Dr. Dennis Gross

Last Updated: February 2, 2022

Is Dr. Dennis Gross Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

Make a positive impact by supporting companies with the same values and ethics as what matters most to you. To navigate and find ethical brands, here’s a summary of Dr. Dennis Gross’s ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Dr. Dennis Gross’s policies.
Dr. Dennis Gross is cruelty-free. None of Dr. Dennis Gross’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
Not all of Dr. Dennis Gross’s products are vegan but they have some vegan options.
Dr. Dennis Gross does not claim or market itself as a sustainable company.
Dr. Dennis Gross claims their mica is ethically-sourced. However, it’s not clear where their mica is mined or sourced from and how they trace or audit to ensure no child labor was involved. See their ethical mica mining policy here.
Dr. Dennis Gross products come in plastic packaging. I couldn’t find anything stating they’re working on reducing their use of virgin plastic in their product packaging.

About Dr. Dennis Gross

Dr. Dennis Gross personally formulates skincare products using science & nature for clear, glowing skin, targeting lines, wrinkles, firmness, dry skin, & acne.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA, France, China
PRODUCTS: Skincare, Sun Care
CERTIFICATIONS: PETA-Certified

Dr. Dennis Gross

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, Nordstrom, 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 what’s currently stated on Dr. Dennis Gross’s website about its animal testing policy:

Is Dr. Dennis Gross Cruelty-Free?

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

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.”

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 2022.

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.

Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan Product List

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Dr Dennis Gross’s vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.

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

Cleansers – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan

Serum – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan

Moisturizer – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan

Acne Treatment – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan

Eye Treatment – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan

Sunless Tanner – Dr. Dennis Gross Vegan

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.

Where are Dr. Dennis Gross’s products made?

I asked Dr. Dennis Gross where their products are manufactured and they told me:

“The skin products are all made in the USA—except our hyaluronic marine hydrating modeling mask, which is made in France. Our devices are made in China.”

*Note: Cosmetics made in China are not required to be tested on animals. Only cosmetics that are imported and sold in physical stores in mainland China are required to be tested on animals according to China’s animal testing laws.

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 the company discloses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.

So I asked Dr. Dennis Gross 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.


I hope this article helped you to understand Dr. Dennis Gross’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!

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