Is Dior Cruelty Free Anymore? [2020 Update]

If you love Dior products and living a cruelty free life you now have an ethical dilemma to resolve. 

You now need to find Dior makeup and skin care alternatives to live a cruelty free life.

We’ll show you why along with the questionable disclosure gaps in Dior’s animal testing policy.

We’ll also show you how to resolve this dilemma with the best Dior cruelty free alternatives.

… so let’s dive in.

is Dior cruelty free?

Dior is NOT a cruelty-free brand. They sell their cosmetics in mainland China where the law requires animal testing. Dior’s policy is to not test on animals except where required by law.

LVMH Group owns Dior and is also a company that tests on animals.

Dior Lipstick Dupes that are Cruelty Free

Does Dior test on animals?

Yes, Dior Cosmetics are tested on animals in Mainland China. Dior does not reveal the full extent of their animal testing activities in their published animal testing policy… and this really sucks.

…But why don’t they tell the full story on animal testing?

…this part gets interesting… but before we dive into this issue – let’s explore their actual testing policy.

Dior Cruelty Free Lip Gloss Dupes

Dior animal testing policy

Here is the full Dior Animal Testing policy from their website:

So this is where many big brands like Dior start to mislead consumers with omission of key facts.

Even though Dior as a brand may not test on animals directly by themselves… they don’t disclose if their ingredients are tested on animals by suppliers.

…Or if regulators test on them.

… or if they test on ingredients.

BTW… in case you didn’t know… most animal testing occurs at the ingredient level, and not the product level.

…So avoiding this topic is unprofessional, and is not a complete disclosure on animal testing facts.

More on this in a bit… first we need to talk about testing in China.

Dior Foundation Dupes that are Cruelty Free

Does Dior sell in China?

Yes, Dior does sell in China and has many locations across Mainland China. Brands that sell in mainland China are subject to animal testing laws which require their products to be test on animals.

As you can see from the Dior China website, they have many stores across mainland China.

Dior puts profits ahead of ethics. Dior is willing to allow testing of their products in China to access this marketplace. China is one of their fastest and largest growing consumer markets.

Dior Cosmetics is also sold in China by Sephora:

Do Dior Ingredient Suppliers Test on Animals?

So… the next step in our investigation dives into Diors’s ingredient testing policies.

Many cruelty free brands now choose to take an ethical stand and do not test on animals anywhere in their supply chain.

Unfortunately, Dior Cosmetics is not a brand that has committed 100% to eliminating all animal testing across their supply chain, or alternatively, providing more explicit disclosure on this controversial topic.

Is Dior Vegan Friendly?

Dior is not vegan. They do not provide vegan labelling on products, nor are they certified as vegan with either Leaping Bunny or Peta. It is likely some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients, as these are often less expensive to source as cosmetic ingredients.

It’s safe to assume that if a brand has not declared vegan status they allow the use of animal-derived ingredients in their formulations. Most brands are not vegan because it’s much more expensive to source and manage vegan raw materials through supply chains.

Common animal-derived ingredients

Ingredients that are often sourced from animals include:

• Hyaluronic Acid – often found in serums and moisturizers
• Retinol – found in some night creams
• Carmine – often found in blush and lipstick
• Stearic Acid – found in skin creams
• Glycerin – a humectant found in many moisturizers
• Lanolin – in some moisturizers
• Lactic Acid – found in some Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
• Beeswax – often found in lipstick and lip balms
• Animal hair – used in makeup brushes
• Guanine – can be used in nail polish and eye shadow
• Keratin – in hair and nail products
• Squalene – in moisturizers, eye creams and facial oils

The bottom line with vegan cosmetics is it’s really difficult to tell from the ingredient list if the source is animal or synthetic versions. As shoppers we can only rely on vegan labelling, certification and other disclosures offered by the brand.

If a product is not advertised and labelled as 100% vegan you should assume it contains animal-derived ingredients.

We also want to understand if the entire brand is vegan… or just select products.

For ethical reasons many people now only use vegan products from a brand that is 100% vegan and free of animal ingredients.

Who owns Dior?

Dior is a large cosmetics brand owned by LVMH who is a large cosmetics conglomerate. LMVH is not cruelty-free.

More Dior Cosmetics Cruelty-Free FAQS

So, Is Dior cruelty-free?

Here is a summary of Dior’s cruelty-free assessment. Dior is not a cruelty-free brand at this time. To become cruelty-free Dior would have to stop selling in countries that require animal testing and only use ingredients from suppliers that do not test on animals. They would also have to improve their animal testing policy to clarify they don’t test on ingredients.

Tests finished products on animals?	Yes, when required by law
Tests ingredients on animals?	Not disclosed
Suppliers test on animals?	Not disclosed
Leaping Bunny Certified?	No
Peta Certified?	No
Uses animal-derived ingredients?	Likely
Vegan?	No
Sold in Mainland China?	Yes
Parent company?	LVMH
Are all parent company brands cruelty-free?	No

Why we don’t consider Dior a cruelty-free brand

To start with, there is no legal definition for the claims of “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” that are used by cosmetic brands.

The most common definition for “cruelty-free” is that a product or its ingredients were not tested on animals.

Where this gets murky is when brands only talk about their direct testing activities, and omit facts about 3rd party animal testing that may take place on their products or ingredients.

We don’t consider Dior to be cruelty-free because they allow their products to be tested on animals in China. They are also silent on ingredient testing by others in their animal testing disclosure.

Our Cruelty-Free Standard

At Beauty + Kind our standard for “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” is very simple. We require brand disclosure that no animal testing has occurred during any part of bringing their product to market by any party. This includes testing on raw materials, ingredients, finished products or selling in countries where animal testing is required by law.

Beauty + Kind

Dior Cruelty-Free and vegan Alternatives

If your looking to switch to more ethical brands, here are some cruelty-free and vegan options to consider:

Certified Cruelty Free

Take the guess work out of it and browse the ultimate list of cruelty free makeup and skin care brands.

Certified Vegan

Easily find brands that certify they don’t use animal-derived ingredients on the list of vegan makeup and skin care brands.

Certified Natural

Learn more about brands using natural formulations on the ultimate list of natural makeup and skin care brands.

Certified Organic

Discover brands focused on botanicals and organics on the ultimate list of organic makeup and skin care brands.

DIY Clean Beauty

Have some fun creating clean beauty formulations from the ultimate list of DIY makeup and skin care recipes.

Should You switch to kinder beauty brands?

Our philosophy and Beauty + Kind is that TRUE CRUELTY-FREE BEAUTY means that no harm to animals has happened during the entire manufacturing and testing process. This includes the source and harvest of ingredients, ingredient testing, and testing of the final product.

Unfortunately Dior does not meet our Beauty + Kind standards due to their China animal testing exposure, unclear position on ingredient testing, and lack of vegan formulations.

How to make the Switch to Animal-Friendly Brands

Making the switch is easier than you think once you have the right information. If you want to switch to more ethical and animal-friendly beauty brands check out the ultimate list of vegan and cruelty-free brands.