Is CeraVe Cruelty-Free and Vegan? (2021 Update)

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain some affiliate links, which means when you click, I get a small percentage of the purchase at no extra cost to you. This allows me to keep this website running, so feel free to click away! You can read my entire Affiliate Disclosure here.

Table of Contents

Is CeraVe Cruelty-Free?

CeraVe is NOT cruelty-free.

Is CeraVe Vegan?

This depends on where you live.

CeraVe offers vegan-friendly products in over 30 countries. Some products sold in the United States and Canada are not vegan. The non-vegan ingredient comes from sheep’s wool.

CeraVe stated that they planned on changing their North American formula by 2021, so they are able to have all vegan products.

This post has been updated in September 2021, and they still have many non-vegan products for sale.

About CeraVe

CeraVe is a brand created by dermatologists in 2005. The brand was created to repair and strengthen the skin.

CeraVe is also budget-friendly and can be found in most drugstores. L’Oreal acquired the brand in 2017.

What is the difference between cruelty-free and vegan?

Cruelty-Free means that the ingredients and final product have not been tested on animals.

Vegan means that a product does not contain any ingredients that are derived from an animal.

A product can be cruelty-free but not vegan, and a product can be vegan but not cruelty-free.

Is CeraVe PETA certified?

No, CeraVe is not PETA certified.

Is CeraVe Leaping Bunny certified?

No, CeraVe is not Leaping Bunny certified.

From Their FAQ

This may look promising, but, unfortunately, it is not. Here is why:

“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.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠

Is Cerave Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?

Yes, Cerave is owned by L’Oréal, a company that tests on animals.

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.

Is Cerave Sold In Mainland China?

Yes, Cerave is sold in mainland China. You can see it listed on their website here.

“Made in China” Doesn’t Mean it is Tested on Animals

Since we are talking about China, I wanted to put this caveat here. If a beauty product says that it is “made in China,” this does NOT mean that it is tested on animals. There are plenty of cruelty-free brands that are made in China.

China requires cosmetics to be tested on animals only if they are sold in China. If they are manufactured in China and then shipped to the United States, they could still be cruelty-free.

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.

Vegan and Cruelty-Free Alternatives to CeraVe

The biggest appeal of CeraVe is that the products are created by dermatologists. Doctor Rogers Restore is a vegan and cruelty-free brand created by a dermatologist. The main downside to these products is that they are not budget-friendly.

The Ordinary is 100% cruelty-free and vegan, and it is a much more budget-friendly skincare line. The brand takes a clinical, science-based approach to skincare. They specialize in single-ingredient products that deliver targeted results. Here are some of their bestsellers:

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 CeraVe responded:

The L’Oréal Group, which includes CeraVe, has always made our consumers’ health and safety an absolute priority. As is the support of animal welfare.

L’Oréal has developed a very rigorous safety evaluation procedure of its products, backed by research. Well before the question of animal testing was raised by civil society or within a regulatory framework, L’Oréal has been committed to new methods of assessing safety that don’t involve animals. A true pioneer, L’Oréal has been reconstructing human skin models in laboratories to elaborate invitro safety tests since 1979, as an alternative to animals. In 1989, L’Oréal completely ceased testing its products on animals, 14 years before the regulation required so.

Today, L’Oréal no longer tests its ingredients on animals and no longer tolerates any exception to this rule. Certain health authorities may nevertheless decide to conduct animal tests themselves for certain cosmetic products, as it is still the case in China. L’Oréal has been the most active company working alongside the Chinese authorities and scientists for over 10 years to have alternative testing methods recognized, and permit the cosmetic regulation to evolve towards a total and definite elimination of animal testing. Thanks to this, since 2014, certain products manufactured and sold in China like shampoo, body wash or make-up are no longer tested on animals.

For more information, please visit: https://inside-our-products.loreal.com/question-animal-testing-and-alternative-methods

We have a wide range of products with different ingredients. Some products are vegan, while others are not. If you have a specific product or products you are inquiring about, we’d be more than happy to go over those with you.