Simple 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.
Simple is owned by Unilever, a company that is not cruelty-free.
Simple's Official Animal Testing Policy
“Simple does not test on animals and has not done so for many years. We’ve used non-animal approaches to make sure our products are safe since we were acquired by Unilever in 2011 and no government body has performed animal testing on our behalf. Consumers in China can purchase Simple products only via cross-border channels & cross-border e-commerce, neither of which require testing by local authorities. Should we launch in China one day, we will do so in a way that does not require animal testing. We will do this by producing locally and offering only products that never require animal testing. Our parent company Unilever actively collaborates with the Chinese government to develop and apply non-animal approaches.”
What This Means
Simple is not currently sold in China, however they might plan to in the future. For this reason, they are not cruelty-free according to our standards. Please read this post for all the details.
Why We Classify Brands Like Simple 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.
“Simple® is aligned with Unilever’s corporate position on animal testing: we do not test our products on animals and are committed to ending animal testing. Our leading-edge research has one clear purpose: to continue to develop new non-animal approaches that can guarantee that our products are safe, without any need for animal testing.
Occasionally, when there are no suitable non-animal approaches available, some of the ingredients we use have to be tested; and some governments test our products on animals as part of their regulatory requirements. We are actively working with these governments, other scientists and NGOs, to put in place alternative methods.”
https://www.simpleskincare.com/my/contact/faqs.html
I got this directly from their FAQ. Kind of deceiving to say they don’t test on animals in the first paragraph, but then admit in the second they will if it is required…
Yes I saw that too. Now I’m confused are they cruelty-free.
Hi Nicole! We’re looking into it right now. 🙂
Are they now cruelty free? i saw somehting that said they are now!!