Simple skincare does not test on animals. The brand is certified cruelty-free by PETA through its Beauty Without Bunnies program, meaning neither its finished products nor its ingredients are tested on animals anywhere in the world. Simple also confirms that all of its US products are vegan, containing no animal-derived ingredients.
Simple’s Cruelty-Free Certification
Simple holds PETA approval, which requires that a brand and its suppliers avoid animal testing on both ingredients and finished products. The brand states this directly on its website: “We do not test on animals, anywhere in the world.” This is a global commitment, not one limited to markets where animal testing is already banned by law.
To maintain PETA certification, Simple must ensure that all ingredients used in its products have not been tested on animals after December 31, 2010. The brand also has to verify that no government authority tests its products on animals, which is a stricter standard than simply not conducting tests in-house.
How Unilever Fits Into the Picture
Simple is owned by Unilever, which is worth understanding because parent company policies can complicate a brand’s cruelty-free status. Unilever itself is not fully cruelty-free across its entire portfolio. The company acknowledges that some ingredients used by other brands in its lineup may be tested by suppliers to meet legal requirements in certain markets.
However, Unilever has carved out a separate tier for its PETA-approved brands, which include Simple, Dove, and TRESemmé among others. These brands operate under stricter internal procedures and a dedicated supplier verification process that goes beyond what regulations like the EU Cosmetics Regulation require. So while Unilever as a whole occupies a gray area, Simple specifically meets the threshold for cruelty-free certification.
What Simple Uses Instead of Animal Testing
Unilever has invested in non-animal safety science since the 1980s. The methods used to assess product safety for brands like Simple include computer modeling (predicting how a substance will behave in the body using software), cell-based experiments (testing on human cells grown in a lab rather than on live animals), and exposure-driven risk assessments that evaluate how much of a substance actually reaches your skin and body during normal use.
These approaches were developed through a formal research program launched in 2004, focused on areas like skin allergy, cancer risk, and general toxicity. The goal was to prove that consumer safety could be assured without relying on animal data, and the results have been robust enough to satisfy PETA’s certification criteria.
The China Question
China has historically been the biggest sticking point for cruelty-free brands, because Chinese law once required animal testing for all imported cosmetics. That changed in 2021, when China waived mandatory animal testing for imported “general” cosmetics like cleansers, moisturizers, and shower gels. Special-use products such as sunscreens, hair dyes, and children’s cosmetics still require it.
For a brand like Simple, which primarily sells cleansers and moisturizers, this regulatory shift opened the door to selling in China without compromising cruelty-free status. As of 2024, China’s safety filing process has been further streamlined, with responsibility for safety monitoring shifting to the companies themselves rather than government-run testing labs. This means brands can increasingly rely on alternative testing methods recognized by international bodies.
What “Kind to Skin” Actually Means
Simple markets itself with the tagline “Kind to Skin,” which refers to its product formulations rather than its testing practices. All Simple products are free from artificial color, fragrance, parabens, drying alcohol, and harsh chemicals. The brand also labels its products as hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), and pH-balanced.
Products are tested on human volunteers rather than animals. Simple states that its products are both dermatologist-tested and ophthalmologist-tested, meaning real people with professional oversight evaluate whether the formulas cause irritation or reactions. This is the human-based testing approach that has replaced animal testing for the brand.
Is Simple Also Vegan?
Yes. All Simple US products are vegan, meaning they contain zero animal-derived ingredients. This is a separate claim from cruelty-free. A product can be cruelty-free (not tested on animals) but still contain ingredients like beeswax or lanolin. Simple meets both standards, so if you’re looking for skincare that avoids animal involvement entirely, the brand qualifies on both counts.