Philosophy is NOT cruelty-free.
This means that this brand either tests on animals, pays for animal testing, or sells in mainland China. Some brands that fall under this category test on animals where required by law, which means they're not cruelty-free.
Philosophy isn't owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free.
At a Glance
| Finished products tested on animals | Yes, where required by law |
| Ingredients tested on animals | Uncertain |
| Suppliers test on animals | Uncertain |
| Third party animal testing | Yes, where required by law |
| Sold in mainland China | Yes |
Philosophy's Official Animal Testing Policy
“Philosophy is fully committed to using alternatives to animal testing to ensure the safety of our products. Please be assured that we do not perform, nor do we ever commission any third parties on our behalf to perform, animal testing on our products or ingredients except when required by law.”
What This Means
Although Philosophy as a company do not test their finished products or ingredients on animals, they nevertheless pay others to test their products on animals “where required by law”. This means that Philosophy is not cruelty-free.
When companies claim that they test on animals “where required by law”, it typically means that they sell their products in mainland China, where cosmetics are legally required to be tested on animals.
To learn more about animal testing laws in China, click here.
Philosophy also doesn’t mention whether or not their suppliers test on animals, which is a red flag.
Watch out for the “safety as a priority” trick. When a brand emphasizes “product safety”, like Philosophy does above, this generally means that they prioritize safety at any cost — even if this means testing on animals to prove safety.
From Their FAQ
Philosophy’s animal testing policy can be found on their official website, in their FAQ:
Why We Classify Brands Like Philosophy As “Not Cruelty-Free”
The term “cruelty-free” is unregulated. This means any brand can claim to be cruelty-free without breaking the law, even if they test on animals.
Because of this, we communicate with brands directly to gather information about their full animal testing policy.
Brands who are classified as “not cruelty-free” break one or more of the Cruelty-Free 5:
- Their company engages in animal testing
- Their suppliers engage in animal testing
- They allow third-parties to test on animals on their behalf
- They test on animals where required by law
- They knowingly sell cosmetics in stores in mainland China, where animal testing could be performed
A supplier is any company that sells the brand raw materials, ingredients, or finished products. A third-party is an outside company or entity, whether or not it’s hired by the brand.
What’s The Deal With China?
Many beauty brands choose to sell their products in China. It’s important to note that these companies can not be considered cruelty-free.
As of 2020, China still requires most cosmetics to be tested on animals in order to be sold in the country.
As for products which can bypass these mandatory tests, the Chinese authorities may still pull these products from the shelves and have them tested on animals. Although the chance is small, we believe that companies can not be considered “cruelty-free” while taking this risk.
