The short answer: No, Vaseline is not cruelty free.
The long answer: Vaseline is an American skin care brand owned by British-Dutch company, Unilever. Known for its petroleum jelly-based products, Vaseline’s “Wonder Jelly” was invented by Robert Chesebrough in 1870 to heal scrapes, burns, dryness, eczema, and more.
While reviewing the website of their parent company as well as Vaseline websites for various countries, there is no clear mention of Vaseline’s stance against animal testing. We also cannot confirm that suppliers of its raw materials do not engage in animal testing. On the other hand, Unilever reveals that they have been developing and using alternatives to animal testing to assure the safety of Unilever products for more than 30 years. They claim that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) even lists their company as one of five companies that are working for regulatory change.
Additional research has revealed that Vaseline is currently sold in China, just like its sister brands Dove and TRESemmé. This means that by law, the brand must comply with the country’s regulations to be able to sell their products there. This includes allowing Chinese health authorities to test Vaseline’s products on animals before they enter the market, and even after for non-routine checks or customer complaints. As such, Vaseline cannot claim to be a cruelty-free brand.
References:
Is Vaseline Cruelty Free in 2020?
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.