The short answer: No, Oral-B is not cruelty free.
The long answer: Oral-B is a brand that manufactures oral hygiene products. It is known for selling both manual and electric toothbrushes, toothpastes, and mouthwashes. Oral-B was created in 1950 by Dr. Robert W. Hutson, a periodontist responsible for inventing and patenting the toothbrush. Since 2006, the American multinational consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble has owned Oral-B.
Though Oral-B reveals their sustainability stance and goals on their official website, they do not state their thoughts on animal testing. Picking up from the website of Oral-B’s parent corporation, P&G reveals that they have “invested in non-animal test method development for decades. [The brand has been] a founding sponsor and has been a leading presenter at every World Congress on non-animal test methods to date—involving thousands of scientists, regulators, and policy makers. We continue to partner with leading international animal welfare organizations, academia, industry coalitions and policy makers to promote alternatives to animal testing and gain their regulatory acceptance. Together, we have achieved a lot. We stopped animal testing our cosmetics products many years ago. In fact, P&G no longer animal tests any consumer product unless required by law and we are committed to make animal testing obsolete.”
Aside from Oral-B, P&G distributes Crest, Old Spice, and Olay. All these personal care brands are available in China, which means that P&G must comply with the country’s importation laws before their products can be sold there. This includes being tested on animals prior to and possibly even after its release, especially when someone files a complaint. Because of their compliance with Chinese laws, Oral-B cannot be considered a cruelty free brand.
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