First Aid Beauty (P&G)

Last Updated: March 1, 2023

How Ethical Is First Aid Beauty (P&G)?

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 First Aid Beauty's ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is First Aid Beauty cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on First Aid Beauty’s policies.
First Aid Beauty is *cruelty-free, but FAB is owned by P&G, a parent company that is NOT cruelty-free.
First Aid Beauty sells some of its general cosmetics in China. But these products are domestically-manufactured and animal testing is not required.
Not all of First Aid Beauty’s products are vegan, but they have some vegan options.
First Aid Beauty does not claim or market itself as a sustainable company.
First Aid Beauty claims they only use “ethically sourced mica,” 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.
First Aid Beauty products come in plastic packaging. And I couldn’t find anything stating they’re working on reducing their use of virgin plastic in their product packaging.

About First Aid Beauty (P&G)

First Aid Beauty offers a range of skincare products targeted for people with sensitive skin and specific skin issues like eczema, dry skin, and acne.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
PRODUCTS: Skincare, Bath & Body Care, Haircare
CERTIFICATIONS: PETA-Certified

First Aid Beauty (P&G)

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

Is First Aid Beauty Cruelty-Free?

🐰 First Aid Beauty is a *cruelty-free brand. None of First Aid Beauty’s ingredients or products are tested on animals. First Aid Beauty has met all the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included in our Cruelty-Free Directory.

Does First Aid Beauty Test on Animals?

When asking, does First Aid Beauty test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of First Aid Beauty’s ingredients or suppliers test on animals. And they don’t sell in any conditions that may require animal testing by law.

In our research, we discovered the following:

  • ✓ First Aid Beauty confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf.
  • ✓ First Aid Beauty confirmed all their ingredient suppliers do not test on animals
  • ✓ First Aid Beauty confirmed they do not allow or sell their products under conditions where animal testing is required by law

By meeting all of our Cruelty-Free Criteria, First Aid Beauty is a *cruelty-free brand by our standards.

*First Aid Beauty is owned by P&G, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.

The decision is yours whether you want to support or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to this. Do what you’re comfortable with. I just thought it was important to disclose that Procter & Gamble owns First Aid Beauty.

What is First Aid Beauty’s Animal Testing Policy?

Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on First Aid Beauty’s website about its animal testing policy:

Animal Testing in China – 2023 Update!

With the recent changes to China’s animal testing laws, cosmetic companies can now export and sell some of their cosmetics in China without animal testing only if they meet ALL of the following preconditions first.

  • ONLY sell ‘general’ cosmetics (like makeup, skincare, haircare, nail polish, and perfumes)
  • must NOT sell any ‘special’ cosmetics like sunscreens, hair dye, hair perming, or other cosmetics claiming new efficacy
  • must NOT sell products designed for infants or children
  • must NOT sell products that contain a ‘New Cosmetic Ingredient’
  • AND if post-market testing is required, then the company must have a policy in place where it will RECALL its products rather than allow its products to be tested on animals

Also, products must meet ONE of the following in order to avoid animal testing in China:

  • manufactured in China, or the final assembly is in China
  • if manufactured outside of China and then exported to China, companies must obtain the proper product safety certificates and documents

To avoid animal tests, First Aid Beauty has confirmed it only sells general cosmetics that were domestically manufactured in China.

First Aid Beauty also states that in the unlikely event that post-market testing is needed, “First Aid Beauty products go through extensive safety testing, meeting or exceeding global and local standards. For this reason, we have full confidence that post-market surveillance testing will not happen to First Aid Beauty products in China or anywhere in the world.”

Follow the highlighted lines in the graphic below to see how First Aid Beauty avoids animal tests while selling some of its cosmetics in China.

For a detailed breakdown of First Aid Beauty’s statements and responses to selling in China while remaining cruelty-free, continue reading.

Is First Aid Beauty Certified Cruelty-Free?

First Aid Beauty is certified cruelty-free by PETA, but First Aid Beauty is NOT Leaping Bunny certified.

Is First Aid Beauty Sold in China?

On July 16, 2020, I received an email from First Aid Beauty notifying me that they will begin to sell their products in mainland China.

“We wanted you to be among the first to know that First Aid Beauty will begin selling a select assortment of products in mainland China next month. We have worked closely with PETA and other resources to make sure that we are doing so in a way that allows us to maintain our Cruelty-Free status. We will be shipping our bulk product to be filled in a facility within China, and under this approach, the Chinese government does not require animal testing. Please see our statement of support from PETA below:

“PETA is very pleased to have First Aid Beauty on our Cruelty-Free list, and we are happy to report that the brand will maintain its no animal test status as it expands to China. We’ve worked with the company to ensure that the products as manufactured and sold will not require tests on animals under Chinese government regulations.” – PETA

As of 2014, ‘general’ cosmetics manufactured & sold in China are no longer required to be tested on animals.

This only applies to ‘general cosmetics’ like body lotions, lipsticks, and nail polish. But all special cosmetics like sunscreens, whitening products, hair dyes, antiperspirants, and cosmetics claiming new efficacy are all still required to be tested on animals in China.

First Aid Beauty confirmed in their statement with PETA, the cosmetic company will only be selling select products in China that do not require animal tests and will be filling its products in a facility in China to avoid animal tests under China’s regulations.

Post-Market Testing in China

In the event of a customer complaint, Chinese officials will administer product safety tests that may or may not involve animal test subjects.

When My Beauty Bunny asked First Aid Beauty about the risk of post-market testing and how they’re handling these concerns. They told her,

“We take our Cruelty-Free status very seriously and have worked closely with many regulatory and animal rights experts as we planned our expansion into China. These experts have confirmed that, unlike with pre-market registration, that there is no law mandating post-market surveillance testing and, in fact, it is highly unlikely to happen, especially to products with proven safety records. They have also shared that any authority or safety official, in any country around the world, has the right to pull products from the shelf for safety purposes and test them however they choose (including on animals), so this is not unique to China. First Aid Beauty products go through extensive safety testing, meeting or exceeding global and local standards. For this reason, we have full confidence that post-market surveillance testing will not happen to First Aid Beauty products in China or anywhere in the world.” (Source)

First Aid Beauty bypassed China’s mandatory animal tests on cosmetics by manufacturing its ‘general cosmetics’ in China.

🔍 2023 UPDATE!

With China’s recent updates to its animal testing regulations, I have decided to move a few select brands back onto our Cruelty-Free Brand Directory, only if they are transparent about their business operations while selling in China.

As a result, I believe First Aid Beauty is truly cruelty-free, and the brand is transparent about selling some of its domestically-manufactured, general cosmetics in China without testing on animals. Therefore, I have decided to move First Aid Beauty from a Grey Area Brand to a *Cruelty-Free Brand with Vegan Options.

*Cruelty-Free – But Owned By An Animal-Tested Parent Company

Cruelty-Free Policies 2023

Just because a brand claims it is ‘Cruelty-Free,’ doesn’t always mean that’s the case.

That’s because 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, or any third parties.

How We Assess Cruelty-Free Policies

Since 2015, the start of my blog, I’ve been emailing companies asking about their animal testing policies and cruelty-free commitments.

And based on the responses I receive from companies, I’ll research to find any supporting facts needed before concluding whether the brand should be classified as “Cruelty-Free,” “Animal-Tested,” or “Grey Area – Unclear Policies.”

☕️ Every week, I continue to reach out to new brands while trying my best to keep current brands updated. If you found any of my posts or guides helpful, consider Buying Me A Coffee! I would greatly appreciate it! ❤️

What about Vegan?

Just because something is called Cruelty-Free, doesn’t always mean it’s Vegan. And vice versa.

Cruelty-Free only refers to no animal testing, while Vegan means formulated without animal products.

Some brands are Cruelty-Free, but not Vegan.

And some are Vegan, but not Cruelty-Free.

Another important distinction to know is, Vegan in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand is 100% Vegan or a specific product is Vegan.

Is First Aid Beauty Vegan?

⭐️ First Aid Beauty is NOT an entirely vegan brand. But First Aid Beauty offers some vegan options that are free of animal products.

How to know which of First Aid Beauty’s products are vegan?

All of First Aid Beauty’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website.

Where to buy First Aid Beauty? Check out firstaidbeauty.com, Sephora, Target, Amazon, and Ulta!

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But Vegan is generally used to mean formulated without animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.

Some common animal products 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 unless a brand explicitly labels its ingredients or product as Vegan, it’s often 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 chose were from non-animal sources.

Where are First Aid Beauty’s products made?

First Aid Beauty states on its website,

Where is First Aid Beauty sold and manufactured?
FAB is sold at your local Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Sephora inside JCPENNEY, Ulta @ Target, Skinstore, Dermstore, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack and BeautyBrands stores. Please check our store locator page to find your closest retail location. If you are outside of the U.S., please contact [email protected] to help identify a retailer that has the ability to fulfill an international order.
FAB products are manufactured in the U.S.

Ethical Mica Mining Policy

Mica is a mineral 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 First Aid Beauty if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“Please rest assured that all FAB products are made in the USA in facilities that abide by local and national labor laws. Further, we ensure that we use only ethically sourced mica without the use of child labor. We fully support your decision to make a positive impact by supporting companies with aligned values and ethics.”


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

If you found this helpful, consider Buying Me a Coffee. So that I can continue to keep this site running and updated.

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What do you think

3 thoughts on “First Aid Beauty (P&G)”

    1. Rebecca Weiss

      They sell only in Hong Kong to my knowledge. As Hong Kong is not officially part of China, they can bypass animal testing completely, both pre and post marketing. I would do some more research though.

  1. Whats the deal with Charlotte Tilbury She was my go to luxury makeup brand, but is she selling in china, with pop up shops?
    BTW you are awesome x

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