Is The Ordinary Cruelty-Free?

If you love cruelty-free skincare, you’re not alone—I do too! Supporting ethical practices in beauty feels good, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make a difference. I bet when you first heard about The Ordinary—with simple formulas and wallet-friendly prices—you were intrigued. But is this popular brand truly cruelty-free? And more importantly, are the ingredients used in their products safe? Today, we’ll take a closer look at The Ordinary, its cruelty free status, and why understanding what’s inside your products matters more than any marketing claim.

Is The Ordinary Cruelty-Free?

This question comes up often, and for good reason. The brand’s straightforward image and budget-friendly products make it easy to assume they check every ethical box. But understanding what “cruelty free” actually means requires a closer look at how a company operates—who owns it, where it sells, and how its products or ingredients are handled.

Still, focusing only on a brand’s cruelty free status can miss an important point: a product can be labeled cruelty free yet still contain ingredients that aren’t ideal for your skin or overall health. Labels can be comforting, but ingredients tell the real story.

Even a brand certified by Leaping Bunny can include ingredients that raise safety concerns or may cause irritation for some people. Reading and understanding the ingredients is always more revealing than relying on labels alone.

What Is The Ordinary?

To begin with, The Ordinary is a skincare brand launched in 2016 under the Canadian company DECIEM, which calls itself “The Abnormal Beauty Company.” The Ordinary became famous for its transparent approach—each product is named after its main ingredients, like “Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.” This simplicity seems to attract millions of fans worldwide.

However, in 2021, Estée Lauder—a parent company that sells in mainland China, where mandatory animal tests can be required by law—acquired a majority stake in DECIEM. This raised questions about The Ordinary’s cruelty free status, despite its Leaping Bunny certification.

Does The Ordinary Test On Animals?

According to The Ordinary, they do not test on animals, nor do they allow others to test on their behalf. They are also certified by Leaping Bunny, a well-known global program that verifies cruelty free brands.

However, things get complicated when large parent companies are involved. Since Estée Lauder owns The Ordinary, and Estée Lauder sells products in mainland China, where finished products may undergo mandatory animal tests, many consumers feel conflicted.

While The Ordinary itself is Leaping Bunny certified, its parent company does not have a cruelty free certification. This means that while The Ordinary’s cruelty free status is technically valid, it exists under a corporation that profits from brands that still test on animals when required by law.

So, is The Ordinary cruelty-free in spirit? That’s up for each consumer to decide. But even if a brand is cruelty free, it doesn’t automatically mean its products or ingredients are safe or beneficial for your health.

What Are The Best The Ordinary Products?

The Ordinary has a long list of products that have achieved popularity, similar to Oliveda (read my Oliveda Skincare Review). Below are a few of their top sellers and my perspective on their ingredients as listed on the company’s website as of November 2025.

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

While this product contains hyaluronic acid, a molecule that binds water and helps maintain moisture, there are ingredients that are best to avoid in skincare products, in my opinion. Thus, the ingredients of concern (in my opinion) include:

• Polysorbate 20: It is an ethoxylated ingredient, which means it may contain traces of carcinogenic chemicals used during manufacturing.
• Phenoxyethanol: Though an effective broad-spectrum preservative, it may contain harmful contaminants such as corrosive phenol and carcinogenic ethylene oxide. Learn more next.
• Chlorphenesin: Along with phenoxyethanol, this preservative was found harmful to the cells that make the oil protecting your eyes (called meibomian gland cells) and is considered to be skin irritating (source and source).

consider the following hyaluronic acid-based, non-toxic alternatives:

• Pure Haven Hyaluronic Acid (PURE15): This isa lightweight, non-oily serum formulated to intensely hydrate dry skin, help restore elasticity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Crunchi Daylight® Facial Cream: This facial cream is light, absorbent, non-greasy, and rich in antioxidants. Sodium hyaluronate and chondrus crispus extract draw water into the skin, making this moisturizer very hydrating.
• Crunchi Daylight® Advanced Facial Cream: In addition to the ingredients in the product above, the Advanced facial cream contains a youth-activating complex to help your skin look firmer and brighter.

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

This eye serum claims to reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. It contains caffeine solution, which can temporarily tighten and brighten the skin, and EGCG (a green tea extract) for antioxidant support.

On the other hand, the following ingredients look concerning to me, particularly if used in the eye area:

• Polyacrylate Crosspolymer 6: Dermatologists warn of acrylate’s skin sensitizing and allergenic properties (source).
• Benzyl Alcohol: Depending on the amount, this preservative or fragrance ingredient can cause allergic reactions in some individuals (source).
• Phenoxyethanol: As I mentioned above, it may contain harmful chemical residues due to its manufacturing process as well as potentially damage your eyelid gland cells.
• Propyl Gallate: According to the ECHA, it is skin sensitizing. Also, in animal studies, it showed some endocrine disrupting properties (source and source).

Safe alternatives for your eye area would be:

• Pure Haven Refresh Eye Cream With Pre+Probiotics (PURE15): This eye cream contains both caffeine solution and green tea extract for antioxidant support. Additionally, it contains pre and probiotics to help your skin regenerate and rejuvenate.
• Crunchi Powerlight Eye Cream: This eye cream is free of fragrance and essential oils. Plus, it contains some of the most effective anti-aging ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and palmitoyl tripeptide-38. Personally, I find it very effective at helping me reduce the appearance of wrinkles and minimize the appearance of dark circles.

Multi-Peptide + HA Serum

The serum features an age-supporting formulation that combines multiple ingredients used to help address common signs of early skin aging such as peptides and hyaluronic acid. However, just as The Ordinary skincare products discussed above, it includes ingredients to avoid, namely:

• Acetyl Hexapeptide-8: A neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptide that signals to the skin’s nerve and muscle cells to reduce muscle contractions, mimicking the Botox effect. It may block the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter related to memory and involved in muscle contractions. Learn more about peptides in my post on Non-Toxic Anti-Aging Beauty Routine as well as in my blog post on Peptide Serum.
• Carbomer: Made with acrylic acid that may contain benzene residues and be irritating and sensitizing for skin (CIR).
• Polysorbate 20: It is an ethoxylated ingredient, which means it may contain traces of carcinogenic chemicals used during manufacturing.
• PPG-26-Butheth-26: ethoxylated ingredient (see above)
• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: ethoxylated ingredient (see above)
• Phenoxyethanol: This ingredient works well as a broad-spectrum preservative, but it can sometimes contain concerning impurities like phenol, which is corrosive, and ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen.
• Chlorphenesin: This preservative has been shown to harm the cells that produce protective oils for your eyes and may also irritate the skin.

To Reduce skin and Health Risks, opt for non-toxic alternatives:

• Pure Haven Skin Collagen Peptides: This daily supplement, made with hydrolyzed marine collagen, supports your body’s natural collagen levels, which tend to decrease with age. It can help slow visible signs of aging such as wrinkles and sagging skin. With consistent use, it may also benefit your skin, hair, nails, bones, gut, muscles, blood vessels, and joints. I’ve been taking it since September 2024 and have noticed my skin feels firmer, and my hair and nails look much healthier.
• Crunchi Goldenlight® Multi-Peptide Facial Serum: Containing four collagen-stimulating peptides at 15% concentration – this is my favorite facial peptide serum! Over time, it helps smooth the look of fine lines, improve skin firmness and elasticity, and reduce visible signs of aging, giving the skin a healthy, natural glow.

Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution

Although this serum contains a stable form of Vitamin C—ascorbyl glucoside—I am particularly concerned about the following ingredients in the formula:

• Triethanolamine: Can cause serious eye damage; suspected of harming reproductive health (source).
• Isoceteth-20: This is an ethoxylated ingredient which, as we discussed above, can have residues of carcinogenic contaminants because of its manufacturing process.

Your safe option would be:

• Crunchi Vitamin C Serum: The serum helps brighten and even skin tone, reduce dark spots, and protect against environmental stress, blue light, and early aging. It features stable Vitamin C (ascorbyl glucoside), ferulic acid, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), kakadu plum, and mushroom extract for antioxidant protection, hydration, and improved skin texture. The formula is fragrance-free and essential oil-free, making it suitable for sensitive skin.

Is The Ordinary Worth It?

While The Ordinary’s low prices and transparency are appealing, I’m not a fan of their products.

Even though their cruelty free certification by Leaping Bunny is commendable, many of their formulations contain ingredients of concern that can not only disrupt the skin barrier but also contribute to other health risks.

While ethical practices are important, reading the ingredients for safety matters most. A truly safe product is one that is both gentle on your body and respectful toward animals and the planet.

If you are looking for safe body care products, check out my guide to the Safest Body Lotions.

Conclusion: Does Cruelty-Free Mean Safe?

No, Even If A Brand Is Cruelty Free, It Doesn’t Automatically Mean Its Products Or Ingredients Are Safe Or Beneficial For Your Health.

While supporting brands that don’t test on animals is an important part of promoting ethical practices, it’s only one piece of the bigger picture. A product can be certified by Leaping Bunny and still contain ingredients that may irritate the skin, disrupt hormones, or have long-term health concerns. In other words, cruelty free status does not tell you what’s inside the product.

That’s why it’s so important to go beyond labels and marketing claims. Reading and understanding ingredients empowers you to make choices that are both ethical and truly safe for you and your family.

The certified vegan as well as cruelty and toxic-free products I stand by are those by:

• Crunchi (ADVOCATE10) and
• Pure Haven (PURE15).

If you would like to be able to recognize harmful ingredients in a matter of seconds, my e-book Your Savvy Consumer Superpower can teach you how to do that. Also, receive my free emails to always be in the know about the safest and non-toxic products on the market!