Nivea is not cruelty free. This means that their products are tested on animals.
Additionally, Nivea is not 100% vegan as a brand.
However, they do have some vegan-friendly products.
If you want to learn why Nivea isn’t cruelty free, keep on reading below!
And by the way, if you want to discover some cruelty free alternatives to Nivea, make sure to check out the last section of the post where I’ve listed brands similar to Nivea which are actually cruelty free.
Let’s dive right in!
Is Nivea cruelty free? Are Nivea products tested on animals?
Nivea is NOT cruelty free.
Let’s look at Nivea’s animal testing policy:
ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL TESTING
Beiersdorf does not use animals to test cosmetic products. This has been our policy long before the directives regulating animal testing in cosmetics went into effect in the European Union in 2004. We are convinced that using animals to test cosmetic products in order to prove that they are safe and effective is not necessary.
For more than 20 years we have been working successfully in expert panels and associations on in-vitro procedures (tests performed in test tubes) and are one of the leading and most well-known and accepted research companies in the world. Beiersdorf has developed a procedure, for example, which will in the future along with other tests be able to assess the allergy potential of substances without the use of animal testing.
Source: Nivea’s website
Although it’s great to see companies investing in the development of animal testing alternatives, Nivea’s cruelty free claim is a little misleading.
Let’s look at another one of their statements that contains a little more information.
ANIMAL WELFARE, SUSTAINABILITY & THE ENVIRONMENT
DOES NIVEA TEST ON ANIMALS?
Beiersdorf, the organisation behind the NIVEA brand, does not test on animals. As a global company, all our affiliates including Australia and New Zealand, are aligned on this stance. We believe animal testing is not required to prove the safety and effectiveness of our products.
In China, however, animal testing is mandated by law for the official registration and certification of the safety of certain product categories. In this case, the tests are conducted by local institutions authorised by the state not by the companies selling the product. Our goal is to convince these authorities that animal testing for cosmetic products is unnecessary and to advocate for the international acceptance of alternative testing methods.
Excerpt from Nivea’s website (the US version of their website doesn’t contain this additional info for some reason).
So, Nivea claims that they don’t test on animals, but what about third parties testing their products on animals? As mentioned in their animal testing policy, Nivea’s products are tested on animals in mainland China, so Nivea can’t be cruelty free.
Additionally, Nivea is on PETA’s list of companies that test on animals.
Keep on reading for more information!
Is Nivea sold in China?
Yes, Nivea 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 Nivea owned by a parent brand? If yes, is it cruelty free?
Nivea is owned by Beiersdorf, a German company that isn’t cruelty free.
Animal testing is banned in the European Union and Beiersdorf itself doesn’t test on animals.
However, products manufactured by European companies that are sold in mainland China are still subject to animal testing there, which is why Beiersdorf isn’t cruelty free.
Beiersdorf also owns other popular brands such as Eucerin, Labello, Coppertone, La Prairie, and more.
Is Nivea vegan?
Nivea is NOT 100% vegan.
However, they do have some vegan options. All Nivea products that are vegan are appropriately labeled on the packaging.
Cruelty free and vegan alternatives to Nivea
Nivea is a skincare brand, well-known for their face and body products including cleansers, creams and more.
Some of my favorite cruelty free alternatives to Nivea are:
Now it’s your turn!
What are your favorite cruelty free skincare brands?
Let me know in the comments below!
I’m sick of the constant lies from practically all companies. I desperately yry to find vegan products who claim yes cruelty free and vegan then after buying the product lo and.behold theyr neither. This is selling by deception and frankly I’m sick of it and I want this to be a criminal offence due to selling by deception . I’m bloody furious and want to see it becomes a criminal offence punishable by law and given a prison sentence.Its downrightying and selling by stealth . I’m vegan and I’m being lied to at every turn regardless of how much research I do .
Firstly i’m not a fan of Nivea so not saying this to try to defend them but it literally says in their statement ”the tests are conducted by local institutions authorised by the state not by the companies selling the product.” Therefore it is misleading to say the brand is not vegan. True they could refuse to sell in China but I don’t think this is realistic for such a big brand. A better idea would be for us to boycott Chinese products and let the Chinese government know why.