Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Eco Elsie
Dove is a cruelty-free brand for the most part and they have been globally accredited to be cruelty-free by PETA, which, if you didn’t already know, is an animal rights organization.
Dove has created a global commitment to permanently end all animal testing for their products everyone around the world. However, the fact that Dove is labeled as a cruelty-free brand can become quite difficult in some countries.
For example, in 2014, the Chinese government made it so pre-market animal testing for cosmetics that are produced in China was no longer a requirement. However, pre-market animal testing is still required for any products that are made outside of China and then sold in China.
As a worldwide brand, dove stated that they will stop selling some of their products in China to avoid the use of animal testing. This way, they would be able to remain in the Chinese market without having to test on animals.
So, the Dove products that are sold in China, must be made in China to stay cruelty-free. They also must not be special-use products, which are products that claim to have a specific function or effect, like sunscreen, deodorant, hair dye, and more.
In addition to this, non-routine post-market animal testing is still possible for all products that will be sold in China.
Due to this, any customer complaints or concerns about Dove products could be investigated, resulting in testing on animals. There is no way to avoid this, so therefore, Dove cannot be completely cruelty-free.
Is Dove Vegan?
Dove is not a vegan brand, and even though their products are continually being reformulated all the time, their products are still not 100% vegan.
As a brand, they have been making more changes to the formulas of their products to try and make them more vegan, but they are not quite there yet.
There are certain Dove products that have animal sources, and until this is no longer the case, Dove cannot be called a vegan brand.
So, Dove is not yet vegan, but they seem to be heading in this direction. They are currently exploring the different ways in which they can begin to offer vegan Dove products to cut down on their overall animal reliance.
One of their current aims is to use 100% physically certified palm oil to prevent the needless slaughter of between 1000 and 5000 orangutans a year, and they continue to make changes to make their products suitable for a wider range of people.
Only time will tell if Dove will follow through with their promises to become more vegan-friendly.
Is Dove An Ethical Company?
Unfortunately, there are a few ethical issues when it comes to Unilever, which is the company that owns Dove.
Some of the issues with this company include environmental reporting, habitats & resources, palm oil, pollution and toxins, human rights, workers’ rights, supply chain management, irresponsible marketing, animal rights, animal testing, factory farming, anti-social finance, controversial technologies, and political activities, just to name a few.
One of the most important issues that many take issue with is the fact that Dove is still using palm oil within their products. Palm oil can be found in a variety of their products like soap shampoo, and more.
While the use of palm oil itself might not be the issue, the irresponsible sourcing of palm oil is. However, Dove is currently working towards sourcing 100% physically certified and sustainable palm oil.
In addition to this, Dove is also continually looking for ways to reduce their plastic usage, which is a great step in the right direction.
Does Dove Test On Animals?
While animal testing for cosmetic products has been banned in the EU since 2004, and for most other ingredients since 2013, the same cannot be said for other countries around the world.
With this in mind, Dove is a company that is sold all around the world. They have taken a stand to ensure that their products are not being tested on animals in other places.
Dove actually has a policy in place that prohibits any animal testing for their products anywhere in the world. None of the projects would be approved if they were to end up being tested on animals in certain locations.
Dove has made key decisions on which products they are able to sell in certain countries and how they can do so successfully.
Looking at countries where animal testing for cosmetic products is still a requirement is really important in order to achieve this.
Dove has shown a commitment against animal testing since the mid-1980s and they have not tested their products or the ingredients within their products on animals since 2010. This was actually two years before the EU animal testing marketing ban.
Are Dove Products Toxic?
Something that is really important to Dove is providing hair and skincare ingredients that will work well and be kind to you. Therefore, choosing what ingredients that are used in their products is a big decision.
They aim to keep looking at their existing formulas as time goes on and use the latest research to decide which ingredients are safe or unsafe to use.
Something that you should know is that Dove uses different types of parabens in their products that have proven to be safe for use.
The aim of the company is to provide customers with skincare products that are not harmful, but due to the fact that many are choosing to use paraben-free products, Dove is formulating their products to become paraben-free.
You can also be sure that their products are free from phthalates, which are a family of chemicals that are often used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics, typically in packaging.
Phthalates are not used in the making of Dove products, but they can occur during the manufacturing process in very small amounts that are within the safety standards.
In line with their own standards, they also do not use any phthalates as solvents to mix fragrance ingredients.
