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Always is NOT Cruelty-Free!
Always allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law.
In addition, Always is owned by P&G, a parent company that is NOT cruelty-free.
Always’ Animal Testing Policy
While researching to learn more about Always’ cruelty-free status, I couldn’t find the brand’s official animal testing policy anywhere on its website.
So I reached out to Always to ask for more information about their animal testing policy. More specifically, I wanted to know if they commission or allow others to test their products/ingredients on animals, including when selling in countries that require animal testing (like in mainland China).
And Always responded by saying:
“Thanks for reaching out to Procter and Gamble/Always. I appreciate your love of animals, as well as your interest in our products. I am an animal lover myself, and am here to put your mind at ease!
We believe that eliminating animal testing is the right thing to do. We do not test our products or ingredients on animals anywhere in the world unless required by law, and we are working hard to make it obsolete.
To date, we have developed over 50 alternative, non-animal testing methods, and have invested more than $400 million in finding alternatives and getting them accepted by regulators around the world. A number of countries around the world still require animal tests to ensure the safety or effectiveness of certain products and ingredients. We at P&G strongly believe that the majority of animal tests required by these authorities are scientifically unnecessary.
Not all global regulators and authorities accept this. Where no alternative test exists, we are continuing to develop non-animal methods and work with regulatory agencies around the world on their acceptance to completely eliminate animal testing.
We will continue working with the world’s top independent experts and partnering with leading animal protection groups such as the Humane Society of the U.S. to promote new alternatives research and regulatory acceptance of existing alternatives. This is the only way to eliminate all animal testing, globally.
To learn more, please visit our website at: http://us.pg.com/sustainability/community-impact/policies-practices/animal-welfare-alternatives.”
Based on the response I received from Always, the brand has the same animal testing policy as its parent company, P&G, and both state they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law.
Truly cruelty-free brands will never allow their products or ingredients to be tested on animals. Cruelty-free companies have a policy where if the law requires them to test on animals then they will refuse to sell their products under those conditions.
For example, imported cosmetics sold in stores in mainland China are required by Chinese laws to be tested on animals upon registration. Therefore, truly cruelty-free brands have chosen not to sell in China in order to remain committed to their no-animal testing policy.
Unfortunately, P&G and Always state they will allow their products and ingredients to be tested on animals if the law requires it. For those reasons, Always is NOT cruelty-free.
Cruelty-Free Policies
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 by any third parties, including when required by law.
See below for our complete cruelty-free checklist. Since Always state it allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.
Is Always Certified Cruelty-Free?
Always is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Because Always is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is looking into or substantiating Always’ cruelty-free commitments and claims.
Is Always Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?
Yes. Always is owned by Procter & Gamble (P&G), a parent corporation that still engages in animal testing in 2022.
Some cruelty-free consumers may choose to purchase and support cruelty-free brands owned by animal-tested parent corporations as they hope it will convince the parent company to become cruelty-free.
But in this case, Always is NOT cruelty-free and neither is its parent corporation, P&G.
Is Always Cruelty-Free?
To sum up, Always has the same animal testing policy as its parent company, P&G, and allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law. Therefore, we would NOT consider Always to be a cruelty-free brand.
Currently, Always is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.
Is Always Vegan?
Always does not claim or market itself to offer any vegan-friendly options. And since Always engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t consider anything sold or produced by Always to be vegan anyways.
In order for products to be considered vegan by ethical elephant’s standards, the products and their ingredients must not be tested on animals anywhere in the world. Also, they must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Always
Looking to switch to cruelty-free products? Here are some cruelty-free brands to check out:
