Is Aveeno cruelty-free?
The quick and dirty answer: nope.
Read on to learn more about Aveeno’s animal testing policies, their parent company, and other factors that play a role in that answer.
Then, check out my top three favorite cruelty-free beauty alternatives to Aveeno.
Aveeno Animal Testing Policies
Let’s start where we always do when discussing the cruelty-free status of a product: Does Aveeno test on animals?
While most brands just pop the answer into their FAQs, Aveeno actually has an entire page dedicated to it.
Of course, on that page you’ll find just one paragraph. It reads:
We want you to feel good about how we make AVEENO® products. You can only do that if you have the facts. The fact is, AVEENO® doesn’t conduct animal testing of our cosmetic products anywhere in the world, except in the rare situation where governments or laws require it. At AVEENO®, we won’t ever compromise on the quality or safety of our products or stop seeking alternatives to animal testing.
If you read my post last week-“Is Neutrogena Cruelty-free“- those words will look very familiar. There’s a reason for it, which we’ll discuss in a moment.
First, though, let’s break it down a bit, just in case you haven’t read our other posts on the topic.
What do they mean by “except in the rare situation”?
As I’ve said before, the word “except” is very important. You can’t say that you don’t test on animals, then throw that word out there. You either do or you don’t.
Aveeno, like many other brands, sells in countries that require animal testing by law, including China and Brazil.
We’ve talked about why this is such a big deal before, so I’m not going to rehash the entire conversation. If you’re curious, take a look at our post on Does Cerave Test on Animals.
Bottom line, if a brand sells their products in those countries, they CANNOT be called cruelty-free, period. No ifs, ands or buts.
What do they mean by “we don’t test our cosmetic products?”
When you’re researching cruelty-free beauty products, you really have to look more at what a brand doesn’t say than at what they do say.
For example, Aveeno writes that it doesn’t “conduct animal testing of our cosmetic products.”
What does this mean? Basically, the brand does not test its final product on animals. Wait, that’s a good thing, right?
Well, yes…but what about the ingredients that go into the product? Are they tested on animals?
Another watch-for is the way they worded it. Let’s look at it again.
The fact is, AVEENO® doesn’t conduct animal testing of our cosmetic products anywhere in the world…
What do you see? I see what translates to “Aveeno itself does not test our cosmetic products on animals.”
What I don’t see is some sort of verbiage indicating that they also don’t use animal-tested ingredients period. Nor do they say that they don’t allow others to test on their behalf.
When I look at my favorite cruelty-free beauty brands, on the other hand, their FAQs always include this extra information. They want to make it VERY clear that they’re kind to animals, after all.
Now, I’m not saying vague wording like that is always shady, but it definitely gives me pause and makes me take a MUCH closer look at a brand’s overall policies.
In this case, while I already knew the answer, I found more concerning news just by scrolling to the Aveeno website footer.
There, in small text, you’ll find the words “This site is published by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc…”
Why does that matter? Keep reading to find out.
Aveeno’s Parent Company DEFINITELY Tests on Animals
Johnson and Johnson is many things, but cruelty-free is NOT one of them.
Not only does Aveeno’s parent company use almost the same exact verbiage when asked about whether they test on animals, but the brand also makes pharmaceuticals.
In fact, if you’ve been keeping up with COVID vaccine news, you know that they created one of them. All of the COVID vaccines (and pretty much all vaccines in general) undergo animal testing.
While I won’t touch the vaccine debate with a 1,000-foot pole, I will say this: as much as I abhor the fact that animals are used for medical research, I recognize that we NEED vaccines and medicine.
However, we DO NOT NEED beauty products. Sure, they’re nice, but we can live without them.
For me personally, I can deal with (not like, barely tolerate, but deal with) taking a vaccine that was tested on animals. I cannot, however, justify using mascara that was jabbed into a bunny’s eyes.
So if Aveeno was more like Morphe- who is cruelty-free themselves but has connections to the medical industry through their parent company- I’d be on the fence about using their products.
However, since we’ve already established that Aveeno isn’t cruelty-free, it’s a moot point. I don’t even have to think about it beyond the word “except.”
Aveeno Cruelty-Free FAQs
Is Aveeno certified by any cruelty-free organizations?
Is Aveeno a Vegan-Friendly Brand?
Now that we know Aveeno is not cruelty-free, what can we use instead? Keep reading for my favorite alternatives.
FYI, this part of the post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.
3 100% Cruelty free alternatives to Aveeno
Aveeno has a pretty wide range of beauty products, including cleansers, face creams, sunscreen, and more.
However, they’re best known for their gentle hypoallergenic lotions. So, for our cruelty-free alternatives, we’ll focus on those.
1. Eco Tan Coconut Body Milk
Although the name makes it sound like a tanning lotion, Eco Tan Coconut Body Milk is actually a whole-body, everyday solution for those who need a safe and gentle moisturizer.
It’s made with certified organic and natural ingredients and complete free of chemicals, fragrances, and other nasty ingredients. It’s also certified cruelty-free by PETA.
2. CV Skinlabs Body Repair Lotion
CV Skin Labs is a soothing full-body lotion made with 99.4% all-natural ingredients. While only 58.4% of those are organic, it’s still among the best cruelty-free Aveeno lotions.
I’ve actually used this one in the past, and I have incredibly sensitive skin. I like that it’s fragrance-free and devoid of other nasty chemicals.
I also love that it includes turmeric, which is fabulous for your skin.
3. Nourish Organic Moisturizing Shea Butter
When you need a hypoallergenic moisturizer, you can almost never go wrong with shea butter. It’s one of the few skincare ingredients with ZERO recorded allergic reactions.
While you can actually find just plain shea fairly cheap, I like the consistency of Nourish Organic’s version better.
For more alternatives, I HIGHLY recommend checking out Safe & Chic.
Their entire store is all cruelty-free products, so you don’t have to search on one list (Leaping Bunny is what I use), then head to Amazon and try to find the product.
ALSO READ: Best Makeup at the 2022 Grammys
Final Words on Aveeno’s Cruelty-Free Status
Bottom line, Aveeno may be one of the gentlest skincare products for humans, but they’re not exactly gentle towards animals.
Until they stop selling in countries that require animal testing by law, Aveeno can never be called cruelty-free.
Thankfully, there are so many alternatives that don’t sacrifice the lives of animals in the name of beauty.
