Is Philosophy Cruelty-free and Vegan?

Philosophy is a cosmetics and skincare company founded by Cristina Carlino in 1996. The Carlyle Group acquired the company in 2007 before Coty Inc. acquired them in 2010. Philosophy was founded in Phoenix, Arizona.

It initially focused on skincare products, but they have added fragrances, body products, and color cosmetics. Their products are made with experienced dermatologists who have years of medical research.

Is Philosophy Cruelty-Free?

No, Philosophy is not cruelty-free. A while back, customers had no way of figuring out the cruelty-free status of products. They could only rely on the official statements from the company, which were few and far between.

Sometimes they were unclear or inaccurate. This is, however, not the case today. Nowadays, you can easily tell if a product is cruelty-free by considering the following criteria:

• None of their ingredients are tested on animals
• The ingredients of their products should not have any animal-based products
• They do not allow third-parties or suppliers to test their products on their behalf
• The company does not sell cosmetic products in China
• They do not sell in countries where the law requires animal testing

After thorough research on the brand and its products, we found out that some of their products contain ingredients derived from animals.

Philosophy also sells its products in the People’s Republic of China, where animal testing is compulsory on all foreign cosmetics.

Are Philosophy products tested on Animals?

No, the company does not test its products on animals. They are committed to alternative methods to ensure their products are safe. However, Philosophy will allow for their products to be tested on animals if the law requires it.

The following is a statement from their website regarding their animal testing laws:

The above statement simply means the company will allow for their products to be tested on animals if a certain country’s law requires it before being allowed for sale into the country.

Are Philosophy Products sold in China?

Yes, Philosophy products are available in the People’s Republic of China. This is done, even though all foreign cosmetic products are required to be tested on animals before being allowed into the country.

Animal testing is necessary just to make sure the products are safe for human use. Even though other countries have banned animal testing, China still clings on to it.

Many cosmetic companies have refused to sell their products in stores in China just because of this law.

Unfortunately, Philosophy products still allow their products to be tested on animals by the Chinese authorities just so they could profit, even if it is at the cost of innocent animals being harmed or even killed in laboratories.

Does Philosophy have Cruelty-free Certifications?

We looked for any cruelty-free certifications Philosophy may have, but we did not find any.

It is highly unlikely that they have any cruelty-free certifications because they allow their products to be tested on animals. Cruelty-free certifications are given to companies that do not sell in China.

Is Philosophy owned by another Company?

Coty is the parent company to philosophy. It is a multinational beauty company in America that was started by Francois Coty in 1904. Coty and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture, market, and distribute skincare, cosmetics, and fragrances.

The company is not cruelty-free as they also sell in the People’s Republic of China. They claim that they do not test their products on animals and show commitment to ending animal testing in the cosmetic industry.

However, the same company allows for their products to be sold in countries where their products must be tested on animals.

Are Philosophy products Vegan?

For a brand or a product to be labeled vegan, their ingredients, formulations, and final products have to be free from animal-derived ingredients.

This includes even by-products like honey and beeswax. If a product is vegan, then it is also cruelty-free as sourcing ingredients from animals is a form of animal cruelty.

Philosophy products are not 100 percent vegan. Some of them contain animal-derived ingredients. Whenever you are purchasing cosmetic products, always look out for the ingredients list to see what it contains.

There are companies that do not provide their ingredients list on the product itself, so look out for them online if you can’t find them on the product. Be keen on the ingredients as they could be sourced from animals.

You could also look out for their cruelty-free certifications online. Make sure that if they do have one, it is from a well-known animal rights organization.

Summary

Philosophy is a cosmetics company that claims to be cruelty-free. However, they sell their products in the People’s Republic of China, where all foreign cosmetic products must be tested on animals.

Even though many companies choose not to sell in China for this reason, Philosophy still does. They are more concerned with their profits than the welfare of animals.

Their products are not 100 percent vegan as some of them contain animal-derived ingredients.