Is Dove Cruelty-Free?
Does Dove test on animals or sell in China?
Dove is a well-known bath and body brand that can be found all over the world. But is Dove cruelty-free or do they test on animals?
For a company to be considered cruelty-free they have to meet all of the following criteria:
- Do not test any of their products or ingredients on animals
- Don’t allow others to test on their behalf
- Do not sell in a country where animal testing is required.
After doing a bit of research, I found that Dove doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free personal care brand.
Let’s look into what all of that really means and what you can do about it.
Is Dove Certified Cruelty-Free?
When researching a brand’s cruelty-free status my first stop is the certified cruelty-free list. There are three organizations that give official certifications to brands around the world: Leaping Bunny, Peta, and Choose Cruelty-Free.
Dove is certified cruelty-free by Peta.
It’s wonderful that they are Peta certified but Peta does not do a thorough vetting process like Leaping Bunny. So I don’t fully trust their certifications and will continue to research Dove’s cruelty-free status.
Does Dove Test on Animals?
The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Dove’s policy can be found in the ‘About Dove’ section of their website. Here is what it states:
“Dove has been globally accredited “Cruelty Free” by the animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in recognition of the Dove global commitment to permanently end tests on animals everywhere in the world.
Animal testing for cosmetic products has been banned in the EU since 2004 and, for ingredients in cosmetics products, since 2013; however, this is not the case in most other countries around the world.
As a major leading brand sold around the world, Dove has taken a global stand and gone one step further. Dove has enacted a policy prohibiting any animal tests anywhere in the world: no projects are approved internally if they were to result in a requirement for animal testing of Dove products or ingredients anywhere.
In order to achieve this milestone, Dove has made key decisions on how and what products it sells in countries where animal testing may still be a mandatory requirement, such as China. All new products Dove will launch in China in the future will not be subject to animal testing by Chinese authorities.
Dove has long shown a commitment against animal testing: since the mid-1980s, Dove has not tested (nor commissioned others to test) its products on animals, nor tested (nor commissioned others to test) any ingredients which are contained in its products since 2010, which was more than two years ahead of the EU animal testing marketing ban.
As a global brand, Dove’s certification by PETA reinforces its commitment to permanently end tests on animals everywhere in the world.
Unilever has been developing non-animal approaches for product safety testing for over 30 years. Unilever is supporting the call for a global animal testing ban for cosmetics because it wants to see regulatory change as soon as possible. Unilever’s collaboration with Humane Society International will be a significant step forward towards this goal.
It is Unilever’s leadership in developing non-animal approaches and, globally, promoting their acceptance by regulatory authorities that has led to PETA recognizing Unilever as a ‘company working for regulatory change’.”
Dove’s animal testing policy contradicts itself. It states they don’t test on animals and they are committed to finding alternative methods. However, they still choose to sell in China knowing that animal testing is a requirement for imported cosmetics. They state that their products will not be tested but how can they guarantee that will truly happen? Therefore, Dove does allow animal testing on their products.
Is Dove Sold in China?
Yes, Dove does sell in China. After doing a quick Google search I was able to locate Dove Chinese website. A brand doesn’t create a website for another country unless it is serving those customers. I’ve included an image of the website below.
What About China’s New Animal Testing Laws?
China has announced that as of May 1, 2021, general cosmetics such as shampoo, body wash, lipstick, lotion, and makeup can be sold without being tested on animals. However, a company is required to jump through various hoops for this to happen. As of now, Dove has not been exempt and their products can still be tested on animals by the Chinese health authority. Even if an exemption happens it is still possible that the products can be subjected to post-market testing.
Is Dove Owned By a Parent Company?
Yes, Dove is owned by Unilever, a company that tests on animals. You can view a full list of brands that they own to see which other companies you should avoid.
Is Dove Vegan?
Dove is not considered to be vegan because they test their products or ingredients on animals or allow others to do so on their behalf. So, until this changes, we choose not to look into whether they may or may not have products that don’t contain animal ingredients.
What are Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Dove?
There are several cruelty-free personal care alternatives to Dove. Check out the list below:
Wrap Up: Is Dove Cruelty-Free?
No, Dove is not a cruelty-free personal care brand. Even though they are Peta certified and claim to not test on animals, they choose to sell in a country that requires imported cosmetics to be tested on animals.
Therefore, Dove is not considered to be cruelty-free. They will be added to my list of brands that test on animals.
Now I’d like to hear from you…What are your thoughts about Dove? Please leave your comments below!
📌 Save this for later
