If you love Lancome products and living a cruelty free life you now have an ethical dilemma to resolve.
You now need to find Lancome makeup and skin care alternatives to live a cruelty free life.
We’ll show you why along with the questionable disclosure gaps in Lancome’s animal testing policy.
We’ll also show you how to resolve this dilemma and find the best Lancome cruelty free alternatives.
… so let’s dive in.
is Lancome cruelty free?
Lancome is NOT a cruelty-free brand. They sell their cosmetics in mainland China where the law requires animal testing. Lancome’s policy is to not test on animals except where required by law.
L’Oreal owns Lancome and is also a company that tests on animals.
Does Lancome test on animals?
Yes, Lancome cosmetics are tested on animals in Mainland China. Lancome is clear in their animal testing policy – they do test on animals where required by law.
…But is the testing more wide-spread?
What’s not so clear is if ingredients are tested on animals. How they phrase the Lancome animal testing policy does not answer this question.
…this part gets interesting… but before we dive into this issue – let’s explore the actual testing policy.
Lancome animal testing policy
Here is the full Lancome Animal Testing policy from their website:
So this is the spot where many brands start to mislead consumers with omission of key facts.
Even though Lancome as a brand may not test on animals… they don’t disclose if their ingredients are tested on animals by suppliers.
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 deceptive, 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.
Does Lancome sell in China?
Yes, Lancome 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 Lancome China website, they have many stores across mainland China.
Lancome puts profits ahead of ethics. Lancome 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.
Lancome is also sold in China by Sephora:
Do Lancome’s Ingredient Suppliers Test on Animals?
So… the next step in our investigation dives into Lancome’s ingredient testing policies.
What we really want to know is if any animal testing happens on Lancome ingredients…
Does the Lancome animal testing policy prohibit the testing of ingredients and raw materials on animals?
Here is what we found on supplier testing
What we discovered is Lancome does not fully disclose if animal testing happens on their ingredients or raw materials provided by suppliers.
This part of Lancome’s animal testing policy leaves the door open for using ingredients tested on animals by suppliers:
“We at Lancôme do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law.”
Not asking others to test is not the same as assuring your products and ingredients are not tested on animals (by anyone).
What disclosure is missing
We would like to see Lancome disclose if any 3rd parties or suppliers test on their ingredients or raw materials.
…Is this really too much to ask?
We have asked Lancome to clarify this disclosure, but have not yet received a clear response.
Many cruelty free brands now choose to take an ethical stand and do not test on animals anywhere in their supply chain.
Unfortunately, Lancome 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 Lancome Vegan Friendly?
Lancome 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 Lancome Cosmetics?
Lancome is a large cosmetics brand owned by L’Oreal who is a large cosmetics conglomerate. L’Oreal is also not cruelty-free.
L’Oreal owns more than 30 other popular cosmetic brands such as Urban Decay, Maybelline, La Roche-Posey, NYX, Kiehl’s, and Redken.
L’Oreal admits they test their products on animals in Countries they sell that require it by law.
More Lancome Cosmetics Cruelty-Free FAQS
Is Lancome cruelty free in the US?
No, as they do not verify if ingredient suppliers test on animals.
Is Lancome on Peta’s Cruelty Free List?
No, Lancome has not certified with Peta as either cruelty-free or vegan.
Is Lancome on Leaping Bunny Approved cruelty-free list?
No, Lancome has not certified with Leaping Bunny as either cruelty-free or vegan.
Is Lancome Animal Friendly?
No, Lancome is not animal friendly as it tests on animals in China and may use animal-derived ingredients in its formulations.
Is Lancome Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
No, Lancome is not cruelty-free or vegan because it tests on animals in China, uses animal-derived ingredients, and does not label products as vegan.
Lancome cruelty-free Summary
Here is a summary of Lancome’s cruelty-free assessment. Lancome is not a cruelty-free brand at this time. To become cruelty-free Lancome would have to stop selling in countries that require animal testing and only use ingredients from suppliers that do not test on animals.
| Tests finished products on animals? | Yes, when required by law |
| Tests ingredients on animals? | No |
| Suppliers test on animals? | Unclear |
| Leaping Bunny Certified? | No |
| Peta Certified? | No |
| Uses animal-derived ingredients? | Likely |
| Vegan? | No |
| Sold in Mainland China? | Yes |
| Parent company? | L’Oreal |
| Are all parent company brands cruelty-free? | No |
Why we don’t consider Lancome 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 Lancome 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
Lancome 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 Lancome does not meet our Beauty + Kind standards due to their China animal 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.
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