Degree is NOT Cruelty-Free!

Degree allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law.

In addition, Degree is owned by Unilever, a parent company that is NOT cruelty-free.

Degree’s Animal Testing Policy

On Degree’s website, the brand states its parent company, Unilever’s animal testing policy. And Unilever claims that across their portfolio, some of their ingredients or products are required by law to be tested on animals by either their suppliers or governments.

See below for a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Degree’s website:

Based on their statement, we now know that Unilever owns Degree. And Degree has the same animal testing policy as Unilever where both state they make an exception to allow their products to be tested on animals if specifically 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, Degree and Unilever state they will allow their products and ingredients to be tested on animals if the law requires it. For those reasons, Degree 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, and by any third parties, including when required by law.

See below for our complete cruelty-free checklist. Since Degree allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.

Is Degree Certified Cruelty-Free?

Degree is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.

Because Degree is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is looking into or substantiating Degree’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.

Is Degree Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

Yes. Degree is owned by Unilever, 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, Degree is NOT cruelty-free and neither is its parent corporation, Unilever.

Is Degree Cruelty-Free?

To sum up, Degree allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law. Therefore, we would NOT consider Degree to be a cruelty-free brand.

Currently, Degree is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.

Is Degree Vegan?

Degree does not claim or market itself to offer any vegan-friendly options. And since Degree engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t consider anything sold or produced by Degree 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 Degree

Looking to switch to cruelty-free products? Here are some cruelty-free brands to check out:

• Method *owned by SC Johnson
• Bulldog *owned by Edgewell
• JASON
• Every Man Jack

Or check out our Guide to Cruelty-Free & Vegan Deodorants for Men!