand! Revlon unfortunately uses 3rd party testing 😦
Thanks, Caddie. I hear back and forth about Revlon. Your statement is enough for me to stay away from Revlon.
hi. i sometime wonder if they do not test on animals then why no leaping bunny sign.
As I understand ithe companies have to pay money to use the logo once they have been qualified by PeTA, and many smaller brands don’t have the resources to do so. Also, some smaller/international companies don’t apply to have their products evaluated by PeTA due to the cost.
thanks ..i have bben searching for non animal tested nailpolish in singapore.happen to see nyx once but dont find it anywhere now. wud u know of any?
I get China Glaze and Orly for around $9SGD from those sale kiosks that set up in the malls- try Tanjong Pagar MRT, there is a booth setup there all the time.
The Body Shop does not test on animals.. They even say that on their website. They are against it and never have tested their products on animals.
Yes, but they sold their company to L’Oreal a few years ago and L’Oreal DOES test on animals. Of course that goes against their brand image, so it’s their dirty little secret they don’t like to mention. Too bad, because I used to like their stuff before they sold out!
Urban Decay is now owned by L’Oreal, very sad 😦
Yeah, that’s true. I’m not sure if the deal officially went through just yet since it was announced last quarter of 2012 but I’ll update my list to reflect that. Boo!
This was so so helpful! Thank you very much! I will write a small post on my blog with a link to this article 🙂
From my understanding there are a few products u have listed as “cruelty free” , an ok to buy. Idk if many ppl know this but ALOT of company’s that say finished products not tested on animals. This means the bulk of the product was tested on animals but once packaged in bottles (finished product) was not tested on animals. Last I know bath and body did not test there finished product on animals but indeed test there bulk (before bottled) on animals. Just some FYI in case no one knew this.
The “finished product not tested on animals” is legally required for cosmetics products sold in certain locations, like the UK. http://www.peta.org/about/faq/Ive-seen-a-few-products-with-labels-that-say-This-finished-product-not-tested-on-animals-Does-that-mean-that-the-individual-ingredients-have-been-tested-on-animals.aspx Bath and Body works state that they do not test on animals, nor hire others to do so on their behalf. http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/helpdesk/index.jsp?display=corp&subdisplay=faq&isStoremanDriven=yes#5
Wonderful article! “Barry M” should perhaps be on the list too? Cheap, cruelty-free, products are veggie or vegan, and they have a wonderful selection of nail colours.
http://www.barrym.com/
Excellent article, thank you. Julep should also be on the list of Non Testing companies. 🙂
Thanks, I’ll check out the brand since I’ve never tried it before. Does Julep have any statement about their stance on testing? If you can provide a link re animal testing policies, that’s really helpful. If not I will contact them directly. Thanks for the tip!
It’s really sad to say but Revlon (Almay) do test on animals. They didn’t use to, what is ridiculous.
I was unsure too until I checked PETA’s newest list. And there it is.
Boo! That stinks! I have updated the post to reflect that.
I really love animals and I hate animal testing but in my area non-tested items usually are cheapo or don’t work well and are very rare. My skin is very picky and the only 2 poducts it accepts are Neutrogena and Dove. I hate that they use these products to hurt animals but until I move to the bigger cities I’m not sure what to do. My skin is very very picky as I said.
Hmm, the products you can use will really depend on your why your skin is acting up. Until you know what ingredients to avoid or what causes flareups, it’s hard to choose products well. While I have skin that’s pretty tolerant of anything, I have similar problems with getting cruelty-free products here in Asia. I don’t usually recommend companies, but I’ve had good luck with an online shop called VitaCost. They have lots of cruelty-free bath and beauty products and offer free/discounted shipping deals frequently. http://www.vitacost.com/
And thanks for being a friend to animals! In some cases, there is little choice of cruelty-free (ie with medication), so we just have to do the best we can.
This is a great resource – thanks for keeping it updated
Great article! But what about cosnova in the cruelty free list 🙂
Give me links and info please! I’ve never heard of this brand, so I’d like to know more!
Thank you! This is a great list. Unfortunately I used to like and use Essie polishes but then I searched it up and was disappointed with what I saw. I may just give my nail polish away to a friend who likes the color, what do you suggest?
It’s too bad that Essie was bought by L’Oreal- I used to enjoy their polishes too. 😦
If you’ve bought it already and there’s no chance to return it, I would say you could give it away to a friend, or perhaps save it for a nail polish trade in? I know Zoya does that sometimes (send them bottles of nail polish and they will trade it in for a bottle of Zoya, which is cruelty-free). Thanks for being kind to animals! ❤
Thanks, unfortunately when I searched that up the trade in promotion ended in 2011. Next time I’ll purchase zoya though!
I know they definitely do it every April for Earth Day, though- kind of a while to wait but maybe a possibility for next time.
What about sinful nail colors?
Hmm, haven’t been able to get clear info. Try calling/writing the company? You may have better luck than I did.
i believe sinful are owned by revlon 😦
Proof? I can’t find any solid info on Sinful, so I don’t use it, but do you have any verification?
hey there, i am a fellow animal lover and also will only use cruelty free nail polish (and other products though i dont really wear make up but my eye shadows are all CF). i also have a blog and will only promote CF. i have recently begun making my own polish and so of course saw your post about pigments and noticed that you use MAC. i was coming to tell you that MAC do in fact test but i have just read this post and see that you have updated it, so thank you 🙂
Thanks for your comment. I do state in later posts that it’s no longer cruelty free-everything I use is cruelty-free at the time of posting, but the situations do change from time to time.
Have you used Essence polishes before? They’re lovely, and not tested on animals– they’re not sold in China, either. They’re a Euro brand, and the entire range of makeup they do ROCKS.
No, I haven’t tried that brand. Do you have any more details? I’m always on the lookout for new brands to try! 🙂
Here you go: I seriously love these colours. I don’t know where they stock them in the US, unfortunately (I’m Australian) but they’re worth finding if you can. (They’re also really cheap, too, and good quality for the price!) I’ve found eBay has been good for grabbing stuff that I can’t find in-store or that hasn’t been launched Down Under!
http://www.essence.eu/us/home/
Hi, could you give some insight to ‘White Rain’ they claim to not test on animals and they are listed on peta’s website as cruelty free but I just wanted to be sure because I currently use their hairspray because they were listed as cf? Sometimes it can be so confusing because companies get bought by bigger companies who do test. Thanks!
Thanks for your comment! The White Rain is a noted cruelty-free line in the High Ridge Brands group. I’ve just sent an email to High Ridge to ask about it, but I think PeTA’s list is pretty solid on this one. They update fairly regularly and are not shy about changing their lists if there are changes in status (ie a cruelty-free company starts animal testing.) I’ll let you know what the High Ridge folks have to say on the matter. But I think you can keep spraying away with the White Rain. 🙂
Hi, just wondering if you have any info on the brand ‘Shisem’? It’s an Asian brand so I have a feeling that they would test, but I want to know for sure before buying some colours off of ebay.
Sorry, I don’t know anything about it, but the name sounds Korean. Maybe try to contact the seller? But many Asian brands don’t tend to shy away from animal testing. Animal cruelty is unfortunately not a highlighted issue here, at least not in the Asian countries I have lived in. 😦
Great post! I try to buy cruelty-free whenever I can, but so many of the great companies you listed aren’t available in Japan (yet?) 😦
According to their site (http://www.bourjois.co.uk/footer/faq), Bourjois don’t test on animals. Yay! 🙂 I read on another beauty blog that they sell their products in Hong Kong but not mainland China, and Hong Kong law is slightly different and doesn’t require animal testing. Another name for your list, perhaps? 🙂
And Barry M are also famously cruelty-free (sorry for commenting so much ha ha)!
I’m still working on Bourjois details, I have heard firsthand in person reports that they are selling in China as of 2014. Could be fakes/counterfeit though….
Japan is slow to open to new foreign brands, but there’s always the Tokyo Nail Expo at Tokyo Big Site in November! Lots of international brands there. 🙂 I wish I was still living in Tokyo btw!
Ooh I’ve not heard of that before! How is that possible? I shall have to keep my eye out for that if I’m still here 😀
I think Wet n Wild must test on animals because their product is made in China, at least tha tis what it says on the back of the bottle.
Thanks for your comments! That’s true that WnW is made in China, but the real problem is products that are marketed for the Chinese market. The Chinese gvt doesn’t care about products intended for a market outside of China, so it can still be cruelty free.
Hey what about konad nail polish?? Or ibd just gel??
Konad doesn’t test but some of their products have pearl powder. IBD, I’m not sure about that one.
IBD is owned by American International Industries, they’re the first brand on the list.
NYX is now also owned by L’Oreal.
I hate L’Oreal so much, for years Urban Decay refused to sell or ship products to Australia and now that L’Oreal has got their hands on Urban Decay you can now buy it here. It is very frustrating to hear all the hype about the Urban Decay release here because people believe it’s cruelty free.
Another shout out to Barry M who are a cruelty free cosmetics company with some really beautiful and unusual nail colours. I’m totally addicted to their Aquarium range. Their foundation isn’t half bad either!