Is Pond’s Cruelty-Free?

☠️ Pond’s is NOT cruelty-free in 2023. Pond’s allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law.

Pond’s Animal Testing Policy

When asking, does Pond’s test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of Pond’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.

Pond’s claims on its website that they use science and not animals to ensure the safety of their products, however, this is not enough information for us to classify Pond’s or any other brand as being cruelty-free to our standards.

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

Animal testing for cosmetics can happen at various stages of product development, including at the ingredient level, and is often done by others and not the cosmetic company itself.

This is why we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand, its suppliers, or any third parties.

Pond’s statement that they don’t believe animal testing is necessary is not enough information for us to classify Pond’s as being cruelty-free according to our standards.

So I reached out to Pond’s to ask for more information about their animal testing policy. More specifically, I wanted to know if they commission or allow others to test, not just their finished products but their ingredients on animals, including when selling in countries that require animal testing (like mainland China).

Based on their response, it turns out that Pond’s has the same animal testing policy as Unilever.

And on Unilever’s corporate website, Unilever’s official animal testing statement states:

“Occasionally, across Unilever’s broader portfolio of brands, ingredients that we use still have to be tested by suppliers by law, to comply with regulatory requirements in some markets; and some government authorities test certain products on animals as part of their regulations.”

Both Unilever and Pond’s state they don’t test their products on animals, but they do allow their ingredient suppliers or government authorities to test on animals where 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, Unilever and Pond’s state they will allow their products and ingredients to be tested on animals if the law requires it. For those reasons, Pond’s 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 Pond’s allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.

Is Pond’s Certified Cruelty-Free?

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

Since Pond’s is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is substantiating or auditing Pond’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.

Is Pond’s Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

Yes. Pond’s is owned by Unilever, a parent corporation that still engages in animal testing in 2023.

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, Pond’s is NOT cruelty-free, and neither is its parent corporation. Unilever.

Does Pond’s Test on Animals?

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

Currently, Pond’s is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.

Is Pond’s Vegan?

❌ Pond’s is NOT vegan. Pond’s does not claim or market itself to offer any vegan-friendly options. And since Pond’s engages in animal testing in some capacity, we wouldn’t consider any Pond’s products 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 Pond’s

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

• Acure
• Versed
• Bliss
• The Inkey List
• ELF Cosmetics
• The Ordinary *owned by Estee Lauder

Or check out our Guide to Affordable Cruelty-Free & Vegan Skincare Brands!