Unilever’s science, advocacy and collaborations to end animal testing globally

Gavin, does Unilever test on animals?

No. Unilever doesn’t test on animals, and we don’t believe animal testing is needed to assure the safety of our products for people or for the environment.

More than 20 of our biggest brands, including Dove, TRESemmé, Sunsilk and Axe, have been independently certified by animal protection organisations. We ensure that their products and ingredients are not tested on animals by us, our suppliers or regulatory authorities anywhere in the world.

Why is using alternatives to animal testing a priority for Unilever?

Modern animal-free methods aren’t just kinder, they’re more biologically relevant for the safety decisions we need to make. Non-animal safety science combines knowledge of biology, chemistry, and statistics to assess the safety risks associated with our products and ingredients.

Our long-term commitment to non-animal safety science means consumers can trust that when they reach for a Unilever product, it has been developed using the best available science. We also know that consumers care deeply about this issue. It's increasingly part of the reason many people choose to support brands with no-animal-testing commitments.

Insights show that opposition to animal testing for cosmetics is the majority view. A 2023 study from NielsenIQ^[a] reported that 81% of North American consumers would switch brands to avoid products that had been tested on animals, and the same study shows that 63% of consumers worldwide would avoid purchasing cosmetics tested on animals.

That matters for our brands and our strategy to grow our brands by building Desire at Scale. Consumers increasingly expect products that align with their values as well as their performance expectations.

Unilever is recognised by PETA as a company working for regulatory change. What does that mean in practice?

Some regulations in specific markets still require, or strongly favour, animal data even when advanced non-animal approaches already exist. We don't agree that animal testing is necessary. That’s why we spend so much time working with regulators and government scientists around the world, sharing our experience and helping build confidence in alternatives to animal testing.

A good example is our work in Europe. Despite bans on cosmetic animal testing being in place for more than a decade, cosmetic ingredients could still be subject to animal testing to fulfil chemical regulatory requirements.

In 2021, Dove worked with The Body Shop and more than 100 animal-protection organisations to support a European Citizens’ Initiative calling for the European Commission to stop cosmetic animal testing. More than 1.2 million people signed to support the campaign.

In 2026, in response to the groundswell of support for the ECI, the European Commission published a roadmap towards phasing out animal testing that Unilever supported through our leadership of the European Partnership for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA).

How have advances in science and technology helped accelerate non-animal testing at Unilever?

We've been investing in this area for almost 50 years, and during that time we've published over 600 scientific papers in collaboration with partners all over the world.

As non-animal testing methods become more advanced, computational approaches are increasingly required to analyse non-animal safety data. Over the past five years Unilever has worked with US government experts on alternative methods and the global chemical regulatory body (OECD) to establish a globally accepted statistical model to allow skin allergy safety assessment without animal test data.

We’re also exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can support regulatory use of non-animal approaches through automation of data analysis and generation of new insights.

It’s eight years since Dove became Unilever's first PETA-approved brand. What progress are you most proud of since then?

For me, what’s inspiring is the mindset change that has taken place in the last eight years that we see reflected in initiatives like the European Roadmap.

It feels as though the regulatory community has reached a tipping point. We’ve stopped debating whether we can replace animal testing and started working together to phase it out, focusing on areas where alternatives to animal testing already exist and rapid progress can be made.

Governments around the world are now actively looking at how non-animal testing approaches can be adopted, and regulatory agencies are signalling a willingness to advance transition strategies.

It fills me with a deep sense of pride to witness the role that Unilever scientists have played in pioneering this transition through collaborating with the world’s leading scientific authorities, policymakers, and animal protection NGOs.

Why is collaboration so important to ending animal testing globally?

Because the biggest barrier today isn’t scientific capability. It’s regulatory acceptance.

Non-animal safety science has advanced faster than the regulatory requirements. That’s why collaboration is so important. Regulators, industry, academic scientists and NGOs all have a role to play in building confidence and trust in these new approaches.

And if we’re going to end animal testing globally, those collaborations will need to become even stronger to support the global regulatory transition to non-animal approaches we expect over the next decade.

How does using scientific alternatives to animal testing support Unilever's growth goals?

Regulatory modernisation is urgently required in many markets to better support innovation by enabling use of the latest, non-animal safety science.

The transition to more relevant, non-animal testing approaches, combined with digital approaches like AI, allows faster, more confident safety decision-making – that’s a significant innovation opportunity.

It’s not simply an alternative to testing on animals. Non-animal safety capabilities are an engine for innovations that can deliver Desire at Scale.

Frequently asked questions

• What animal testing alternatives does Unilever use?

  Unilever does not test products or ingredients on animals. Instead, our scientists use a range of computational approaches including AI, data generation using human-relevant assays, and data modelling to assess product safety confidently.

• How does Unilever ensure product safety without animal testing?

  We use leading-edge safety science to evaluate the safety of our products and ingredients for consumers, our workers and the environment. We work with animal protection NGOs and regulatory authorities to share our approaches, to promote their broader acceptance and maximise the impact of our science in replacing animal tests.

• Which Unilever brands are PETA approved as not tested on animals?

  Unilever’s PETA-approved brands are Dove, Axe, Sunsilk, TRESemmé, Hourglass, Dr Squatch, Jukebox, Lakmé, Living Proof, Love Beauty & Planet, Murad, Nubian Heritage, Simple, St Ives, Tatcha and Zendium.

  Our Leaping Bunny-approved brands are Dermalogica, K18, Paula’s Choice, Wild, Schmidt’s and Seventh Generation.

Find out more about how Unilever uses alternatives to animal testing