I included the full list below, stating who owns each cruelty-free brand. You can also scroll to have a parent company view of all their brands, including some brands they own that we should all avoid.
Note that some companies on this list aren't 100% owned by the parent company (Kylie Cosmetics and The Ordinary). I included exactly how much the parent company owns.
List of Cruelty-Free Brands Owned by a Parent Companies That Test on Animals
This list features ALL cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that isn’t cruelty-free, across all categories.
- Aveda (owned by Estée Lauder)
- bareMinerals (owned by Shiseido)
- BECCA (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Bite Beauty (owned by Kendo which is owned by LVMH)
- Buxom (owned by Shiseido)
- Caldrea (owned by SC Johnson)
- Carol’s Daughter (owned by L’Oréal)
- CoverGirl (owned by Coty)
- Dermalogica (owned by Unilever)
- DevaCurl (owned by Henkel)
- Drunk Elephant (owned by Shiseido)
- Ecover (owned by SC Johnson)
- Hard Candy (owned by LVMH)
- Hello (owned by Colgate-Palmolive)
- Hourglass (owned by Unilever)
- IT Cosmetics (owned by L’Oréal)
- Kate Somerville (owned by Unilever)
- Kenra (owned by Henkel)
- KVD Vegan Beauty (owned by Kendo which is owned by LVMH)
- Kylie Cosmetics (51% of the company owned by Coty)
- Le Labo (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Marc Jacobs Beauty (owned by Kendo which is owned by LVMH)
- Method (owned by SC Johnson)
- Molton Brown (owned by Kao)
- Mrs Meyers (owned by SC Johnson)
- Murad (owned by Unilever)
- Nubian Heritage (owned by Sundial brands which is owned by Unilever)
- Nyakio (owned by Sundial brands which is owned by Unilever)
- NYX (owned by L’Oréal)
- Ole Henriksen (owned by Kendo which is owned by LVMH)
- Oribe (owned by Kao)
- Pravana (owned by Henkel)
- REN (owned by Unilever)
- Schmidt’s Naturals (owned by Unilever)
- Seventh Generation (owned by Unilever)
- Shea Moisture (owned by Sundial brands which is owned by Unilever)
- Smashbox (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Tarte (owned by Kosé)
- Tatcha (owned by Unilever)
- The Ordinary (28%+ of the company owned by Estée Lauder)
- Tom’s of Maine (owned by Colgate-Palmolive)
- Too Faced (owned by Estée Lauder)
- Urban Decay (owned by L’Oréal)
L'Oreal Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- NYX
- Urban Decay
- IT Cosmetics
- Carol's Daughter
- Garnier
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include Lancome, Kiehl's, Maybelline, Essie, Vichy, Biotherm, and the L'Oreal brand.
Estee Lauder Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- BECCA
- Smashbox
- Too Faced
- Aveda
- Le Labo
- A minority stake in Deciem (which includes The Ordinary)
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include Clinique, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Glamglow, La Mer, Origins, Jo Malone, and the Estee Lauder brand.
Unilever Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- REN
- Murad
- Kate Somerville
- Schmidt's Naturals
- Seventh Generation
- Hourglass
- Dermalogica
- Shea Moisture
- Nubian Heritage
- Nyakio
- Tatcha
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include Dove (not truly cruelty-free), Axe, Tresemme, Vaseline and many more.
Coty Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brand:
- CoverGirl
- Kylie Cosmetics (51% of shares)
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include OPI, Sally Hansen, Clairol, Burberry, Rimmel London, Bourjois, Wella, and Marc Jacobs Fragrances (not to be confused with Marc Jacobs Beauty, which is cruelty-free).
Procter & Gamble Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brand:
First Aid Beauty
Update: First Aid Beauty is unfortunately no longer on our cruelty-free list.
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include Pantene, Herbal Essences (not truly cruelty-free), Head & Shoulders, Olay, Secret, and Old Spice.
Shiseido Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- bareMinerals
- Buxom
- Drunk Elephant
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include NARS, Shiseido, Avene, Cle de Peau, Dolce & Gabbana, and Serge Lutens.
LVMH Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- KVD Vegan Beauty (Kendo)
- Bite Beauty (Kendo)
- Ole Henriksen (Kendo)
- Marc Jacobs Beauty (Kendo)
- Hard Candy
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include Benefit, Make Up For Ever, Fresh, Givenchy, Fenty Beauty (in the grey area), and the Sephora brand itself.
Note: Kendo is owned by LVMH, and owns some cruelty-free brands. Since Kendo's parent company is LVMH, I consider all Kendo brands to be ultimately owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
Colgate-Palmolive Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- Tom's of Maine
- Hello (oral care brand certified by Leaping Bunny)
Some brands they own that are NOT cruelty-free include Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, Lady Speed Stick, and Irish Spring.
Kao Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brands:
- Molton Brown
- Oribe
Kosé Owns The Following Cruelty-Free Brand:
- Tarte
I hope this list was helpful to new (or not so new) cruelty-free shoppers. For companies to avoid, please visit my list of companies that test on animals here.
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Hi Suzana,
I’m on assignment in WY and I walked into the local Walmart. I found a deodorant called HUMBLE – it has the Cruelty Free Bunny on the back of the container. It also states NOTHING BAD as well. Seems it’s made in the USA.
I noticed Fenty Beauty is in the grey area. What does that mean? I use their lip colour, and love it, but if they aren’t cruelty free, I’ll change.
As much as I hate the idea of using animals in such a way, if cosmetic companies aren’t going to test on animals, who are they going to test on? Children? I don’t want to use products that haven’t been tested; otherwise, I become and the guinea pig!
Diane
Canada
Quisiera saber cuál es el método que ustedes utilizan para saber a ciencia cierta que una empresa no es libre de crueldad animal, mejor dicho, que testean productos en animales.
What is a good brand of cruelty free cosmetics not owned by a non cruelty free organization
Is there a list of cruelty free brands that are completely independent?
Great lists to figure out who to avoid!
Thank you, glad it helps!
What about lumene? Is it cruelty free?
Useful list. It’s such a shame when companies whose foundations are based on ethics then sell out. Money > morals.
Helen
Tea in the Tub