Not carried
Is The Ordinary cruelty-free?
No — not by this standard.
The Ordinary is not in the directory.
The Ordinary is owned by Estée Lauder. A testing parent is a fail under rule 3. We are not grading the formula.
1
No testing at any stage
Not the finished product. Not the ingredients. Not a supplier.
2
Not sold where testing is required
If a market requires animal tests to sell there, the brand is out.
3
Not owned by a company that tests
The label on a subsidiary is not the parent’s policy.
The Ordinary fails rule 3. The full bar: The Standard. The list: Who isn’t here.
What to use instead
The job is clinical-ish actives — not a percentage war.
- Niacinamide, from brands that actually pass
- Retinol, from brands that actually pass
- Vitamin C, from brands that actually pass
- Browse the directory
- e.l.f. Cosmetics in the directory — Brand Standard PASS.
No buy buttons on this page. The directory is where listed products live.
FAQ
- The INCI list is the point of The Ordinary.
The INCI list is not the parent. Rule 3 is who can set policy. The label.
- Is this about quality?
No. Who isn’t here is a line we draw, not a review.
- Where do I go?
Start with niacinamide from brands that pass, or the directory. The rules: The Standard.