The Ultimate Guide to Cruelty-Free Perfume Brands: Explore the Best Options Without Animal Testing

Want to find your perfect fragrance? There are lots of cruelty-free options out there.

Did you know that many mainstream perfume brands test on animals? Think about the last time you went fragrance shopping. Odds are, you stopped and smelled a perfume that is not cruelty-free. In this day and age, animal testing for cosmetics is completely unnecessary. There are so many brands making amazing scents without harming animals.

These brands are taking over and showing that you can be cruelty-free and make amazing perfumes. This post will provide you with a comprehensive list of cruelty-free perfume brands and fragrance brands that align with your values. There are so many popular scent notes. Lavender, vanilla, bergamot, citrus, amber, patchouli, coconut, gardenia, and sandalwood are all well-loved and you’re able to find them all from brands that don’t test on animals.

What is cruelty-free perfume?

These are perfumes that are not tested on animals at any stage of production. This means that the product itself, as well as its individual ingredients and formulas, have not been tested on animals at any point.

Choosing cruelty-free perfumes is an easy choice.

In doing so, you are supporting brands making ethical choices when it comes to animal testing and animal welfare. Many people assume that it is hard to find cruelty-free perfume, but it is actually a lot easier than you may think.

What perfumes aren’t tested on animals?

In the past, picking out a cruelty-free perfume or a vegan perfume often meant that you were headed to your local health food store. Now that’s all changed. You can walk into your local Sephora, Ulta, Target, or department store and find several options sitting right on the shelf. Shopping online gives you access to tons of brands too. So whether you want a luxury perfume, an indie perfume, or an affordable perfume you are going to find what you’re looking for.

List of Cruelty-Free Perfume Brands:

All of these brands make cruelty-free perfumes and do not test on animals. If a brand is 100% vegan. That is noted next to the brand name with (V). It is also noted if the brand is cruelty-free, but their parent company is not. That is noted next to the brand name with (PC).

• 7 Virtues, The (V)
• Ariana Grande Fragrances
• Aromi (V)
• Beast
• Being Frenshe (V)
• Body Shop, The
• Burke & Hare Co (V)
• By Rosie Jane (V)
• Ceremonia (V)
• CLEAN RESERVE (V)
• Commodity (V)
• Confessions of a Rebel (V)
• DedCool (V)
• DefineMe Fragrance (V) (use affiliate code LOGICALHARMONY for a discount)
• DIME Beauty
• Dossier (V)
• Ecco Bella
• Epically Epic Soap Co
• Fairypants
• Fenty Beauty
• Fine’ry (V)
• Floral Street (V)
• Forager Botanicals (V)
• Glossier
• Good Chemistry (V)
• Graveyard Wanders
• Harvey Prince (V)
• Herban Cowboy
• Inkling Scents
• Kayali
• KKW Fragrance (PC)
• KORRES
• LAVANILA
• Leahlani
• Lush
• Molton Brown
• My Daughter Fragrances
• NEST New York / NEST Fragrances
• OUAI
• Pacifica (V)
• PINROSE (V)
• Philosophy
• PHLUR (V)
• Root (V)
• Skylar (V)
• Snif (V)
• Sol de Janeiro (PC) (use affiliate code TASHINA10 for a discount)
• Truly (V)
• Typology (V)
• Vacation – (V)

Which celebrity perfumes are cruelty-free?

It’s often assumed that celebrity perfume brands test on animals. Thankfully, a couple of celebrity fragrance brands are cruelty-free. It might not be the biggest list, but it’s great to see cruelty-free fragrances from these brands.

1. Ariana Grande Fragrances
2. Being Frenshe
3. Fenty Beauty
4. KKW Fragrance

What are some cruelty-free perfume brands that Sephora carries?

A lot of people head to Sephora to shop for their fragrance favorites. While a lot of the brands sold there do engage in animal testing, they have so many cruelty-free fragrance brands too. Reference the list above for a full list of cruelty-free perfume brands. A few of the most popular perfume brands that Sephora carries are listed below. This is based on the current best-sellers.

Best-selling cruelty-free fragrance options at Sephora:

1. Glossier – Described as a warm and sheer scent with notes of pink pepper, iris, and abrox Glossier You Eau de Parfum is one of the best-selling cruelty-free fragrances at Sephora. While not known for being a fragrance brand, this fragrance is often raved about on both TikTok and Instagram.
2. Sol de Janeiro – The classic warm and sweet gourmand scent from Sol de Janeiro has notes of pistachio, jasmine petals, and salted caramel. Sharing the same scent with the cult favorite Bum Bum Cream, it’s no wonder that Sol de Janeiro SOL Cheirosa ’62 Eau de Parfum is a best-selling perfume.
3. Kayali – Maybe there’s something about pistachio, but another cruelty-free perfume that’s a big seller for Sephora is the Kaylai Yum Pistachio Gelato 33. With notes of pistachio, cotton candy, and whipped cream it sounds like a different take on pistachio scents.
4. Skylar – With notes of pure vanilla, cotton candy, and coconut milk Skylar Boardwalk Delight Eau de Parfum is a deliciously sweet scent. It’s a great option for warmer weather.
5. Fenty Beauty – If you’re a floral perfume fan, the Fenty Eau de Parfum might be up your alley. This fragrance has notes of magnolia, musk, and Bulgarian rose. The bottle also looks so chic in any perfume collection.

What are some cruelty-free perfume brands that Ulta carries?

Ulta is another place people love to shop for fragrances. Since they carry a larger variety of price points, this means that they have a perfume option for any budget. Reference the list above for a full list of cruelty-free perfume brands. A few of the most popular perfume brands that Ulta carries are listed below. This is based on the current best-sellers.

Best-selling cruelty-free fragrance options at Ulta:

1. Vacation – This cruelty-free brand currently makes the top best-seller at Ulta. “VACATION” by Vacation Eau de Toilette has notes of petitgrain essence, coconut water, and coconut milk for a fresh scent.
2. Ariana Grande Fragrances – It’s no surprise to see this brand on a list of top perfumes. There are so many scent options to pick from. Not to mention, they come in so many sizes too. Cloud Eau de Parfum is a warm and spicy gourmand scent. It has notes of lavender blossom, juicy pear, and bergamot.
3. OUAI – Known for making amazing selling hair products, the Melrose Place Eau de Parfum is a juicy floral scent. It has notes of champagne, pink peppercorn, berry, and lychee. This is a great option for those who love to layer their scent for lasting power.
4. CLEAN RESERVE – This 100% vegan brand makes tons of scent options. The most popular is Classic Skin Eau de Parfum. This musky floral has notes of lotus blossom, dewy petals, and creamy vanilla.
5. DIME Beauty – Not only do they make perfume, but they also make cruelty-free cologne. Dans Les Bois Perfume is the top-selling option. This woodsy floral scent has notes of blood orange, lemon, and jasmine.

Perfume Brands and Fragrance Brands that Test on Animals:

Most popular mainstream fragrance brands test on animals. This includes, but is not limited to, the following brands:

• Bath & Body Works
• Burberry
• Carolina Herrera
• Chanel
• Dior
• Gucci
• Marc Jacobs Fragrances
• Prada
• Versace
• Yves San Laurent (YSL)

What is in perfume that makes it not vegan? Ingredients to Watch Out For:

Most perfumes no longer contain animal or animal-derived ingredients, this is not the case across the board.

Beeswax is commonly found in solid perfumes. Honey is also sometimes found in these too.

A couple of animal-derived ingredients that you might find in perfumes are musk, castoreum, and ambergris. They are not commonly used anymore, but it’s still good to keep an eye out for them.

Cruelty-Free Certifications and Labels:

There are a couple of cruelty-free certifications to look for when shopping. Leaping Bunny and PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies program are the most often seen and easy to spot on packaging. Both logos mean that the perfume was made without animal testing.

Tips for Finding the Right Scent:

Struggling to choose a cruelty-free perfume that suits your preferences? I have a large perfume collection with many scents I love, and some I’m not the biggest fan of. It can be hard to tell what a scent will be like on your body. Since we all have our own chemistry, the same perfume can smell completely different on people.

Purchase sample sizes and roll-on perfumes when possible. Ulta and Sephora carry a ton of these in mini spray bottles. Many indie perfume brands offer samples that give you a few uses. This is a great way to test out scents and see what you like. Some have set scents for the samples and others let you mix and match.

Use perfume spray testers in-store. Most stores have paper strips you can spray the fragrance on to see how it smells. If you like it, spray some on your skin to see how it warms up on your body over time.

DIY Cruelty-Free Perfume:

If all else fails, you can also try making your own cruelty-free perfume! You can do this using essential oils, carrier oils, and alcohol. You can find roller ball and spray packaging online. It can be a fun way to customize your own personal scent.

Here on Logical Harmony, you can find a full list of cruelty-free brands as well as shopping guides to help you find the cruelty-free brands at Dermstore, Ulta, Nordstrom, Sephora, Beauty Bay, Beautylish, Cult Beauty, and tons more. There are also lots of vegan product lists for cruelty-free brands too.