Victoria’s Secret is an American clothing brand. It is popular for its fancy lingerie, fragrances, innerwear, and sleepwear. Their Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, conducted annually, draws a lot of worldwide attention. Their marketing is top-notch, and they often call the best singers to perform at their fashion show. They are mainly sought-after because of their models, called Victoria’s Secret Angels. Here, let’s know ‘Is Victoria Secret cruelty-Free?’
Their models go through a rigorous selection process, and Victoria’s Secret has been criticized of late for not being inclusive of different body types and skin colors. This fashion show has been canceled since 2019 when Victoria’s Secret promised to rebrand because of all the criticism.
Is Victoria’s Secret Cruelty-Free?
Most brands do not fully reveal their animal testing policies, as it could impact them negatively if their consumer base turns away from them. There is also a lot of difference between what brands say and do. they would want to appear as supportive of social causes as possible, without actually doing anything for them. If you like Victoria’s Secret but want to grow more conscious of the impact of your choices, there is bad news for you. Victoria’s Secret says that they are against animal testing. None of their products, formulations, or ingredients are tested on animals. They have partnered up with a non-profit organization, Institute for In Vitro Sciences to show their social responsibility. This is the extent of their cruelty-free policy, which isn’t much at all. They do not market themselves as cruelty-free, because they are not. So, if they are not cruelty-free, what do they do?
Why Is Victoria’s Secret Not Cruelty-Free?
There are a few things that Victoria’s Secret does which cannot be considered cruelty-free. Please keep in mind none of these are confirmed, they could be true or false. But as the brand has not confirmed or denied them, all of these is valid possibility.
The arguments in favor of why Victoria’s Secret is not cruelty-free are as follows:
– Victoria’s Secret could test their products on animals. They can do it themselves, through a third party, or their suppliers.
– They sell their products in places where animal testing is required by law. So, it is highly likely that they are participating in animal testing. E.g.: China is a country that requires animal testing by law before products are sold in the market. Victoria’s Secret has around seventy stores in China, so it can be taken for granted that they have done extensive animal testing, despite their statements and support for non-profit organizations.
– Victoria’s Secret is not an independent company, it is owned by a parent company, L Brands. In L Brands policy, they mention that they do not do animal testing except where it is required by law, thus they do practice animal testing wherever required. So neither is Victoria’s Secret cruelty-free, and neither is their parent company.
– Victoria’s Secret does not have a testing policy mentioned on their website, but their parent company has one. According to this, Victoria’s Secret does not do animal testing themselves. If a third party requires it, however, they pay for it and get it done. In the end, animals are being hurt because of Victoria’s Secret.
– The brand is not certified cruelty-free by any organizations, which is a big indicator that they are not.
What About Their Vegan Products?
Some of Victoria’s Secret products are vegan, like the Pink Body line released in 2019. This means they do not have any ingredients derived from animals, nor do they use any animal byproducts. But the brand as such is not cruelty-free, so having a few vegan products seems perfunctory. If you want to purchase cruelty-free products only, buying their vegan products would mean indirectly supporting a company that uses animal lives for their gain.
PETA And Victoria’s Secret
PETA used to have Victoria’s Secret on its list of cruelty-free brands. They were removed from the list after they started selling in China. PETA’s standards for certifying brand cruelty-free are low compared to other organizations that work toward this cause. They would have put Victoria’s Secret in a grey area before selling in China. But now, it is clear that no organization will applaud Victoria’s Secret when it comes to being cruelty-free.
Alternatives
There are plenty of other cruelty-free brands that you can opt for. You can go to any website that checks brands and states whether they are cruelty-free. Going to a brand’s website will not be helpful, because every brand seeks to show the best image of themselves. You will get a layered truth in that case. Some alternatives to Victoria’s Secret are Stella McCartney and Carol’s Daughter.
Conclusion
Victoria’s Secret is not a cruelty-free brand. If you are someone who wants to make ethical purchases and are against animal cruelty, they are not a good option for you. There are much better alternatives that will suit your demand. You can look for a vegan brand that makes environmentally friendly products. We hope this article helped you inform yourself. Happy Shopping!
