The Truth About Vanicream's Animal Testing Policy

Although Vanicream and Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc. do not test on animals themselves, they nonetheless delegate this task to others, in this case to an “outside laboratory”. This means that they allow their finished products or ingredients to be tested on animals by suppliers, third parties, or both. Vanicream is not cruelty-free.

Vanicream’s previous animal testing policy states the following:

“Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc. [parent company of Vanicream] does not test our products on animals nor do any of our products contain any animal ingredients. The ingredients used in our products are either produced synthetically or derived from vegetable sources. That’s not to say some manufacturer won’t use animal source in times of shortage, although most of these ingredients can’t be extracted from animal sources. It is our policy to avoid animal testing of our products unless there is no satisfactory alternative method to assure product safety, or if it is required by a government agency such as the Food and Drug Administration or Consumer Product Safety Commission. When such tests are required, they are conducted by an outside laboratory that has appropriate credentials and is licensed and regulated by governmental agencies.”

It’s important to note that the animal testing policy above applies to their parent company, Pharmaceutical Companies Inc. It’s equally important to note that Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc. is not a cruelty-free brand based on the above policy, as they do test on animals if no other alternative is available.

As of 2021, Vanicream has updated their policy. When we contacted them, we received the following statement:

“Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us with your questions. We have not, nor will we ever, test on animals or use animal-derived ingredients. All our products go through extensive testing as well as we collect all documentation to ensure this to be true. The founders of this company have felt very strongly about this since day one, and that will never change—we take great pride in being cruelty free.

All of our sourced ingredients are selected based upon the ingredient manufacturers answering questions for us in regards to whether or not that specific ingredient has been tested on animals or is sourced from animals. We do not sell in China, and any countries outside the U.S that want to sell our products do sign a contract from us in which we state that we strongly discourage any 3rd party animal testing on our finished products.”

Based on their new animal testing policy, we can’t be 100% certain that Vanicream is cruelty-free. Specifically, if you look at their closing statement, they claim that they “strongly discourage any 3rd party animal testing” on their finished products. This part is relevant to animal testing in China. It means that although Vanicream as a company doesn’t test on animals, they do not monitor whether or not their distributors sell their products in the Chinese market.

When we followed up with in-depth questions, the brand claimed that they are only available in stores in the following markets: Oman, Canada, UK, Guam, Malaysia, Philippines, Argentina, Chile, South Korea, Taiwan, and South Arabia.

Because we can’t be certain of Vanicream’s claims, we have moved this brand to the grey area. Vanicream is owned by a company that does test on animals (provided there are no other alternatives).

Is Vanicream owned by a parent company that tests on animals?

Vanicream is owned by Pharmaceutical Companies Inc., a company that tests on animals. Not only is Vanicream not cruelty-free but neither is their parent company.

In the beauty industry, it’s common for brands to be owned by a larger company. These are called parent companies, and they’re often global corporations such as L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, or Procter & Gamble.

Most of these parent companies are not cruelty-free, since they test on animals to some degree. They might also own several brands that are not cruelty-free.

However, some of the brands owned by these parent companies are cruelty-free and have strict policies against animal testing.

There are pros and cons to supporting cruelty-free brands owned by parent companies that aren’t.

You can either:

• Choose to boycott them since they’re a part of a larger conglomerate that engages in animal testing.
• Choose to support some of them based on the individual ethics of each parent company, or only purchase from them if there are no independent alternatives.
• Choose to support them since they are 100% cruelty-free even though their parent company is not, therefore showing their parent company that consumers are favoring their cruelty-free brands.

In the cruelty-free community, the majority of conscious consumers purchase from cruelty-free brands even if they’re owned by a parent company that tests on animals. This is our stance at Cruelty-Free Kitty as well. We believe that supporting all cruelty-free brands is the only path towards a cruelty-free and more ethical beauty industry.

It’s also worth noting that subsidiary brands of parent companies are unique corporations by themselves. They act as independent branches and operate independently from the parent company, and can also be sold to other companies including cruelty-free ones.

Another aspect to consider is that many parts of the world only have access to limited brands, so their only cruelty-free options are owned by large corporations. This is a concern we hear about constantly from our international readers. Given this complex landscape, we believe that supporting all cruelty-free brands is ethical as well as practical.

A minority of shoppers choose to boycott brands owned by a parent company that tests on animals.

At Cruelty-Free Kitty, we make it easy for all of our readers to know which brands are owned by a parent company that tests on animals. At the top of each brand page, you’ll see a “parent company” note if that’s the case.

You can also filter our list of cruelty-free brands to only show brands that are not owned by any company that tests on animals.

Finally, for a list of brands owned by a parent company that tests on animals, click here.

Is Vanicream sold where animal testing is required by law?

It's unclear if Vanicream is available for sale countries with mandatory animal testing.

You can trust Cruelty-Free Kitty to be on top of the most recent changes in China's animal testing laws. As of 2024, the vast majority of beauty brands available in China have had their products tested on animals.

Mainland China still requires these mandatory animal tests for most companies. Is it possible for brands to bypass them? Yes, however it's currently extremely rare as brands need to "jump through several hoops".

One way to bypass these animal tests is to only have their products available only online, and not in physical stores. Another way is to manufacture the products in China while making sure to adhere to strict regulations.

In all other cases, beauty brands need to pay for cruel animal tests to be performed using their products. It's estimated that close to 100,000 rabbits are used in animal testing for cosmetics each year in China alone.

Even though the company itself isn't executing these animal experiments, they bear full responsibility. Not only does the company sign off on the experiments, but they're also funding them.

Is Vanicream certified cruelty-free by any organizations?

No, Vanicream is not certified by any organizations.

While companies can be fully cruelty-free without being certified, it’s still a good indicator of their ethical practices. Leaping Bunny and PETA are the two organizations giving out cruelty-free certification.

Is Vanicream vegan?

No, Vanicream is not vegan. This means that some of their products may contain animal-derived ingredients. Vanicream might offer some vegan products, however because this company is not cruelty-free, it's recommended to avoid any products they offer even if they are vegan.

Brands can be cruelty-free without being vegan, and claim to be vegan without being cruelty-free. This is because “cruelty-free” refers to the animal testing aspect, while “vegan” refers to the ingredients.

A “vegan” product contains no animal-derived ingredients, such as Beeswax (made by bees), Carmine (a red pigment made from crushed beetles), or Collagen (from mammal or fish skin).

A company is “cruelty-free” at company level, meaning they can’t have cruelty-free products unless the whole company is cruelty-free. However, a company can offer vegan products even if not all of their products are vegan. If all of their products are vegan, then we refer to the brand as “100% vegan”.

We have a list of 100% vegan brands, and you can also filter our official list of cruelty-free brands and choose to show vegan brands only.

Looking for vegan products from cruelty-free brands? Visit our Product Database and make sure you use the vegan filter.

Is Cruelty-Free Kitty reliable?

Cruelty-Free Kitty is the largest and most trusted cruelty-free shopping platform.

We vet every single brand added to our database by contacting them directly and ensuring they adhere to our strict criteria we call "The Cruelty-Free 5".

For a brand to be listed as cruelty-free, it must satisfy the following:

1. The brand itself does not test on animals, for either finished products or ingredients.
2. Suppliers do not test on animals for products, raw materials, or ingredients.
3. No third parties test on animals on the brand's behalf.
4. The brand does not test on animals when required by law.
5. The brand does not sell cosmetics in physical stores in mainland China.

At Cruelty-Free Kitty, we have an unwavering commitment to accuracy. The landscape of cosmetics animal testing is constantly evolving globally. Our team is diligent about staying current on changing laws, brand acquisitions, and policy updates that impact cruelty-free status.

To date, we’ve vetted over 1200+ brands and helped millions of conscious shoppers choose products that aren’t tested on animals. Please feel free to contact us with any questions by using our contact form.