Is Dove Cruelty-Free?

About Dove

Owned by Unilever, Dove was founded in the US back in 1957. It is known for being gentle on skin, is supposedly particularly good for those with sensitive skin, and is recommended when people get a tattoo or piercing for this reason. Dove has recently been a topic of discussion after people on the video app TikTok reported the Dove beauty bar as an affordable product that eliminated acne. This prompted a drive in sales and anecdotal reports of clearer skin due to the product. 

Is Dove cruelty-free?

This is a slightly tricky one. Dove is certified cruelty-free by PETA, but some are not quite convinced that Dove truly is cruelty-free. This is because China requires animal testing for imported skincare products by law, and technically Dove still sells its products there. It has managed to get around the testing though, as some types of products are exempt from testing in Chinese legislation, so it is these products that Dove sells there.

However, the problem is that, should a customer complain about the product or there is some kind of incident, post-market testing is required which means there is still the possibility the product can be tested on animals. As a result, some do not believe that Dove truly is cruelty-free, but this is a grey area and perhaps up to the individual to decide how comfortable they feel buying products from Dove. 

Is Dove vegan?

Dove is not a vegan brand, but some of its products do not contain ingredients derived from animals. Dove does not list any of its products as vegan.

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