Philosophy is not cruelty free because their products are tested on animals where required by law (in mainland China).
Additionally, Philosophy is not 100% vegan as a brand. This means that some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
To learn more about this brand and find out why they’re not cruelty free, keep on reading!
If you’re looking for new cruelty free products to add to your beauty routine, make sure to check out the last section of this post where you’ll find some of the best Philosophy cruelty free alternatives.
Let’s dive right in!
Is Philosophy cruelty free? Are Philosophy products tested on animals?
Philosophy is NOT cruelty free.
In order to be cruelty free, brands:
- Must not test their finished products or ingredients on animals
- Must make sure that their suppliers don’t test on animals
- Must not commission third parties to test their products on animals
- Must not sell their products in stores in mainland China, or other countries where animal testing is still required by law
Let’s take a look at Philosophy’s official animal testing policy (I’ve highlighted the important part):
do you test on animals?
Source: Philosophy
philosophy is fully committed to using alternatives to animal testing to ensure the safety of our products. please be assured that we do not perform, nor do we ever commission any third parties on our behalf to perform, animal testing on our products or ingredients except when required by law.
In the highlighted point, Philosophy admits that their products are tested on animals when required by law. This usually refers to mainland China.
Testing on animals when required by law and selling in China is in contradiction with one of the requirements for cruelty free brands.
Since Philosophy does sell their products in mainland China, their products may be subjected to animal testing there.
Therefore, Philosophy is not cruelty free.
Keep on reading for more information!
Is Philosophy sold in China?
Philosophy is sold in mainland China where animal testing is still required by law.
Why can’t cruelty free brands sell in mainland China?
Animal testing is still happening for products sold in physical stores in mainland China.
Pre-market animal testing is required for all special-use imported products, and non-routine post-market testing on animals may also be done in cases of customer complaints.
However, please keep in mind that this doesn’t apply to products sold in stores at the airports, or in Hong Kong.
Also, products can be sold online and shipped to mainland China without being tested on animals.
Is Philosophy owned by a parent brand? If yes, is it cruelty free?
Philosophy is owned by Coty, a company that tests on animals.
Coty also owns other brands that aren’t cruelty free, including Rimmel and Sally Hansen, and they also own CoverGirl which is a cruelty free brand.
Is Philosophy vegan?
Philosophy is not 100% vegan. Some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Also, please keep in mind that since Philosophy products may be tested on animals in mainland China, I definitely wouldn’t consider them as a vegan-friendly brand.
Cruelty free and vegan alternatives to Philosophy
Philosophy is a beauty brand focused mostly on skin care products, but they also sell fragrance and body care products.
There are so many beauty brands that are cruelty free!
That’s why, in my opinion, there’s really no excuse for supporting brands that test on animals.
Some of the best cruelty free alternatives to Philosophy are:
The Ordinary
Paula’s Choice
Krave Beauty
Pacifica
Youth to the People
Drunk Elephant
Le Labo
If you want to discover more cruelty free skincare brands, check out my post on The 7 Best Cruelty Free Skin Care Brands in 2021 That Are Also 100% Vegan and Sustainable.
Now it’s your turn!
What are your favorite cruelty free brands?
Let me know in the comments below!