Last Updated on 08/02/2023
64.5% of Popular Cruelty-Free Brands are Owned by Animal Testing Parent Companies. 35.5% of the remaining is entirely cruelty-free. They are either independent, owned by family of founders and/or backed by investment firms.
Cruelty-Free Guide Report
After collecting and analysis of data, we found that around 65 percent of the renowned cruelty-free beauty brands in the US market are infact owned by Non Cruelty-Free Parent Companies in 2023. Here is our report.
64% of Top Cruelty-Free Brands Owned by Animal Testing Parents
Method
- We did a survey to know the most popular beauty brands of fellow Americans.
- Curated the result to obtain the list of the top cruelty-free brands.
- Is it independently owned or has an owner company? Is it a subsidiary of a conglomerate? If the cruelty-free company is a subsidiary or backed by another company, is the parent company cruelty-free?
Survey
For the survey, we followed these measures.
- Asked 500 Americans between the ages of 18 and 65 to list their current favorite beauty brands (wishlist or favorite) via Google form. But we had some conditions.
- Simple conditions – The brand must be cruelty-free, popular, and widely available across the States. They can list a maximum count of only three.
- Once we had enough data, we started crunching the numbers and statistics for research and transparency.
Result
- 64.5 percent of users’ favorite cruelty-free brands are owned by non-cruelty-free companies.
- 35.5 percent are indeed entirely cruelty-free.
Cruelty-Free Brands Statistics – What data suggest?
- People are unaware of real cruelty-free status of a brand.
Interestingly enough, there are numerous entries of non-cruelty-free brands. It leads to the question – are consumers fully aware of which brands are truly cruelty-free?
One example from the survey suggested Maybelline being a popular name. It is popular, affordable, and much hyped. The only issue? Maybelline is not cruelty-free.
- 6 to 7 out of 10 renowned brands are indirectly supporting animal testing.
Key Takeaways
- Cruelty-free choices are not as diverse as we initially thought.
- Transparency in labeling and ownership information is crucial for consumers to make conscious decisions aligned with their values.
What should ethical consumers and animal lovers do?
- Supporting cruelty-free brands, even if they have some ownership ties, can still have a positive impact by increasing demand for animal-friendly products. But at the end, it is always your personal call.
- Making Informed Choices – Make conscious decisions and be aware of the brands you invest in.
- Educate and spread awareness without imposing it on other consumers (Our Motto).
- Give indie brands and new emerging brands a shot.
Surveyed List of Brands
Here is the list of 62 brands in no particular order. It includes beauty brands in makeup, skincare, hair care and fragrance category.
Brands marked (*) are owned by animal testing parents.
- Essence
- Sol de Janeiro*
- Tatcha*
- Ole Henriksen*
- Rimmel*
- Tree Hut
- Herbal Essences*
- The Body Shop
- Colourpop
- Kylie Cosmetics*
- Anastasia Beverly Hills
- Youth to the People*
- ILIA*
- Revolution Beauty
- Milani
- Paula’s Choice*
- Drunk Elephant*
- Garnier*
- IT Cosmetics*
- Huda Beauty
- Native*
- PÜR Beauty
- Tarte*
- Shea Moisture*
- TRESemme*
- Murad*
- Farmacy*
- Too Faced*
- Pacifica
- Glossier
- Flower Beauty
- Dermalogica*
- Hero Cosmetics*
- Dove*
- Charlotte Tilbury*
- St. Ives*
- Rare Beauty
- REN Skincare*
- Smashbox*
- Schmidt’s*
- Hourglass*
- E.L.F
- Honest Beauty
- Fenty Beauty*
- The Ordinary*
- Aveda*
- Drunk Elephant*
- Covergirl*
- Mario Badescu
- Catrice
- Urban Decay*
- NYX*
- R.E.M Beauty
- COSRX*
- Milk Makeup
- Cover FX
- Burt’s Bees*
- Pureology*
- Supergoop!
- Ulta Beauty
- Sun Bum*
- Living Proof*
Many of these brands are owned by L’Oreal, Unilever, P&G and similar MNCs. Here is a detailed report on what beauty brands L’Oreal owns and who owns the giant conglomerate itself.
Navigating the Cruelty-Free Landscape
Cruelty-Free brands are growing as ethical consumerism grows. It is important to educate yourself to navigate the ecruelty-free landscape smoothly.
Data Reports
