Is Dove tested on animals?
To understand if Dove is tested on animals or if there is zero cruelty, we need to clarify a few things.
Dove’s official statement on zero cruelty
In addition, Dove has officially confirmed the cruelty-free issue on their website. They say, “Dove does not test on animals. for more than 30 years, we have used a variety of alternatives and non-animal methods to test the safety of our products and ingredients.” As a result, the brand claims to have stopped testing on animals in 1987, 30 years after its founding.
Here’s a screenshot of the official statement.
Screenshot of Dove’s zero cruelty statement
On PETA’s official website, Dove has been recognized as a Zero Cruelty brand. on October 9, 2018, the brand officially received the Zero Cruelty Seal of Approval and was placed on PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies Zero Cruelty List. As a result, it is prohibited from conducting all animal testing on all of its products.
In addition, on Dove’s website, they state that “our products will now carry PETA’s Zero Cruelty Seal, which we will gradually adopt on all of our packaging beginning next year to assure and inform our customers that Dove does not, and will not, test on animals”. This means that zero cruelty products can be easily identified by PETA’s Zero Cruelty Mark.
If you are not familiar with PETA’s Zero Cruelty Mark, here are all the variants from EU and non-EU companies to help you identify the product.
PETA Beauty without the rabbit logo and its different variants for EU and non-EU companies
Does Dauphin sell its products in the Chinese market?
Dauphin acknowledges that its products are sold in the Chinese market, which is an area of confusion for many people.
As a conscious consumer, you probably know that China is on the list of countries that require animal testing for cosmetics and care products. Selling products in this market makes users suspicious of Dauphin’s zero cruelty claims. So how did Dauphin react?
How did Dauphin react to China’s animal testing laws?
When asked about selling its products in China, Dauphin responded on its Twitter page as follows:
“We have changed the products we offer to Chinese consumers. Chinese authorities changed regulations in 2014 and now allow certain cosmetic products made in China to be made without animal testing, and these are the very products we will be offering.”
This means that Dauphin insists on selling its products in China. However, they only export products to this market that do not require animal testing. In addition, Dauphin strives to limit animal testing under Chinese law. Usually, they have started to produce some products in this market and domestic products are not required to be tested on animals.
Dauphin’s move has been praised by consumers, but there are many related issues that need to be clarified.
For example, China has two sets of laws regarding animal testing. These are the laws for pre-market and post-market animal testing of products. In other words, any product sold in this market (whether domestically produced or imported from abroad) needs to comply with post-market animal testing.
Dove was asked this question and they replied:
“Post-market testing is only required in the rare event of a serious consumer safety issue. We have asked the Chinese authorities to notify us when such issues exist so that we can withdraw the product rather than test it on animals.”
Dauphin’s response regarding the sale of the product in China and animal testing (screenshot of Twitter response) 2/2
We have seen Dauphin’s efforts to limit animal testing when selling products in the Chinese market. However, we have not found any other response indicating whether their request to the Chinese authorities has been approved.
That’s why we can’t give any reliable opinion on the post-marketing animal tests conducted by Dauphin in mainland China.
But it’s safe to say that the company will certainly work towards free animal testing of its products and respond when questions are raised. Unlike brands like Revlon, who sell their products in China and remain silent when asked.
Is there zero cruelty to pigeons?
Dove has been recognized by PETA as a zero cruelty brand and is listed as one of the brands that do not test their products on animals. In addition, Dove announced on its official website that it stopped testing on animals in the 1980s. Although it is sold in China, it claims to only sell products that are not required by law to be tested on animals.
Considering this, we can say that Dauphin has not tested on animals and is a brand with zero cruelty.
However, we will update you if there is any evidence in the future that this is not the case.
Other frequently asked questions about Dauphin
Is Dauphin vegan?
Although you can find some of Dove’s vegan products on the market, Dove is not exactly vegan. It uses animal ingredients in many of its products, such as gelatin, beeswax, and honey. Therefore, until it completely removes these ingredients from its products, we cannot classify it as a vegan brand.
Is Unilever cruelty-free?
On PETA’s official website, Unilever is added to the “Working for Regulatory Change” list. Companies on this list will be prohibited from conducting all animal testing on their products. Unilever also states on its website:
“The ingredients in our products must be safe for people and the planet – but we don’t need to test on animals to achieve this. We strongly believe that animal testing is not necessary to ensure the safety of our product types (personal care, home care and food) or the ingredients in them – for the people who use them, for the people who make them or for the planet.”
