Lining the shelves of your local drugstore since 1957, Dove is a well-loved and trusted bath and body brand known for their light-scented and buttery formulas for sensitive skin. But are their products safe for the animals as they are for sensitive skin? Well, the answer to whether or not Dove is cruelty-free and vegan may be a bit confusing. So let’s chat about it.

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Related: What’s the Difference Between Vegan and Cruelty-Free?

Is Dove Vegan?

No, Dove is not vegan. It seems that most, if not all, of their products are made with animal ingredients, most notably tallow (animal fat). You would have to check each individual ingredient, but it is not likely that Dove has any vegan options.

It should be noted that on their website, Dove does briefly mention that they plan on “exploring routes to offer vegan Dove products to cut down on [our] animal reliance overall.”, but there has been no other information offered on that.

So maybe in the future we will see vegan Dove products, but for now Dove is not vegan.

Is Dove Owned By a Parent Company?

Yes, Dove is owned by Unilever.

Does Dove Sell in China?

Yes, Dove sells their products in China. You can view their product locator here.

Is Dove Cruelty-Free?

According to their FAQ page, Dove has spent over 30 years pursuing non-animal testing methods. Dove is also certified cruelty-free by Peta’s Beauty Without Bunnies Program.

But, because Dove still sells their products in Mainland China, which requires animal testing by law, many do not consider Dove to be truly cruelty-free. Dove is also not certified cruelty-free by other organizations such as, Leaping Bunny, Choose Cruelty-Free, or Cruelty-Free International.

You can read Dove’s statement on selling their products in China here. They mention that although they sell in China, they no longer import their products into the country.

AKA, Dove allows China to make and sell their products in the country, therefore they profit off of products that were tested on animals.

At the end of the day, it’s up to the buyer to decide if Dove meets their cruelty-free standards. But by going off popular opinion, I would not consider Dove to be cruelty-free.

6 Vegan and Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Dove

1. Dr Bronner’s Hemp Baby Pure Castile Soap

2. Seaweed Bath Co Hydrating Cleaning Body Wash

3. Avalon Organics Aloe Unscented Hand and Body Lotion

4. Raw Sugar Simply Body Wash

5. Method Stay Hydrated Body Wash

6. St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash

Related: The 7 Best Cruelty-Free and Vegan Body Wash Brands

A Final Note on Dove’s Cruelty-Free and Vegan Status

Unfortunately, Dove is not yet cruelty-free or vegan. Although, they have made great strides, they still fall short especially when offering vegan options.

Hopefully in the future, Dove will improve their cruelty-free and vegan policies. But it might be best to avoid until then.