Updated on April 29th, 2023
I try to avoid brands that test on animals, but it can be difficult finding the cruelty-free status of a company. I have decided to make a list of makeup, skincare, and hair care brands that are cruelty-free as well as a list of brands that test on animals.
Many companies claim to not test their products on animals and are finding alternative ways for testing. For example, L’Oreal claims in their Frequently-Asked Questions:
As is the support of animal welfare. L’Oréal does not test any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals and has been at the forefront of alternative methods for over 30 years.
However, L’Oreal sells its products in China. If a foreign brand sells its makeup, skincare, hair care, nail products, or perfume in China, they are required by law to test on animals.
Today, L’Oréal no longer tests its ingredients on animals. Certain health authorities may nevertheless decide to conduct animal tests themselves for certain cosmetic products, as it is still the case in China.
Even though L’Oreal is not cruelty-free because they sell in China, they are the parent company of several brands that do not sell in China. Some people will choose to not support a brand that is owned by a company that tests on animals, so I have included the parent companies for the brands below. However, I will personally support a cruelty-free company that has a parent company that tests on animals.
Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands
- Alterra Naturkosmetik
- Alva Natural
- Anastasia Beverly Hills
- Ardell
- Aveda (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Bare Faced Beauty
- Bare Minerals (owned by Shiseido)
- Barry M
- Beauty Bakerie
- Beautyblender
- Becca (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Bellápierre
- Bite Beauty
- Blinc
- Buxom (owned by Shiseido)
- By Beauty Bay
- Cake Beauty
- Catrice
- Charlotte Tilbury (owned by Puig)
- Coloured Raine
- Colourpop
- Cover FX
- Danessa Myricks Beauty
- EcoTools
- E.L.F.
- Emité
- Essence
- Fenty Beauty (owned by LVMH)
- Flower Beauty
- Gerard Cosmetics
- Glossier
- GOSH
- Hourglass (owned by Unilever)
- Huda Beauty
- IMAN Cosmetics
- IT Cosmetics (owned by L’Oreal)
- Jeffree Star Cosmetics
- Jolie Beauty
- Julep
- Juvia’s Place
- KVD Beauty
- Kylie Cosmetics
- Laritzy
- Lorac
- Lord & Berry
- Lottie London
- Lush
- Luxie Beauty
- Makeup Academy
- Makeup Geek
- Makeup Revolution
- Manna Kadar
- Marc Jacobs Beauty
- Mented Cosmetics
- Milani
- Milk Makeup
- ModelCo
- Morphe
- Nails Inc.
- Nip + Fab
- NYX (owned by L’Oreal)
- Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
- Oden’s Eye
- OPV Beauty
- Pacifica
- Paul Penders
- Physicians Formula
- Pixi
- Pür Cosmetics
- Real Techniques
- Sacha Cosmetics
- Sleek Makeup
- Smashbox (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Soap & Glory
- Sonia Kashuk
- Stila
- Studio 10
- Tarte (owned by Kose)
- The Body Shop (owned by L’Oreal)
- The Lip Bar
- TheBalm
- Too Faced (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Tower 28 Beauty
- Trust Fund Beauty
- Uoma Beauty
- Urban Decay (owned by L’Oreal)
- Wet n Wild
Makeup Brands that Test on Animals
- Almay
- Avon
- Benefit
- Bobbi Brown
- Bourjois
- Chanel
- Clinique
- CoverGirl
- Dior
- Essie
- Estée Lauder
- Kose
- L’Oreal
- Lancôme
- MAC
- Make Up For Ever
- Max Factor
- Maybelline
- NARS
- NYC
- OPI
- Rimmel London
- Revlon
- Sally Hansen
- Sephora (the brand)
- Shiseido
- Sinful Colors
- Tony Moly
- Yves Saint Laurent
Cruelty-Free Skincare Brands
- 100% Pure
- 7th Heaven/Montagne Jeunesse
- Alba Botanica
- Alterra Naturkosmetik
- Alva Natural
- Antipodes
- Avalon Organics
- Balance Me
- Bielenda
- Derma E
- Dermadoctor
- Dermalogica (owned by Unilever)
- First Aid Beauty
- Formula 10.0.6
- Glossier
- Herbivore
- InnBeauty Project
- James Read
- JĀSÖN
- Kaike
- Kiss My Face
- La Théorie des Volcans
- Lush
- Mario Badescu
- Murad (owned by Unilever)
- Naobay
- Nip + Fab
- Nubian Heritage
- Ole Henriksen
- Pacifica
- Paul Penders
- Rodial
- SheaMoisture
- Skyn Iceland
- Soap & Glory
- Starskin
- Supergoop!
- The Body Shop (owned by L’Oreal)
- Tom’s of Maine (owned by Colgate-Palmolive)
- Whish
- Yes To
Skincare Brands that Test on Animals
- Aveeno
- Avon
- Bioderma
- Biore
- Biotherm
- Cetaphil
- Clarins
- Clarisonic
- Clean & Clear
- Clearasil
- Colgate-Palmolive
- Dial
- Dove
- EOS
- Garnier
- Johnson’s
- Jurlique
- Kiehl’s
- L’Occitane
- La Mer
- La Roche-Posay
- Neutrogena
- Nivea
- Nuxe
- Olay
- Origins
- Philosophy
- Ponds
- Secret
- Sephora (the brand)
- Shiseido
- Simple
- St. Ives
- StriVectin
- Tony Moly
- Unilever
- Vaseline
- Vichy
Cruelty-Free Hair Care Brands
- 100% Pure
- 7th Heaven/Montagne Jeunesse
- Alterra Naturkosmetik
- Avalon Organics
- Aveda (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Drybar
- Hask
- Hempz
- It’s a 10
- Jack Black
- JĀSÖN
- Kiss My Face
- Lee Stafford
- Lush
- Maria Nila
- Naobay
- Not Your Mother’s
- Ouai
- Pacifica
- Paul Mitchell
- Paul Penders
- Pureology (owned by L’Oreal)
- SheaMoisture
- Verb
Hair Care Brands that Test on Animals
- Aussie
- Bed Head
- Garnier
- Got2B
- Head & Shoulders
- Herbal Essences
- John Frieda
- Nexxus
- OGX
- Pantene
- Redken
- Sauve
- TIGI
- Tresseme
These lists are nowhere near complete, and if you have a question about a particular brand, you can leave a comment below or refer to Cruelty-Free Kitty and Logical Harmony for more complete lists.
Also, if you are looking for a list of vegan brands, check out my Vegan Beauty Brands post!
Fantastic lists!
Thank you!
Very informative post! I am also against animal testing!
Thank you! That’s great! There’s no reason to test on animals when there are so many alternatives!
I have to try these!!!
Check out my page if you have a chance:)
You do & I will! 😊
Thanks for giving such a valuable post.I did not know very well about cruelty band.Thanks for letting me know.
Ema ^_^
You’re welcome! 😊
Love the post so much , keep it up!
Check my latest blog on skincare- https://sunainadasblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/first-impression-shaklee-youth-skincare-set/
Hope you will like it
Xoxo 💗
Sunaina
Thank you & I will! 😊
Thank you so much for sharing this post ! 😀
Amanda
You’re welcome! 😊
This is such a great post as I never know what brand is or isn’t cruelty free and I love to try and use cruelty free brands! Thanks for putting the effort in! ❤️
You’re welcome! 😊
Love the research you put into this post. It’s usually so hard to stick to brands who are cruelty free, but sometimes it’s not clear! Thanks for clearing this up for me.
You’re welcome! 😊 I know it can be confusing especially when companies claim they don’t test on animals, but then they sell in China & say they want to end animal testing!
Hey! Just read your blog, loving it so far! I’m a qualified makeup artist and want to share all my tricks and tips Iv learnt along the way in my career! Alongside a bit of lifestyle and travel as I go up and down the country with my talented other half ⚽️! My link is allthingsbeautywithalice.com , hope to see you all there 😍😘 I love finding bloggers like myself passionate about all things beauty! Let me know any great bloggers to follow! 😍 xxxx
Wow this was so eye opening! Thank you for sharing!❤️
You’re welcome! 😄
This why I don’t like L’Oréal and some brands. They always blame on countries that have law or regulation which require to test on animals. They try to bring the spot light to those countries and most people don’t know that there are ways to sell to those countries without testing on animals. (Like have a factory in local, only has whitelist ingredients, etc). I mean they think we are dumb. It is like a person who self-claim is a vegan but order meat dish and blame the restaurant doesn’t have a vegan menu. If I wasn’t get into cruelty-free and do little homework, I won’t know these popular brands are not trustworthy. I honestly think these brands are worse than those who said they test on animals. At least, they are honest to their customers.
Anyway, Sorry for my rant. I just cannot control myself when I see L’Oreal answer.
Thank you so much for this list! I will check them out and I am happy to see some familiar brands are cruelty-free!
It’s fine! I know how frustrating it is when companies pretty much lie & say they don’t test on animals when they actually do. Another thing with L’Oréal & other brands like NARS is they say they’re selling in China to stop animal testing & it’s like how does that make any sense? You want a cruelty-free world so you’re doing animal testing to stop animal testing?! 😡
I’m glad the list was helpful! 😊
I will be looking for a CF face moisturizer to replace my CeraVe one. Do you have a favorite?
I have been using Lush’s Enzymion moisturizer for a few weeks now & I really like it! 😄 It’s for oily skin so it helps control oil, but I also had a cold & my nose got really dry & it helped reduce the dryness.
Lush also has moisturizers for combination, dry & sensitive skin!
Thanks!! I have dry skin. I’ll check it out!
This is so simple and straightforward, I love it! A great post for reference when looking at brands for beauty products. I recently reviewed Glossier, a cruelty free brand, on my blog.
This list you made is a great resource for people!
Thank you! I’ll check out your review! 😊
Great list! Love how you broke it down by categories!
Thank you! 😄
Hi!
I love your blog your writing is lovely. I would love it if you checked out my blog, the feedback would be much appreciated! 🙂
Being a vegan myself, I absolutely LOVE reading about cruelty-free brands! So, thank you for this blog post! 🙂 X
You’re welcome! 😊 I also made a list of vegan beauty brands if you want to check it out!
https://talesofbelle.com/2017/08/28/vegan-beauty-brands/
Love these!!
E.l.f. is for sure one of my faves. It’s always so hard to truly know who tests on animals and who doesn’t with so many technicalities. Love this post very informative and useful.
Thank you! E.l.f. is a great brand! & it is difficult b/c brands will claim they don’t test on animals & they support animal rights, but then they’ll sell in China
First off, thank you for the list! I am very proud not to use animal derived ingredients in my cosmetics. My favourite brands are Alterra (hair), Paul Panders (lips), Alva (lashes), and few Polish things, like Bell nd Bielenda. I try my best to be cryelty free in my whole life <3
You’re welcome! I will add those brands to this list because I tried to include popular brands, but there are 100s of different brands.
I also made a list of vegan beauty brands if you are interested https://talesofbelle.com/2017/08/28/vegan-beauty-brands/
Dear Karalee, I am totally interested in everyting vegan and cruelty free! Thank you! 🙂
You’re welcome! 😊
You are a wealth of knowledge, this list is amazing!
Check out my blog
Thank you!
Great and usefull post. Im not sure if you just include high end brands or you dont have it but essence and catrice are also cruelty free as i know. 🙂
Also, you can check my new beauty blog if you have time
Thank you! I tried to include popular brands, but there are tons of different brands. You’re right Essence and Catrice are cruelty-free so I’ll add them to the list!
I’ll check out your blog!
Wow, definitely keeping this in mind the next time I go makeup shopping! I am just starting out my beauty blog so it would be great if you could check out my page too:)xx
I will!
My parents only let me by from cruelty free brands because my dad is a vegetarian so this is really helpful for Christmas so I can show who does and doesn’t test on animals! Great idea ❤️
I’m glad I could help! 😊
Amazing! such a great reference to come back to, thank you for posting this… I am all about that cruelty free life!! Xx
You’re welcome! 😄
Thank you so much for these lists! I am trying to use products from companies that do not test on animals but it’s hard (especially that where I live, the choices of products are varied)
You’re welcome! I find it hardest buying cruelty-free haircare b/c stores here only carry the big brands like Garnier like Tresseme
Yes true!!
Thank you for sharing these lists! The haircare stuff is a little harder to find so this is great! Cruelty free is so much easier to do these days and its super important. xxo
You’re welcome & I agree with you!
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I love the not your mother’s beach babe spray. Nice to know they are cruelty free!
Lol, love the title
Thanks for sharing such a knowlegeble content..💕
Check out my blogs of fashion and beauty …hope you like the ..these are very cost effective ideas 😊
You’re welcome! 😊
I will!
Currently going cruelty free thanks for sharing this list. Glad to see most of what I currently use is cruelty free. Just have to stop using a few brands like maybelline, mac and L’oreal.
You’re welcome! That’s great you already use a lot of cruelty-free brands! 😊
Thank you so much for this! I am so happy to see that the non testing list (at least for makeup) is a lot bigger than the list of companies who still test!
You’re welcome! There’s also a lot of small makeup brands that I didn’t list that don’t sell in China!
I’m sure! That’s so great though. I’m so glad to be able to go cruelty free easily and I feel so much better about what I’m using
Love how you created such awesome lists! So many brands are disappointingly on the testing list.
Thanks!
If only China didn’t require foreign brands to test on animals!
Right!!! I hope they all make the switch and stand against cruelty towards animals.
This is such a great post! one reason why I think I use brands regardless is because I don’t think about it. But to see some of the brands I always use on the list which do test on animals is so sad.
But having a list of brands which I also like, who don’t test on animals has made it 100% easier for me to pick the right items next time!
Thank you 🙂 x
Thank you! I’m glad I could help! 😄
I rarely by products from brands that test on animals, but when I see a product get a lot of praise, I want to try it so it can be a struggle!
OGX isn’t cruelty free? Dangit 🙁 I try my best to avoid non-cruelty free brands, but it’s so hard to find substitutes without having to purchase from overseas sometimes.
OGX was cruelty-free until they started selling in China a year or so ago.
I agree it’s hard especially w/ hair care. Most places only sell the big brands, but they opened a natural store here at the mall & the drugstore Matas is cruelty-free, so do you have any places like that you can go to?
Wow, you really did some work on these lists. Good for you, for not using products (or at least trying to as much as you can), that have not been tested on animals 😊
Thank you! 😊 I rarely buy products that are tested on animals, but I will get products for free or in subscription boxes that are 😕
What a great comprehensive list!
The question and answer portion at the beginning of this post is bizarre. How can L’Oreal claim that they don’t test on animals, and then go ahead and say, “well we sell in China, so that’s why we are not approved by PETA”. What an indirect and annoying way of saying “oh my first answer was a lie, we do test on animals”. I wish these companies would just cut the bullshit. If you are ashamed of testing on animals and don’t want to admit it, don’t do it. However, on the other hand I can understand the allure and profit of selling in China from these companies’ perspectives.
A great next segment for you would be to include companies that specialize in vegan products, or have lists of their vegan products that make it easy for vegan consumers!
Thanks! 😊
I agree & that’s why it can be confusing b/c companies will state they don’t test their products or ingredients on animals but then they’ll sell in China. Also in another question L’Oreal was asked why are they in China & their answer was that they are working w/ the Chinese authorities to eliminate animal testing! How does that make any sense?
Another thing European companies can’t test on animals due to the EU ban of cosmetic animal testing, but then they’ll sell in China & claim their product wasn’t tested on animals (b/c they’re not allowed to in Europe)
I think that’s a great idea & I’ll look into making a list of vegan brands/products 😄
Wow! There are so many loopholes around telling the truth! So ridiculous, and they only take them because they know nobody likes animal testing.