Is Ponds cruelty-free?

That’s the eternal question any cruelty-free and vegan consumer is asking when shopping. So, we did a little digging to get you the answers you deserve before you open your wallet. 

Is Ponds Cruelty Free? 

The short version of this is No, as of mid-2020, Ponds was not a cruelty-free brand. While the company’s FAQ sections indicate that the brand is cruelty-free, you must take their word with a pinch of salt. From our research, we are marking that claim as a dispute. 

Here’s all you need to know about Ponds products before you start shopping: 

Does Ponds Test on Animals

The animal testing policy for Ponds as of November 2020 is as below:

Well, that’s quite short and straight to the point kid of an answer. But why do we have concerns? 

For starters, on the company’s FAQ page, right above the answer on animal testing, there is some information regarding Pond’s Institute. It is a leading renowned research institute with over 700 skincare experts researching skin care and diagnostics. 

The institute has marked its presences in several countries, including the USA, UK, India, Netherlands and.. Wait for it China!

We’re not even kidding about this:

That, coupled with the fact that Ponds sells its products in Mainland China can only translate to the fact that the company complies with the country’s requirements on animal testing on the product. Ponds might not be doing the tests on its own, but it is paying the authorities to conduct these tests in order to have its products on the Chinese shelves. 

Second, Pond's parent company is Unilever, a UK based brand that sells its products worldwide, including Mainland China. While Unilever claims it complies with EU regulations regarding animal testing, the company exports its products to Mainland China, which tests ended products on animals before a company is allowed to sell its in the region. 

In addition, Univer has categorically declared its cruelty-free brands, which are also PETA certified. These include Suave, Dove, Love Beauty & Planet, Simple, Love Home & Planet, and St Ives. 

You can clearly see that Ponds is missing from this list. Hopefully, Ponds will land on this list sooner since Unilever is working with PETA to have all its brands cruelty-free certified by 2023.

Is Ponds a Vegan Brand?

Straight to the answer: No, Ponds is not a vegan brand. 

When looking for vegan products, look for a vegan society logo or a leaping bunny logo on the packaging of the product. If these are lacking, it is best to assume that the product is not vegan. 

Some companies will state that their products are vegan and even provide a list of the ingredients. However, if the brand lacks certification from the necessary vegan bodies, it is best to look for an alternative. 

Pond’s products lack any of these certifications. In fact, Ponds seems to be a bit dodgy of the vegan question. If you run a “vegan” search on the website, you will be greeted by “we found 0 search results for vegan’’. 

Also, from the Q&A section of some of the products we checked out, Ponds did not offer straight answers to whether the product was vegan or not. A ‘’Yes’’ or ‘’No’’ answer would have sufficed but here is what Ponds offered on two occasions:

Ponds ingredients are also not clearly visible on the online products, and from the above answers, you can see the company does not offer sufficient answers regarding its ingredients, confirming that it tries to use vegetable-based ingredients as much as possible. We also experienced some trouble when we clicked the links with ingredients for various products. The page was either black or never loaded. 

What are the Alternatives?

We are glad you asked. Considering that Ponds is behind skin care products like facial cleansers, moisturizers, sheet masks, anti-aging creams, among others, here are vegan or cruelty-free brands available in the UK to keep in mind:

Neal's Yard Remedies

It is a natural and organics beauty products manufacturer with International Cruelty Free, Organic Soil Association, and Carbon Neutral certifications. You can buy hand care, bath & body, skin care and aromatherapy products from the site or the store finder page that shows UK stores that sell its products. 

Conscious Skincare

The brand has everything you look for in a vegan and cruelty-free brand. From natural beauty products with no phthalates, sodium laureath sulphate or parabens to multiple certifications from cruelty-free and vegan societies. The company has also won multiple awards. Our favorite choice is the men’s skincare with body wash, shaving gel and organic Jojoba oil so the men. 

FOM London

The brand produces a variety of products, like moisturisers, serums, cleansers, and others for all skin types. All the products use natural ingredients and are packaged in recyclable and reusable glass containers, and fully recyclable carton boxes. The serum is available on Amazon, but you can get the other products from the company’s site. 

Vegan Fox 

If you are looking for a brand that’s a cruelty free alternative to ponds cold cream, Vegan Fox’s face cream could be an excellent choice. It is certified as vegan, animal friendly and it is also handmade. Other products from the brand include body cream, body scrub and body oil. 

Bottom Line

Is Ponds cruelty free or vegan? No and No. it is neither vegan nor is it vegan brands even though the company’s FAQ section states otherwise. The brand does not bear any certifications from cruelty-free or vegan societies. Ponds together with the parent company, Unilever, also sells their products in Mainland China where animal testing policies are yet to change for the best.