This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
You can find Dr. Dennis Gross cruelty-free products at Sephora, Dermstore, and on Amazon.
Dr. Dennis Gross is Cruelty-Free
Dr Dennis Gross has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.
By our standards, we would consider Dr. Dennis Gross to be Cruelty-Free.
Below is a screenshot of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare’s official animal testing statement:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2021.
But Dr. Dennis Gross has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
“Our products are not tested on animals, no ingredients are tested on animals and we do not sell in China.”
Cruelty-Free Policies
Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.‘ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.
At ethical elephant, we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand itself, its suppliers, and by any third parties.
Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.
Dr. Dennis Gross is Not 100% Vegan
‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.
In the case of Dr. Dennis Gross, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Dr. Dennis Gross products are vegan?
All Dr. Dennis Gross’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website. You can also reference the list below of all their products that were indicated as being vegan.
Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan Product List
The following Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare products are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Peels – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel
- Alpha Beta® Glow Pad® Gradual Glow
- Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel
- Clinical Grade Resurfacing Liquid Peel
- Dew Holiday Right Set
- Doctor’s Kit Set
- Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel
- Ferulic + Retinol: Wrinkle Warriors Set
- Smooth & Radiant Set
Cleansers – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel
- Botanical Cleansing Bar
Dr Dennis Gross DRx All-in-One Cleanser with Toner
Serum – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- C + Collagen Brighten + Firm Vitamin C Serum
- C Me Sparkle Set
- Clinical Grade IPL Dark Spot Correcting Serum
- Doctor’s Kit Set
- Ferulic + Retinol Brightening Solution
- Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum
- Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Overnight Serum
- Smooth & Radiant Set
Moisturizer – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- Alpha Beta® Exfoliating Moisturizer
- Alpha Beta® Glotion for Body
- C + Collagen Deep Cream
- C + Collagen Perfect Skin Set & Refresh Mist
- Daily Glow Moisture
- Ferulic + Retinol Anti-Aging Moisturizer
- Hyaluronic Marine™ Collagen Lip Cushion
- Hyaluronic Marine™ Oil-Free Moisture Cushion
- Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion
- Hydra-Pure™ Oil-Free Moisture
Acne Treatment – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- C + Collagen Brighten + Firm Vitamin C Serum
Dr Dennis Gross DRx Acne Eliminating PadsDr Dennis Gross DRx Clarifying Colloidal Sulfur Mask, Acne Medication
Eye Treatment – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- C + Collagen Brighten + Firm Eye Cream
- Dew Holiday Right Set
- Ferulic + Retinol Eye Cream
- Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum
- Ferulic + Retinol: Wrinkle Warriors Set
- Hyaluronic Marine™ Dew It Right™ Eye Gel
Sunless Tanner – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
- Alpha Beta® Glow Pad® for Body Intense Glow
- Alpha Beta® Glow Pad® Gradual Glow
- Alpha Beta® Glow Pad® Intense Glow
- Alpha Beta® Glotion for Body
- Daily Glow Moisture
Sun Protection – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan
NOT VEGAN – Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare
The following Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare products are not suitable for vegans as they contain some animal-derived ingredients or by-products:
- Alpha Beta® Medi-Spa Peel – not vegan
- Alpha Beta® Ultra Gentle Daily Peel – not vegan
- Clinical Concentrate Radiance Booster (contains hydrolyzed collagen) – not vegan
- Dark Spot Sun Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 – not vegan
- Ferulic + Retinol Fortifying Neck Emulsion (contains beeswax, silk amino acids, and silk extract) – not vegan
- Firming Peptide Milk (contains collagen) – not vegan
- Hyaluronic Marine™ Hydration Booster (contains collagen and cholesterol) – not vegan
- Hyaluronic Marine™ Hydration Celebration (contains marine oil, collagen, cholesterol) – not vegan
- Hyaluronic Marine™ Hydrating Modeling Mask – not vegan
- Hydra-Pure™ Intense Moisture Cream – not vegan
- Marine Moisture Rescue Kit – not vegan
- Root Resilience Haircare Starter Collection – not vegan
- Root Resilience Nourishing Scalp Conditioner – not vegan
- Root Resilience Strengthening Shampoo – not vegan
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.
There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.
So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.
Ethical Mica Mining Policy
Mica is a mineral that’s used in cosmetics to add a shimmery effect. But the mining of natural mica has been linked to child labor and human rights violations.
Unless a company publicly addresses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.
So I asked Cosmetics if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“Thanks for reaching out to client care! We have established internal documentation from our suppliers ensuring ethically-sourced ingredients, including Mica.”
Dr. Dennis Gross did not specifically address where their mica is sourced from and how they audit or trace to ensure no child labor was involved in mining their mica.
