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Is Peter Thomas Roth Cruelty-Free?
☠️ Peter Thomas Roth is NOT cruelty-free in 2023. Peter Thomas Roth allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, including when selling in stores in mainland China.
Peter Thomas Roth’s Animal Testing Policy
When asking, does Peter Thomas Roth test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of Peter Thomas Roth’s ingredients or suppliers test on animals. And they don’t sell in any country or under conditions that may require animal testing by law.
To assess whether brands are cruelty-free, I always start with the company’s official animal testing policy on their website.
On Peter Thomas Roth’s website, they claim they do not test their formulas or raw materials on animals. However, they cannot confirm if all of their raw material suppliers test on animals. And Peter Thomas Roth admits their products are sold in China, where some imported cosmetics must be tested on animals by law.
See below for a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Peter Thomas Roth’s website:

Is Peter Thomas Roth Sold in China?
Yes, in their animal testing statement (see above), Peter Thomas Roth admits it sells its cosmetics in China, where animal testing is required by law.
But Doesn’t China No Longer Test on Animals?
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
However, it’s not stated anywhere that Peter Thomas Roth has taken any steps to meet the above preconditions in order to avoid animal testing while selling in China.
Follow the highlighted lines in the graphic below to see why most cosmetics sold in China (like Peter Thomas Roth) are still required by law to be tested on animals in 2023.

Because Peter Thomas Roth has decided to sell in mainland China stores, they must consent and pay to have their products tested on animals. That’s why most cosmetics brands selling in mainland China cannot be considered cruelty-free in 2023.
Although Peter Thomas Roth may not be conducting these animal tests themselves, they knowingly allow Chinese authorities to test their products on animals in order to sell in China.
For those reasons, we would not consider Peter Thomas Roth to be cruelty-free by our standards.
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Cruelty-Free Policies
Many truly cruelty-free brands have chosen not to sell their products in China under conditions where animal tests may be required. Unfortunately, Peter Thomas Roth refuses to do the same and therefore cannot be considered cruelty-free.
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 Peter Thomas Roth already does not meet the last two, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.

Is Peter Thomas Roth Certified Cruelty-Free?
Peter Thomas Roth is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Since Peter Thomas Roth is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is substantiating or auditing Peter Thomas Roth’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.
Does Peter Thomas Roth Test on Animals?
To wrap up, Peter Thomas Roth allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, like when selling in China. Therefore, we would NOT consider Peter Thomas Roth to be a cruelty-free brand.
Currently, Peter Thomas Roth is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.
Is Peter Thomas Roth Vegan?
❌ Peter Thomas Roth is NOT vegan. Peter Thomas Roth claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but Peter Thomas Roth engages in animal testing in some capacity, so we wouldn’t consider any Peter Thomas Roth products vegan at this time.
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 Peter Thomas Roth
Looking to switch to cruelty-free products? Here are some cruelty-free brands to check out:
- Ole Henriksen *owned by Kendo, LVMH
- Juice Beauty
- Paula’s Choice *owned by Unilever
- Perricone MD
- KORRES
1 thought on “Peter Thomas Roth”
Thank you for this information. I really hate companies that word play people. Its disgraceful.