Is Crabtree & Evelyn Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

Crabtree & Evelyn is a former brick and mortar company that is currently an online-only retailer of home and body care products.

The company was founded in 1955 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by businessman Cyrus Harvey. It previously operated from a small shop called The Soap Box in Cambridge.

It changed its name to Crabtree & Evelyn in 1971 and opened its first independent stall in Boston and first stand-alone shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Other locations were added across the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The company was sold in 1996 and operated as CE Holdings while being funded by the Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad. The brand has since grown with many other branches worldwide.

Many of our readers have been asking whether Crabtree & Evelyn is cruelty-free and vegan.

We have analyzed the brand in detail in order to answer those questions. Is Crabtree & Evelyn cruelty-free and vegan? Keep reading to find out the details.

Is Crabtree & Evelyn Cruelty-Free?

There are a few qualifications that a company and its products need to meet to qualify as cruelty-free. The criteria are simple to understand and are as follows:

The company should not test any of its products or ingredients on animals

• It should not test on animals even when required by the law – this is when selling to countries where the law mandates animal testing for all cosmetics
• The company should not sell its products in mainland China
• We will analyze these criteria one by one.

Are Crabtree & Evelyn Products Tested On Animals?

Yes, Crabtree & Evelyn allows testing of its products on animals. Even though they do not do the testing themselves, they allow post-market animal testing when selling in countries where animal testing is mandatory by law.

Here is a screenshot of their animal testing policy.

Since the company submits to selling in countries where the law requires animal testing, we cannot say that Crabtree & Evelyn is cruelty-free.

Do They Test On Animals When Required By the Law? Or Use a Third Party To Test?

While the company does not generally test on animals themselves or perform in-house animal tests, they allow third parties to test on their behalf when the law requires it. This is evident from their animal testing policy.

It states that the company is opposed to animal testing and does not test on finished products, but they conform to animal testing when the law requires it. Because of this, the company cannot be classified as cruelty-free.

Are Crabtree & Evelyn Products Sold In China?

Crabtree & Evelyn chose to sell their products in China, where the law requires animal testing.

Many beauty companies consider and sell their products in China. Regardless of what their animal testing policy states, note that these companies cannot be viewed as cruelty-free.

This is because China still requires cosmetics to undergo animal testing to be sold in the country.

Does Crabtree & Evelyn Have Cruelty-Free Accreditations and Certifications?

PETA is among the most well-known cruelty-free accreditation companies. When a company meets PETA’s cruelty-free conditions, they are then added to PETA’s cruelty-free list.

Crabtree & Evelyn does not appear on PETA’s list of cruelty-free companies as of 2020.

There are currently no official cruelty-free accreditation companies that this manufacturer can identify itself with. Other cruelty-free accreditation companies include Leaping Bunny and Free the Bunny.

Does Crabtree & Evelyn Have a Parent Company?

Crabtree & Evelyn was sold to Malaysian conglomerate Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad in 1996. In 2010, the brand was acquired by Khuan Choo, a Hong Kong-based company.

Currently, ownership is with another Hong Kong company, Nan Hai, which acquired it in 2016.

Is Crabtree & Evelyn Vegan?

For a company to be branded vegan, their products should not contain any animal-sourced ingredients or by-products. These also include some overlooked animal by-products like honey and beeswax.

No, Crabtree & Evelyn is not 100% vegan. Some of their products have ingredients sourced from animals or animal by-products.

Summary

Based on the information we found concerning this brand, the company cannot be considered cruelty-free.

This is also evident from their animal testing policy, which clearly states that the company tests on animals where the law requires it.

Crabtree & Evelyn is also not 100% vegan, as some of its products contain animal-sourced ingredients.