Is Aveeno Cruelty Free?

ByCordelia

Many Beauty Brands Are Selling In China

Is Aveeno Cruelty Free?

Is Aveeno Cruelty Free? I wanted to share that Aveeno is not cruelty free. Recently a really nice reader reached out to ask me if Aveeno had changed their stance. The email that they received from Aveeno made them think they were cruelty free. So I emailed Aveeno. Here’s what transpired.

I emailed the following questions to Aveeno:

 

  • Is Aveeno cruelty free?
  • Are the finished products tested on animals by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company?
  • Are the products tested on animals during the production process by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company?
  • Are any ingredients used in the products tested on animals by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company?
  • Are any ingredients used in the products tested on animals by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company to comply with any laws and regulations?
  • Are any ingredients used in the products tested on animals, or do they contain ingredients that have been tested on animals, by the company, an ingredient supplier, an affiliate company, or a 3rd party supplier in order to comply with laws such as TSCA, CEPA, ELINCS, EINECS, REACH, NICNAS, SCCP, etc?
  • Are the products sold in any markets where animal testing is required by local law and regulations (China, etc)?
  • Are the products vegetarian? (no animals killed for the products – i.e. some forms of collagen, squalane, etc.)
  • Are the products vegan? (i.e. product ingredients that come from animals like lanolin, honey, milk, etc. – being vegan is NOT necessary for my blog, but a bonus for my vegan readers)
  • Is your company certified by PETA or Leaping Bunny? (NOT necessary, but definitely a nice thing and free! Find out how easy it is to get Leaping Bunny certified!)

I got back this response (same as the nice person who emailed me):

Dear Courtney,

Thank you for contacting us about AVEENO® products. It is always important to hear from our consumers, and we appreciate the time you have taken to contact us.

We can confirm that the Aveeno® brand does not test products on animals anywhere around the world. Any comments or images that state otherwise are false.

Courtney, if you have any comments or questions about our products in the future, please contact us through our website www.aveeno.com or by phone 1-866-428-3366. Our specialists are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET and will be happy to hear from you.

Warm Regards,

Kendra D.
Consumer Care Center

Now, my problem with this response is it does not address each of my individual questions. It really irritates me when I send off an email asking for detailed information and I get back a response that doesn’t address my questions. So I sent the following email back and I spaced out my questions in case they were confusing:

Hi,

You didn’t actually answer all of my questions. Can you please answer each question individually? 
  • Is Aveeno cruelty free?
  • Are the products sold in any markets where animal testing is required by local law and regulations (China, etc)?
  • Are the products tested on animals during the production process by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company? 
  • Are the finished products tested on animals by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company?
  • Are any ingredients used in the products tested on animals by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company?
  • Are any ingredients used in the products tested on animals by the company, a parent company, a third party or an affiliate company to comply with any laws and regulations?
  • Are any ingredients used in the products tested on animals, or do they contain ingredients that have been tested on animals, by the company, an ingredient supplier, an affiliate company, or a 3rd party supplier in order to comply with laws such as TSCA, CEPA, ELINCS, EINECS, REACH, NICNAS, SCCP, etc?
  • Are the products vegetarian? (no animals killed for the products – i.e. some forms of collagen, squalane, etc.)
  • Are the products vegan? (i.e. product ingredients that come from animals like lanolin, honey, milk, etc. – being vegan is NOT necessary for my blog, but a bonus for my vegan readers)
  • Is your company certified Leaping Bunny? (NOT necessary, but definitely a nice thing! It’s FREE! Find out how easy it is to get Leaping Bunny certified!)

I got back this response, still lacking an answer for each question:

Dear Courtney,

Thank you for contacting Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc..  We appreciate your interest in our company.

The Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies does not conduct testing of our cosmetic or personal care products on animals and we do not ask others to test on our behalf, except when testing is required by law or specific government regulation. When it comes to the development of medicines, medical devices and other regulated health products, where animal use is often required, our policies reflect the highest animal welfare standards and meet or exceed all applicable local and national laws and regulations. To learn more about our policies, we invite you to see more information on our website:

https://www.jnj.com/caring/citizenship-sustainability/strategic-framework/animal-testing

In regard to your question about our ingredients, as we have many Aveeno® products, kindly respond with the exact product(s) you are inquiring about. We will be happy to assist you at that time.

Again, thank you for your interest in our company.  Should you have any comments or questions in the future, please contact us via our website www.aveeno.com or by calling our toll-free number, 1-866-428-3366.  Our specialists are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST and will be happy to assist you.

Traci H.
Consumer Care Center

The part above that I put in bold is why I do not believe that Aveeno is cruelty free. I believe Aveeno is selling somewhere that requires animal testing. Aveeno is owned by Johnson & Johnson and when I pressed for more information, they said they weren’t testing ‘except when testing is required by law or specific government regulation.’

To be clear, NO ONE is forcing any brand to sell in China or other countries that have mandatory animal testing. That’s on the company themselves if they choose to do that. And if they choose to do that, I won’t support them.

I personally find Aveeno’s response that they’re not testing on animals to be extremely misleading. Furthermore, Paula’s Choice also believes that Aveeno is not cruelty free. Same with PETA. So Aveeno is providing misleading information to people who reach out to them. I think it’s absolutely horrible.

As a refresher, a brand can be sold in Hong Kong and be cruelty free, provided they aren’t sold in mainland China. A brand can manufacture their products in China, but not sell in China, and be cruelty free. If a brand is available only online, without any physical locations in China, they can be cruelty free.

If a brand has a physical location in mainland China, like a cosmetics counter or a store or a warehouse, they’re testing on animals.

São Paulo, Brazil, The European Union, the UK, Norway, India, Israel, New Zealand, and Turkey have banned animal testing for cosmetics.

I’m saddened that the USA has not banned animal testing for cosmetics yet. I’m grateful for the cruelty free brands that are out there doing the right thing.

What do you think?

 

Cordelia Frost is the creative force behind Phyrra, a treasure trove for cruelty-free indie and goth makeup enthusiasts. She's the author of the game-changing 'Hooded Eyes Makeup Manual' a must-read for hooded eyes makeup.

Cordelia's world is a kaleidoscope of alternative beauty, gothic fashion, and life-enhancing tips, making every visit to Phyrra a journey into a more colorful and inspired self.

19 Comments

  1. Thanks for finding out. Its annoying that they hide it….if they are embarrassed that they do then they should STOP!!
    I didn’t know they were owned by Johnson & Johnson …but luckily I would never buy from a big consumer like J&J as they are guaranteed to be testing somewhere along the line. Such as companies under the proctor and gamble company.

  2. Well done for persisting. I will now no longer buy from them. I was under the impression that they were CF. I’m gutted as I was so happy I came across Aveeno as I have very sensitive skin but yet want to only use CF products. I thought finally I found a product that suits me and the poor defenseless animals. I will move on to ‘Yes to cucumber’ products.

    I’ve been enlightened. Thank you very much. x

    1. You’re welcome! The Ordinary has worked very well for me and is at the drugstore price point. You may want to check them out. phyrra.net/skin-care-how-to-create-skincare-routine-ordinary.html

    2. Yes to products and Merlot beans products are cruelty free. I have very sensitive skin and I adore Merlot daily face cream. It even has SPF! 🙂

  3. How awful. I had some skin troubles recently and got their Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream at the drugstore in the middle of the night bc I needed something right away. I thought Aveeno was CF but it is obvious that they are not. I will not be buying their products from now on.

    Their replies to you are so lame – your questions are clear, easy to understand, and specific. They should have been able to answer each of them without any problem. It’s really wrong to mislead people on top of doing something that is beyond wrong to begin with.

    I do not believe in animal testing for anything – it’s horrifying, incredibly cruel, and just…dumb! The animals are not going to be using the products! Humans are! There are so many different ways to test products that produce accurate data (unlike animal testing). Animal testing produces one result: suffering.

    If you ever hear of any petitions, voter initiatives, or anything on this topic where we can help please do a post on it! I’m sure I’m not the only one who would vote, sign a petition, and more. Thanks for getting the truth to us!

  4. Wow, they outright LIED in their first response to you. Good for you for pressing it further and finding they do indeed test where required by law. I don’t use them, anyway.

  5. I’d assumed they weren’t. I just assume not until I see otherwise. A poster on another blog tried to tell me CeraVe was cruelty free. I just choose to be nice and not reply.

    1. CeraVe was cruelty free at one point and then they changed their stance. I’ve gotten weird responses from them so they’re in my grey area and I won’t shop from them. It’s too bad, because they’re one of those brands that my derm recommended for my sensitive skin and rosacea. Thankfully I have Paula’s Choice!

  6. So annoying!! And it sucks because with migraines, they are one of the only body care lines that aren’t positively loaded with horrendous fragrances. UGH! More options please!

      1. Affordable, for irritable/itchy/easily allergic skin, with no fragrance/fragrance free

        1. For all of my skincare I swear by Paula’s Choice. No fragrance, great for my sensitive skin and rosacea. For my body, I have less sensitivities, but I’ve got something weird going on with my arms, so I’m stuck using some AmLactin lotion right now. I use The Body Shop (fragranced) shower gel or Ulta’s 3 in 1.

          1. Yeah the fragrance thing is hard. It’s so hard to force yourself to shower with a migraine when you know that fragrance is going to be actually painful to bear! I swear one of these days I’m going to try Paula’s Choice. I have always meant to…

  7. Pretty much what you bolded says it all. They can do the song and dance about “Oh, noooooo, we’re totally cruelty free…(*coughcoughexceptwhererequiredbylaw*).” That says to me, “Nope, we’re not getting OUR hands dirty. We’re selling to China, and they’re doing it for us.” It’s the same thing, it’s animal testing, no matter what patch of land you’re standing on.

    I think one of the most passive excuses I ever heard was this lame, half-hearted excuse from someone at Estee Lauder – “Oh well, the products manufactured and sold in the US aren’t tested on animals.” Okay then – specifically, let’s use an example: Advanced Night Repair serum (*which breaks me out horribly, so I don’t mind dragging it, LOL!*). If you check the ingredient list on the US Estee Lauder website, and then check the ingredient list on the Chinese Estee Lauder website, the ingredients are exactly the same! It’s not like there are Ingredients A, B and C going into the US version, and Ingredients X, Y and Z going into the version being shipped to China – it’s the exact same formulation. And even if it were totally different ingredients, that doesn’t matter. This is still a company who sold out for more money in order to expand into China.

  8. I hate it when companies give misleading answers. You chose to sell in China, so own up to it. I’m not even familiar with the brand, but it sucks that there’s another company out there that does this. Also, the policy in the European Union is very misleading. A lot of people think that all of our products are cruelty free now, but that’s not the case. L’Oreal, Maybelline and all of those brands are still available, they just test outside the European Union (I think, but they are not cruelty free at least).

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