Is Vichy Cruelty-Free And Vegan?
Vichy is a French skincare brand founded in 1931 that formulates its products using thermal water from the Vichy springs. Vichy’s products are made for skin concerns such as acne and aging, and oily, dry, and sensitive skin types. Vichy offers a wide range of skincare products, including cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers.
But what is Vichy’s animal testing policy? Is Vichy cruelty-free and vegan?
Vichy is not cruelty-free, nor is it vegan. Although Vichy and their parent company L’Oreal publicly state a commitment against animal testing, they continue to use the practice to sell their products in markets where animal testing is required by law.
Vichy also uses animal-derived ingredients in some of their products, so they are not a vegan company.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at:
- Vichy’s and their parent company’s animal testing policies
- Whether Vichy holds any cruelty-free certifications
- Why Vichy is not vegan
- What animal-derived ingredients Vichy’s products may contain
- The importance of Vichy selling in China
- Cruelty-free skincare alternatives
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Is Vichy Cruelty-Free?
In response to the question about whether they test on animals, Vichy Laboratories’ American website states that they do not test any of their products on animals. They say they do not test on animals for their ingredients either, nor do they have third parties test on their behalf. The “only possible exception” they list is where a government authority requires it.
This exception is important because there are regulatory authorities around the world that require animal testing as a prerequisite to skincare, makeup, and other cosmetics being sold in those countries’ stores.
Vichy admits in their FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section that they will meet these regulatory mandates to sell in these markets, and we also know that they sell their products in countries like China that require animal testing. For this reason, Vichy is not cruelty-free.
If you are in a country that does not require animal testing to sell beauty or cosmetic products, the Vichy product you buy will not have been tested on animals. However, because Vichy as a company does use animal testing in certain situations, they are not completely cruelty-free.
Is Vichy Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?
Vichy is a division of its parent company L’Oreal. L’Oreal lists a number of their “Commitments & Responsibilities” on their website, and one of these is their commitment against animal testing.
L’Oreal discusses how they ended animal testing within their company before the European Union forced it to stop within its jurisdictions. They also discuss the company’s development of reconstructed human skin for testing their products.
Combined with a number of other technologies that they have developed to examine the effects of their products, this has allowed L’Oreal to relinquish the need to test products on animals to ensure their safety.
L’Oreal makes the same exception that their subsidiary Vichy does, which is allowing for testing on animals to be able to sell in markets where this is required by law.
Because L’Oreal sells many of their brands in markets like China, we know that they do test on animals in these markets, and therefore they, like Vichy, L’Oreal is not cruelty-free.
Is Vichy Certified Cruelty-Free?
Vichy does not hold any certification for being cruelty-free. They are not part of Cruelty Free International’s Leaping Bunny Program. Not only are they not certified by PETA, but the organization even specifically lists them as a company that tests on animals on their website.
Is Vichy Vegan?
Vichy is not a vegan brand. Vichy formulates some of their products with animal-derived ingredients. For example
- Vichy LiftActiv Eyes and Vichy LiftActiv Supreme Night Cream contain beeswax, which is not vegan.
- Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Vichy LiftActiv Peptide-C Ampoule Serum contain glycerin, which may or may not be vegan. Glycerin can be derived from animal fats or plant oils. Since it is not specified which type of glycerin is used in these products, we cannot say for sure whether they are vegan or not.
Even if Vichy were 100% vegan, since they are not cruelty-free, they would not be considered a completely vegan brand since their products are still tested on animals in some situations.
Do Vichy Products Contain Animal-Derived Ingredients?
Some Vichy products contain ingredients that have been derived from animals. If you are buying a product from Vichy and want to find out whether that specific product is vegan or not, please check the ingredients label.
Some non-vegan skincare ingredients to look out for in skincare products include:
- Tallow
- Beeswax
- Collagen
- Gelatin
- Keratin
- Lanolin
- Oleic acid
- Shellac
One ingredient found in Vichy products, as previously noted, is beeswax. It carries a host of benefits for use in skincare products, including improving your skin’s elasticity and acting as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial. But because bees create beeswax, it is considered an animal-derived ingredient and not vegan.
Is Vichy Sold In China?
Vichy is sold in stores in mainland China and even has a Chinese online presence. Vichy’s parent company L’Oreal also sells products from many of its brands on the Chinese market.
China is one of the world’s biggest markets for cosmetics, and it is also one of the countries that require animal testing to allow most of these types of products to be sold within the country. Until recently, the Chinese mandate was for all cosmetic products to be tested on animals before they could go on the shelves, but the government has been making efforts to relax these requirements.
Despite these positive changes, progress has been slow, and many products, including those in the Vichy range, still fall under the mandate. For this reason, we know that Vichy still engages in animal testing.
What Are Some Cruelty-Free Skincare Brands Try?
As more and more beauty brands shift to being vegan and cruelty-free, it’s getting easier to find products that fit these ethical categories.
If you are looking for cruelty-free skincare alternatives, there are many excellent cruelty-free brands at a variety of price ranges, such as the following:
Or, shop from Ulta’s list of cruelty-free brands.
If you want to explore further, look for the Leaping Bunny logo on products you see in stores.
Final Thoughts: Is Vichy Cruelty-Free And Vegan?
Unfortunately, Vichy is not cruelty-free and vegan due to performing animal testing for the Chinese market and including animal-derived ingredients in some of their products.
Luckily, there are many great cruelty-free and vegan skincare brands on the market that can provide you with products that fit your ethical preferences.
Thanks for reading!
