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CND is NOT Cruelty-Free!
CND allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law.
CND’s Animal Testing Policy
While researching to learn more about CND’s cruelty-free status, I couldn’t find the brand’s official animal testing policy anywhere on its website.
So I reached out to CND 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 mainland China).
And CND responded by saying:
“Thank you for your recent comments from our website and for voicing your concern to us
Revlon does not conduct animal testing and has not done so for decades. We comprehensively test all of our products using the most technologically advanced methods available to ensure they are both innovative and safe to use. We believe that all women should have the opportunity to express themselves through makeup and we sell our products in many markets around the world. Regulatory authorities in some countries conduct independent testing in order to satisfy their own mandatory registration requirements and a limited number of these countries have not yet adopted alternative testing methods. While Revlon complies with the requirements for safety in all of these countries, we continue to collaborate with other companies to advocate for the adoption of alternative testing methods and the elimination of animal testing around the world.”
Based on their response, it turns out that Revlon owns CND. And CND has the same animal testing policy as Revlon where both state they make an exception to allow their products to be tested on animals when regulatory authorities mandate it to satisfy their own registration requirements.
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, CND and Revlon state they will allow their products and ingredients to be tested on animals if the law requires it. For those reasons, CND 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 CND has the same animal testing policy as Revlon and both state they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.
Is CND Certified Cruelty-Free?
CND is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Because CND is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is looking into or substantiating CND’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.
Is CND Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?
Yes. CND is owned by Revlon, 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, CND is NOT cruelty-free and neither is its parent corporation, Revlon.
Is CND Cruelty-Free?
To sum up, CND has the same animal testing policy as Revlon and both companies allow their products to be tested on animals in some countries where regulatory authorities require it. Therefore, we would NOT consider CND to be a cruelty-free brand.
Currently, CND is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.
Is CND Vegan?
CND claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but because CND engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t classify anything sold or produced by CND to be vegan.
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 CND
Looking to switch to cruelty-free products? Here are some cruelty-free brands to check out:
Or check out our guide to Cruelty-Free & Vegan Gel Nail Polish!
