Tom’s of Maine (Colgate)

Last Updated: January 17, 2022

How Ethical Is Tom’s of Maine (Colgate)?

Make a positive impact by supporting companies with the same values and ethics as what matters most to you. To navigate and find ethical brands, here's a summary of Tom’s of Maine's ethics and initiatives.

Ethical Analysis

Is Tom’s of Maine cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Tom’s of Maine’s policies.
Tom’s of Maine is cruelty-free, but Tom’s of Maine is owned by Colgate, a parent company that is NOT cruelty-free.
Not all of Tom’s of Maine’s products are vegan but they have some vegan options.
Tom’s of Maine is a certified B Corporation. Tom’s of Maine is committed to using naturally sourced and naturally-derived ingredients that goes through their Stewardship review process to meet their standards for natural, sustainable, and responsible.

Some of their standards include supporting the use of sustainable growing and harvesting practices, sourcing from suppliers that respect human and labor rights, and prioritizing the use of recycled and renewable materials.

Additionally, Tom’s of Maine has a recycling program with TerraCycle.
Tom’s of Maine products come in plastic packaging and they offer a recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle.

About Tom’s of Maine (Colgate)

Tom’s of Maine offers natural toothpaste and deodorant products.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA, Canada, Switzerland, Malaysia
PRODUCTS: Oral Care, Bath & Body Care
CERTIFICATIONS: PETA-Certified

Tom’s of Maine (Colgate)

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

You can find Tom’s of Maine cruelty-free products at Target and Amazon.

Tom’s of Maine is *Cruelty-Free

Tom’s of Maine has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.

By our standards, we would consider Tom’s of Maine to be *Cruelty-Free.

*Tom’s of Maine is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.

It’s your choice whether you want to support or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to this. I encourage you to do what you’re comfortable with, but I think it’s important to disclose that Colgate-Palmolive owns Tom’s of Maine.

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

Tom’s of Maine has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

“We do not sell our products in mainland China and do not require animal testing.”

As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2022.

Cruelty-Free Policies

Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.’ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.

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 any third parties.

Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.

Tom’s of Maine is Not 100% Vegan

‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.

In the case of Tom’s of Maine, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.

How to know which of Tom’s of Maine products are vegan?

All of Tom’s of Maine’s vegan products are clearly marked on their website.

In addition, the following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Tom’s of Maine’s website about its vegan claims:

Is Tom's of Maine Vegan?

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it usually means no animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.

Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.

There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.

So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.

Where are Tom’s of Maine’s products made?

I asked Tom’s of Maine where their products are manufactured and they told me:

“all of our products are manufactured by product type. See below:

  • Sanford ME – Tom’s Toothpaste
  • Morristown TN – Tom’s Mouthwash
  • Canada – Tom’s Body Wash and Liquid Hand Soap
  • Greenwood SC – Tom’s Deodorant / Antiperspirant
  • Rhode Island – Tom’s Bar Soap
  • Malaysia – Tom’s Floss
  • Switzerland – Tom’s Toothbrushes”

I hope this article helped you to understand Tom’s of Maine’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!

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