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Cerave is neither cruelty-free nor vegan. The brand sells products in China where animal testing on products can still be mandated by law.
Is CeraVe Cruelty-Free?
No CeraVe isn’t cruelty-free. Whilst the brand claims that none of its products are tested on animals, it sells in mainland China.
Any brand that sells in mainland China loses control over whether their products are tested on animals or not. And as such still can’t be classified as cruelty-free.
You can find out more about this on our animal testing laws page.
CeraVe Ethical Overview
- CeraVe is not cruelty-free
- It does sell products in China
- It is not a vegan brand – although the UK version of the brand is
- Ditto for vegetarians
- And it is owned by L’Oreal
Is CeraVe sold in China?
Yes CeraVe products are sold in China. And if your products are sold in-store in China, they are, at the very least, at risk of being tested on animals.
This can happen in either pre or post-production. What this means is brands can essentially say we don’t test our products or ingredients on animals and neither do our suppliers.
- As pre-production testing is only required on products manufactured outside of China and certain special-use products – sunscreen or bleach for example.
- But by selling in China, post-production testing can occur. So your products could be taken from shelves and tested on animals under Chinese jurisdiction.
Selling cosmetic goods in China comes with a heavy price. You can find out more about China’s animal testing policy here.
Is CeraVe Vegan?
No CeraVe isn’t vegan. They do have some vegan products, but you couldn’t consider them a vegan brand as they use a number of animal-derived ingredients in their products, including:
- Beeswax
- Glycerin – although this can be from plant-based sources, it’s largely unspecified and that isn’t a good thing
- Cholestrol – a type of lipid only found in animal products
On a positive note, the brand have stated that they’re looking to be 90% vegan by 2021.
CeraVe Cruelty-Free Alternatives
These are a few of our favourite cruelty-free, vegan skincare alternatives to CeraVe we think you’ll love.
FAQs
CeraVe is owned by L’Oréal, who technically aren’t cruelty-free.
Whilst they claim none of their products are tested on animals, they have their products and ingredients tested on animals by third parties. Selling in mainland China for example.
No CeraVe is not certified cruelty-free by any animal welfare organisations. Accredited or otherwise.
No CeraVe isn’t Leaping Bunny certified as the brand isn’t cruelty-free.
Much like the vegan scenario above, CeraVe has multiple vegetarian products, but isn’t completely vegetarian.
So whilst the UK version is both vegan and veggie, it still can’t be classified as cruelty-free.
