Is Lancome Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

Lancome is a luxury perfume brand based in Paris. The brand was founded in 1935 and distributes its products worldwide.

The brand is a subsidiary of L’Oreal and specializes in fragrance and skincare products. Their most popular products include mascara, body sprays, perfume, and foundation.

Is Lancome Cruelty-Free?

Lancome has a false claim on their website that says they don’t carry out any form of animal testing. This is not the first time we’ve seen a brand make such claims.

We had to do a little research to find out if this is true or not. As usual, we brought out our checklist to see how they compare.

After carrying out our research, we discovered that their claims are false.

The general rule of thumb is that a cruelty-free brand must not test their products on animals, and neither should they sell in countries where animal testing is required by law.

Lancome failed to meet these criteria. They presently sell in China and, as such, submit their products for testing before they’re approved for sale. For this reason, they’re not cruelty-free.

Are Lancome Products Tested On Animals?

Lancome maintains on their website that they do not carry out testing on animals except when “required by law”.

We’ve come to know that brands who use these statements indirectly imply that they test on animals when they sell in countries with strict animal testing policies.

A cruelty-free brand, no matter the situation, won’t be forced to bend their rules. Hence, selling in a country such as China is already a big clue that a brand isn’t cruelty-free.

Do They Test On Animals When Required By Law?

Yes, Lancome tests their products on animals when required by law. This is the case with China – a country that requires foreign brands to submit their products for testing.

Secondly, Lancome is owned by a company that’s widely known to not be cruelty-free.

Are Lancome Products Sold In China?

Lancome maintains on their site that they do not carry out tests on animals or finance animal tests unless required by law. We think this exemption makes them open to the Chinese market.

True to those words, we found out that their products are listed for sale in several Chinese stores. They’re available in physical stores across the country, especially in places like Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.

We also found their product listed on Sephora’s Chinese site.

This wouldn’t have been possible if they failed to comply with the Chinese authorities on animal testing.

Does Lancome Have Cruelty-Free Certifications?

Lancome is listed on PETA’s list of brands to avoid. They are also not accredited by Leaping Bunny. This shows that they’ve failed to declare that they don’t intend to carry out testing on animals in the future.

Is Lancome Owned By Another Company?

Lancome is not an independent brand. They are a subsidiary of LEO real, which is a personal skincare brand based in France. Their headquarters is in Clichy, Paris.

L’Oreal was founded in 1909 and is considered to be the world’s largest cosmetics company due to having several subsidiaries.

They’re also the proud owner of Maybelline, Garnier, NYX cosmetics, and Biotherm.

Their brands mainly manufacture skincare products, such as moisturizers and face cream, and makeup products, like lipstick and foundation.

Are Lancome Products Vegan?

Lancome is not a 100% vegan brand, despite claiming to have a vegan-friendly line. This is because some of their products contain lanolin, honey, and glycerin. They failed to specify if the glycerin is plant or animal-derived.

However, lanolin isn’t a vegan ingredient, as it is derived from sheep wool. The worst part is that some of these wools are constantly sprayed with insecticides.

The side effect is that using the wool could result in several allergic reactions, such as itching or swelling.

For this reason, we can’t certify any of their products to be 100% vegan. However, there are several alternatives you can explore if you’re all about supporting brands with little or no cruelty.

Summary

Lancome products contain a host of animal derivatives. We don’t think they have a pure vegan product line. However, take nothing from it, Lancome products are of high quality and provide long-lasting effects.