Is Colgate-Palmolive Cruelty-Free? (in 2022)

Does Colgate-Palmolive test on animals or sell in China?

Colgate-Palmolive is a well-known personal care company that can be found all over the world. But is Colgate-Palmolive 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 Colgate-Palmolive doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free parent company.

Let’s look into what all of that really means and what you can do about it.

Is Colgate-Palmolive 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.

Colgate-Palmolive is not found on any of these organization’s cruelty-free lists. However, they are found on Peta’s list of brands that are working on change.

Does Colgate-Palmolive Test on Animals?

The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Colgate-Palmolive’s policy can be found in this document. Here is an excerpt of what it states:

“In 1999, we declared a voluntary moratorium on all animal testing of our adult Personal Care Products and the ingredients used in these products. This moratorium remains in effect worldwide.
Animal testing is only conducted where specifically required by regulatory agencies or where alternative testing methods are unavailable to ensure the safety of our products. In such limited instances, the tests are conducted only at contract testing facilities that meet both government standards and the more rigorous requirements established by Colgate with input from animal welfare groups.”

Colgate-Palmolive’s animal testing policy contradicts itself. It states that they do not test on animals. However, they will make an exception if alternatives are not available or if a country’s health authorities require it. Therefore, Colgate-Palmolive does allow animal testing on their products.

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, Colgate-Palmolive 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.

What Brands Does Colgate-Palmolive Own?

Colgate-Palmolive is a multinational company that owns several popular brands. Below is a list of all the brands owned by them.

Many people in the cruelty-free community choose to completely boycott any brand owned by a non-cruelty-free parent company. So, I try to provide as much information as possible so that you have the resources to make your own decision.

So, I’ve indicated which brands are sold in China or are certified cruelty-free. I would err on the side of caution for any of the companies that don’t have additional information.

Afta After Shave
Ajax
Colgate
Fabuloso
Fleecy
Hills
Irish Spring
Lady Speed Stick
Murphy Oil Soap
Palmolive
Softsoap
Speed Stick
Suavitel
Tom’s of Maine – PETA CERTIFIED

Wrap Up: Is Colgate-Palmolive Cruelty-Free?

No, Colgate-Palmolive is not a cruelty-free personal care company. Even though they claim to not test on animals, they choose to sell in a country that requires imported cosmetics to be tested on animals.

Therefore, Colgate-Palmolive is not considered to be cruelty-free. They will be added to my list of brands that test on animals.

However, they do own some Peta certified cruelty-free brands. But the choice is yours on whether you feel comfortable using them.

Now I’d like to hear from you…What are your thoughts about Colgate-Palmolive? Will you boycott them completely or use some of their cruelty-free brands? Please leave your comments below!