Is Softsheen Carson Cruelty-Free?

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

Note: Softsheen Carson has several brands under its umbrella including Dark & Lovely, Dark & Natural, Let’s Jam, Magic, and Amla. In this post, when referring to Softsheen Carson, I’m also referring to all the other brands they own.

Softsheen Carson’s Animal Testing Policy

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

However, I couldn’t find Softsheen Carson’s animal testing statement anywhere on its website.

So I reached out to Softsheen 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).

And they responded by saying,

Based on their response, Softsheen Carson has the same animal testing policy as L’Oreal. And what’s not stated in their response to me is L’Oreal’s full animal testing policy.

In L’Oreal’s full animal testing statement, L’Oreal (and thereby Softsheen Caron) state they allow their products to be tested on animals when certain health authorities may decide to conduct animal tests themselves.

“Certain health authorities may nevertheless decide to conduct animal tests themselves for certain cosmetic products, as it is still the case in China. L’Oréal is the most active company working alongside the Chinese authorities and scientists for over 10 years to have alternative testing methods recognized, and permit the cosmetic regulation to evolve towards a total and definite elimination of animal testing. Thanks to this, since 2014, certain products manufactured and sold in China like shampoo, body wash or certain make-up products are no longer tested on animals.”

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, some 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, Softsheen Carson and L’Oreal state they will allow their products and ingredients to be tested on animals by health authorities that require it. For those reasons, Softsheen Carson is NOT cruelty-free.

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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 Softsheen Carson has the same animal testing policy as its parent company, L’Oreal, 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 Softsheen Carson Certified Cruelty-Free?

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

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

Is Softsheen Carson Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?

Yes. Softsheen Carson is owned by L’Oreal, 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, Softsheen Carson is NOT cruelty-free, and neither is its parent corporation, L’Oreal.

Does Softsheen Carson Test on Animals?

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

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

Is Softsheen Carson Vegan?

❌ Softsheen Carson is NOT vegan. Softsheen Carson claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but Softsheen Carson engages in animal testing in some capacity, so we wouldn’t consider any Softsheen Carson 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 Softsheen Carson

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

• Garnier *owned by L’Oreal
• Manic Panic
• Arctic Fox
• Curlsmith
• Shea Moisture *owned by Unilever