Dove is one of the most widely recognised beauty and personal hygiene brands in the world, and you’ll no doubt have come across its products before. Dove is marketed as a brand that empowers everyone, everywhere to feel their best – but does the same apply to animals? Is Dove cruelty-free and vegan in 2022?
As vegans, it can be difficult to cut through the noise and figure out which of the thousands of beauty brands available to us is ethical. That’s why we’ve committed to finding the most up to date information possible regarding well-known brands like Dove, so you can take the stress out of shopping.
Read on to discover whether Dove is cruelty-free and vegan in 2022, with everything you need to know about whether this household name brand tests on animals.
Is Dove cruelty-free in 2022?
So, is Dove cruelty-free? Let’s answer this in two parts, as it’s not quite a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question.
The first part of the question is: does Dove test on animals? This is the overarching question that must be answered to determine whether a brand is cruelty-free or not. According to PETA, Dove does not test on animals and has committed to upholding this ban across the world. This has earned Dove a place on PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies list.
This has been confirmed by Dove, which says:
“Dove does not test on animals. For over 30 years, we’ve used multiple alternative, non-animal approaches to test the safety of our products and ingredients. We have removed all permissions for testing of our products by governments on our behalf.”
Nevertheless, just a quick search on the Dove website suggests that the brand continues to sell its products in China. Although mandatory animal testing in China ended for most general cosmetics in 2021, some products are still subject to animal testing. For many people, this is proof that China hasn’t gone far enough to eradicate animal testing for cosmetic purposes and is the number one reason why beauty brands should refuse to sell products throughout the country.
Although Dove states that it does not test on animals, many people believe that it cannot be deemed a cruelty-free brand until it commits to withdrawing its products from any counties where regulatory animal testing rules are in force.
What do you think? Would you be comfortable using Dove products?
Is Dove going cruelty-free?
The next question you might be wondering is, is Dove going cruelty-free? It’s certainly looking positive, now that the brand is certified by PETA. However, it’s difficult to predict whether Dove will take the next steps to become completely ethical and sustainable.
We recommend keeping an eye out for any news that Dove has been certified by Cruelty Free International. According to the organisation, a brand must agree to ‘ongoing independent audits to ensure compliance’ and implement a series of systems and checks to ensure every step of the supply chain is in adherence.
PETA, on the other hand, appears to have a less strict approach. According to its website, joining its Beauty Without Bunnies list requires brands to verify that ‘that they and their suppliers do not conduct, commission, pay for, or allow any tests on animals for their ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world and that they will never do so in the future.’
As a result, many vegans and cruelty-free shoppers appear to trust Cruelty Free International significantly more. So, if you’re curious as to whether Dove is going cruelty-free, this might be where you choose to look.
Is Dove vegan in 2022?
Even if you’re completely satisfied by Dove’s cruelty-free credentials, you’ll struggle to find products that are certified vegan.
Here’s what Dove has to say on the matter:
“We know some of our community are looking for vegan products, and we are exploring routes to offer vegan-accredited Dove products to meet this demand.”
We also inspected some of the most popular Dove products available to purchase online and found ingredients that may or may not be vegan. These include stearic acid, glycerin and glycol distearate, which can be derived from plant or animal sources. If the source from which they’re obtained isn’t stated, and the product isn’t certified vegan, it’s always best to err on the side of caution.
What’s more, a brand can only be considered truly vegan if it’s also cruelty-free. As there’s doubt about whether Dove fits the bill here, it seems there’s still some progress to be made before the vegan community starts shopping for Dove products.
Vegan & cruelty-free personal care brands
If Dove is currently a no-go for vegan and cruelty-free personal care and beauty products (we hope this will change soon!), then where else can you buy the same standard of creams and lotions? Below, we’ve listed some of the vegan and cruelty-free personal care brands that are changing the game in 2022.
Note: As always, please do check product labels and ingredients before using them to ensure you’re confident that they’re both cruelty-free and vegan. Although we take great care to provide only the most accurate information, it’s important to double-check.
Biossance
- Biossance cruelty-free credentials will wow you! This clean beauty brand is certified by both PETA and Leaping Bunny, offers carbon neutral shipping, and even protects sharks with its vegan squalene! You can read more here.
Vegan by happy skin
- Vegan by Happy Skin describes itself as a ‘natural, vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand’, with enough serums, moisturisers and cleansers to fill a whole bathroom! You can start shopping here.
Faith in Nature
- Faith in Nature has everything you need to champion sustainable skincare, from soap bars to refillable body wash cartons. Plus, Faith in Nature states that its products are vegan, ethical and cruelty-free, which is great news for us!
At Vegomm, it’s our vision to make being vegan a piece of (plant-based) cake. That’s why we go the extra mile to help you shop cruelty-free and ethical products, whether you’re looking for face moisturisers, faux leather jackets, or advent calendars at Christmas! Keep up to date for everything you need to know.