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No Mentadent is not cruelty-free as it sells products in mainland China, as per Unilever’s policy. And whilst the brand doesn’t appear to use animal byproducts, it cannot be considered vegan because it is complicit in testing on animals.
Is Mentadent Cruelty-Free?
No Mentadent isn’t cruelty-free. Whilst the product isn’t directly tested on animals, some of their suppliers do
Any brand that sells in mainland China loses control over whether their products are tested on animals or not. And as such can’t be classified as cruelty-free.
You can find out more about this on our animal testing laws page.
- No Mentadent isn’t cruelty-free
- Yes Mentadent is sold in China
- Mentadent is technically vegan – but tests on animals, so can’t be
- It is vegetarian, but ditto
- No Mentadent isn’t palm-oil free
- And is owned by Unilever – one of the biggest FMCG companies revenue-wise in China
Is Mentadent sold in China?
Yes Mentadent is sold in China. This means it could be complicit with testing on animals. This can happen in either pre or post-production and brands are powerless to prevent it happening, even having to pay for the testing personally.
And most Unilever brands do sell in China. It setup its first factory in China in 1923 and currently has 8 production sites as well as 26 logistic centers in China. As of 2021, ecommerce sales from China made up 40% of the brand’s business.
Whilst countries involved in selling products in China can be cruelty-free – see Bulldog or Charlotte Tilbury – , China’s animal testing policy is no longer as black and white is it seemed.
What is Mentadent’s Official Stance on Animal Testing?
Mentadent don’t seem to have an official stance on animal testing.
It’s safe to assume it takes the same stance as its parent company – Unilever.
Is Mentadent Vegan?
Whilst the ingredient list at Mentadent looks to be free-from animal byproducts – like most toothpaste – the brand cannot be considered vegan as it is complicit in animal testing.
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Mentadent
These are a few of our favourite cruelty-free dental hygiene alternatives to Mentadent we think you’ll love.
FAQs
No Mentadent is not certified cruelty-free by any animal welfare organisations – accredited or otherwise – as the brand is complicit in animal testing.
No Mentadent isn’t Leaping Bunny certified as the brand isn’t cruelty-free. It features in PETA’s ‘does test on animals’ database.
No Mentadent is not palm oil free. Mentadent – like many Unilever owned companies – has the worst possible rating for its palm oil consumption.
Mentadant is owned by Unilever, a British multinational consumer goods company who own a plethora of household names like Simple Skincare, Dermalogica, Dove, Vaseline, Ben & Jerry’s and Persil.
You can see the rest of Unilever’s oral care brands here.
Mentadent is still available, but only in certain markets – not including the UK, USA and Canada as Church & Dwight own the rights for the North American market
Whilst Mentadent is paraben-free it is not free-from sulfates.
SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is used in the majority of its toothpastes and whilst some are SLS-free, the brand is not sulfate-free.
