Is Philosophy Cruelty Free or Not? [2020 Update]

If you love Philosophy cosmetics and living a cruelty free life you need to pay attention! Is Philosophy cruelty free anymore?

Unfortunately, you will now need to find cruelty free makeup and skin care alternatives to replace Philosophy if you want to live an ethical lifestyle. Philosophy has landed on our list of brands that test on animals.

We’ll show you why, and the misleading disclosure gaps in their animal testing policy.

We’ll also show you how to fix this ethical dilemma, and how to find the best Philosophy cruelty free and vegan alternatives.

… so let’s dive in.

is PHILOSOPHY Cruelty free?

Philosophy is NOT a cruelty-free brand. They sell their cosmetics in mainland China where the law requires animal testing. Philosophy does disclose this fact in their animal testing policy.

Does PHILOSOPHY test on animals?

Yes, Philosophy cosmetics are tested on animals in Mainland China or where required by law. Philosophy clearly says this in their cosmetic product safety disclosure.

…but it makes us wonder if animal testing is more wide-spread?

What’s not so clear is if ingredients are tested on animals. How they phrase the Philosophy animal testing policy does not clearly answer this question.

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

PHILOSOPHY testing policy

Here is the full Philosophy Animal Testing policy disclosed on their website:

So this is the spot where many brands start to mislead consumers with omission of key facts.

Even though Philosophy as a brand may not test on animals directly… 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 not cool, 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 PHILOSOPHY sell in China?

Yes, Philosophy does sell in China Mainland China. Brands that sell in mainland China are subject to animal testing laws which require their products to be test on animals.

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

Do PHILOSOPHY’s Ingredient Suppliers Test on Animals?

So… the next step in our investigation dives into Philosophy’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. Brands serious about cruelty free cosmetics will certify with 3rd parties and provide explicit statements ensuring no testing has occurred on their products or ingredients by either them or their suppliers.

Unfortunately, Philosophy 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 PHILOSOPHY Vegan Friendly?

Philosophy 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.

Our Vegan Shopping Advice

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 PHILOSOPHY Brand?

Philosophy is a large cosmetics brand owned by Coty, Inc. who is a large cosmetics conglomerate. Coty, Inc. is not cruelty-free.

Coty, Inc. owns many popular beauty brands such Cover Girl, Rimmel, OPI, Marc Jacobs, and Sally Hansen

They have a few certified cruelty free beauty brands under the Coty, Inc. group which include:

• Cover Girl
• Stella McCartney Fragrances

Corporate Parent Animal Testing Policy

Coty, Inc. admits they test on animals in countries such as China where it is required by law.

More PHILOSOPHY Cosmetics Cruelty-Free FAQS

PHILOSOPHY Cosmetics cruelty-free Summary

Here is a summary of Philosophy’s cruelty-free assessment. Philosophy is not a cruelty-free brand at this time. To become cruelty-free Philosophy 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?	Yes
Suppliers test on animals?	Yes
Leaping Bunny Certified?	No
Peta Certified?	No
Uses animal-derived ingredients?	Likely
Vegan?	No
Sold in Mainland China?	Yes
Parent company?	Coty, Inc.
Are all parent company brands cruelty-free?	No

Why we don’t consider PHILOSOPHY 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 beauty and 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 Philosophy to be cruelty-free because they allow their products to be tested on animals in China. They also permit 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

Unfortunately Philosophy does not meet our Beauty + Kind highest standard due to their China animal testing and lack of vegan formulations.

PHILOSOPHY 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.

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.