Dr Organic products come with guaranteed claims to be clean, organic and ethically sourced. But does this mean that the brand is cruelty-free and vegan too? What we've learnt has surprised us.
Dr Organic is cruelty-free. It doesn't conduct animal testing on its products, nor does it distribute its cosmetics where animal testing is required by law. While Dr Organic does offer a range of vegan cosmetics, it is not considered a vegan brand.
Dr Organic is a new brand founded in 2007 by two entrepreneurs – Fred Whitcomb and Steve Quinn. Their goal was to make beauty products formulated with natural and bioactive organic ingredients from around the world.
Today, this Welsh company is worth over 47,5 million dollars.
Before deciding on what to buy, here's what you need to know about Dr Organic's current animal testing policies, vegan ranges, formulation, and sustainability.
Is Dr Organic Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
Dr Organic is 100% Cruelty-Free
It does not:
Although Dr Organic claims to have rigorous cruelty-free standards – it does not have any accreditation from a third-party organization like Leaping Bunny.
Luckily, Dr Organic is a Welsh company that makes all of its products within the UK & EU where it is illegal to test and sell cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients on animals.
Dr Organic's parent company, Nature's Bounty, and their sister company, Optima, also don't conduct any animal testing on their raw materials and do not ask any third-parties to test on their behalf.
In saying this – there are limits to the laws and regulations.
An organization like Leaping Bunny differs because it ensures all forms of testing (beyond ingredient and consumer safety), such as worker safety and environmental health, are considered.
So although we can verify these products are cruelty-free, the company needs to take their own initiative to ensure it considers worker and environmental safety.
This brings us to the next point:
Dr Organic is Not Vegan
Although the brand is not entirely vegan, Dr Organic has a large variety of vegan ranges and products that are easy to find on their website.
Today, all its vegan products and ranges are marked on their website once you've selected the product of your choice.
If a product is vegan, you'll find the information to the right of its image.
Some of the most common animal-derived ingredients that Dr Organic uses include:
If you're interested vegan products or finding vegan brand alternatives – keep reading or click on this link: Dr Organic vegan products.
Animal Testing Policy and History
Dr Organic pledged to be a cruelty-free brand from its launch in 2007 before the EU banned all cosmetic testing on animals in 2013 (and final Brexit negotiations happened in 2021).
However, the EU's legislature made it easy for Dr Organic to prove that neither its cosmetics nor ingredients are tested on animals and sold within the EU.
If you want to know where your country stands on animal testing, this is a must-read: These Countries Have Banned Animal Testing
Cruelty-Free Status in 2022
Here is a screenshot of Dr Organic's official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products, taken from their website:
Certification
Dr Organic has no cruelty-free certification. Although they claim to be cruelty-free – there's no third party there to confirm it.
It would be nice to see more certification from Dr Organic since they are proudly cruelty-free.
The brand is currently covered by the EU & UK legislature, which is a really great start. However, certain loopholes in the law make it far more reliable if a third-party were to get involved.
And while you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn't hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. So having certification from an association like Leaping Bunny or Choose Cruelty-Free, is ideal.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
If you see a bunny stamp on the back of your product bottle – that's an excellent sign. But don't be fooled by the image itself. A lot of brands are using fake logos to mislead consumers.
Do your homework and see which products are genuinely cruelty-free first. This article will help you: Which Cruelty-Free Logos Can You Trust?
Is Dr Organic Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Dr Organic does not distribute any of its products to China or any country that requires animal testing on cosmetics by law.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year.
However, if you live in China or are concerned about its cruel beauty policies, there are a couple of loopholes. Here's how to find cruelty-free cosmetics in China: Are Cosmetics Made in China Cruelty-Free?
What Dr Organic Products Are Vegan?
As a start, all of Dr Organic's products are vegetarian. It does not use any animal products in its formulas, only animal byproducts like honey.
However, it also has a great range of vegan products that continues to expand, especially as the popularity of vegan beauty continues to grow.
To save you some time, here are some of their award-winning vegan products:
For a full list of Dr Organic's vegan products, you can find them listed here: Dr Organic's Vegan Product List
Vegan Alternatives to Dr Organic
Overall, Dr Organic is a great option for vegans and provide great vegan alternatives that other brands haven't cared to try yet.
They have a clean track record and noteworthy transparency with its consumers. For a multi-million dollar brand – it's commendable.
But, as much as we love that it is cruelty-free and offers vegan options – it would be great to see some more certification behind the claims.
If you do not support brands that aren't entirely vegan – Dr Organic might not be your first choice.
If you're looking for 100% vegan brands that are sustainable, here are some great options.
Is Dr Organic Natural and Organic?
Dr Organic is Organic
As the name might suggest, Dr Organic does use organic ingredients. It claims on its website that approximately 70% of any product's ingredients are organic.
The term "organic" is regulated by the USDA and means an ingredient is free of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or non-organic substances.
Dr Organic is Natural
The term "clean" or "natural" is not regulated for cosmetics and skincare. In other words, it doesn't hold one specific meaning.
Usually, it means a product is free of certain more toxic synthetic ingredients, including parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and more. But people also interpret "natural" to mean ingredients that are of immediate plant origin.
Here's the thing – "natural" is not necessarily a good thing. Just because an ingredient is natural (take chilli peppers, for example) doesn't mean you should rub it on your skin.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas, and Dr Organic is no exception – but they choose to use clean synthetics.
Clean synthetic ingredients are safe and non-toxic, which actually preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
Does Dr Organic Use Safe Ingredients?
According to Skin Safe, Dr Organic has an 82% - 91% allergen-free ranking for each product.
Many of Dr Organic's products are free of allergens such as common preservatives, MCI, irritants, gluten, nickel, dye, soy, propylene glycol, and lanolin.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Dr Organic is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
However, certain products are specifically for these concerns, so make sure you buy what your skin needs.
It's also important to note that not all common allergens are bad ingredients overall. A common example is lanolin, which has many benefits to your skin too. Find out more here: Can Lanolin Be Cruelty-Free?
The UK & EU Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
Since Dr Organic is based and made in the UK and EU – ingredient regulations are much stricter than in the US.
This is because the FDA has only banned or restricted 11 harmful chemicals from cosmetics. Europe, on the other hand, has banned 1,328!
Some common skin care ingredients that are banned in the EU and UK but not in the USA include:
Beyond the 1,328 banned ingredients, Dr Organic also does not use the following synthetic ingredients:
Are Cruelty-Free Ingredients Safe?
If you're worried about how safe it is to use cosmetics that are not tested on animals – please relax and take a sigh of relief.
There is no reason why cruelty-free products shouldn't be just as safe, if not safer, than anything tested on an animal.
Not only is it easy to test ingredients without using animals altogether, but there are so many pre-approved ingredients you can use to make cosmetics that there really is no need.
Here's more on the subject if you're interested: Are Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Safe?
Is Dr Organic Sustainable and Ethical?
Dr Organic has some strong sustainability and ethical initiatives as it ties in with the company values.
As it stands, the brand:
We love to see where Dr Organic is right now and their sustainability plans for the near future – let's see how quickly they can make these eco-friendly changes.
Final Thoughts
Dr Organic is a well-developed skin and body care brand that strives to be clean, sustainable, and healthy for you.
The fact that they are a UK brand that solely makes its products within the UK and EU is a great sign that they are completely cruelty-free and use safe ingredients for your skin.
We appreciate the fact the it has a transparent supply chain and is open to the public about its testing, purchasing and distribution policies.
We also love the fact that it's open about using eco-friendly ingredients and limited palm oil.
Since Dr Organic is not 100% vegan – it might not be the best choice for activists who go the extra mile. However, we would keep an eye out for its vegan ranges because they are well-formulated and safe.
But, of course, even if it is a UK-based brand, we would still like to see some further cruelty-free accreditation from a reputable organization like Leaping Bunny.
