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Is Benefit Cruelty-Free?
Benefit is NOT cruelty-free.
Is Benefit Vegan?
Benefit might have some products without animal-derived ingredients, but I don’t consider any of their products vegan since they test on animals.
Is Benefit PETA Certified?
No, Benefit is not PETA certified, and PETA lists Benefit as a company that tests on animals.
Is Benefit Leaping Bunny Certified?
No, Benefit is not Leaping Bunny certified.
Is Benefit Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?
Yes, Benefit is owned by LVMH, a company that tests on animals.
Benefit’s Animal Testing Policy
Benefit has the following paragraph on their FAQ page:
“Cruelty-free” has no legal definition. Any brand can claim “cruelty-free” even if they do test on animals.
Some brands like to say that they are “cruelty-free” because it is a marketing buzzword to sell more products.
The only way to find out is to ask the company. One important question to ask is if their products are sold in China.
Animal Testing in China
Animal testing is required by law in China for all foreign cosmetics companies. All American and European cosmetic brands that are sold in China must undergo animal testing.
Any brand that chooses to sell its products in China cannot be considered cruelty-free. Even products that can bypass mandatory tests may still be pulled from the shelves by Chinese authorities to be tested on animals.
This does NOT include products that are made in China, only if they are sold in China.
The only way to know if a brand sells products in China is to ask them directly. Make sure to note that Hong Kong is not included in this policy, and neither are products only sold online to Chinese consumers.
Is Benefit Sold in Mainland China?
Yes, Benefit products are sold in mainland China.
Here is a screenshot from Benefit’s store locator showing the stores in China where Benefit products are sold:
Benefit also admits to selling in China in their email to me which you can read at the bottom of this post. They also have this on their website:
Vegan and Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Benefit
Cover FX
Cover FX is a vegan and cruelty-free brand that was founded on the belief that people can have both clean ingredients and high performance in one brand.
Fenty Beauty
Fenty Beauty is a cruelty-free brand that was created by Rihanna. Fenty Beauty focuses on creating products that include a wide range of traditionally hard-to-match skin tones so that people everywhere can be included.
***Fenty Beauty is owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
Milk Makeup
Milk Makeup is a vegan and cruelty-free brand that is all about quality, ease, and fresh innovation. Each forward-thinking product is designed in NYC for easy one-handed application (no brushes required) so you can look great without spending the entire morning in the bathroom. They’re good for us, too—all products are paraben-free with a focus on good-for-you ingredients like hydrating oils and vegetable butters.
Shop the full list of 100% cruelty-free and vegan brands.
Email to the Company
Before classifying any brand as cruelty-free and vegan, I send them an email with the following questions:
- Are your products vegan? If only some are vegan, which ones?
- Are any of your products or ingredients tested on animals?
- Do you have a Leaping Bunny or PETA certification?
- Do your suppliers or any third parties test animals on your behalf?
- Does your company sell products in mainland China (except Hong Kong)?
- Are you owned by a parent company that tests on animals?
Here is how Benefit responded:
Please be advised that Benefit Cosmetics does not test products on animals.
Since 1989, the Perfumes & Cosmetics companies of LVMH group (including Benefit Cosmetics) have not performed any tests on animals for our products – this was implemented long before the 2013 official ban set by the European Union.
We are deeply committed to the elimination of animal testing and we’re playing a leading role in developing alternative methods through our support of the “Fund for Alternatives to Animal Testing” in the United States.
Please note that we do export our products worldwide, including to China. Our products are made in Europe and for imported cosmetics, the Chinese health authorities order some testing on animals: they require companies to make their products available to be tested in state-certified laboratories for registration purposes only, as it is currently their only recognized method to demonstrate product safety.
We are hopeful that alternative testing methods will soon be adopted worldwide and that we will see an end to animal testing in the near future.