It is unclear if Herbal Essences is Cruelty-Free but they may offer Vegan Options
- Updated on July 4, 2022
- By James Daniel
- Cruelty-Free Status Unclear
- Parent company (Procter & Gamble) is not cruelty-free
About Herbal Essences
Herbal Essences is a brand known for its hair care and hair dye products, but is Herbal Essences cruelty-free and vegan? On this page we explain everything you need to know about the animal-testing policies and practices of Herbal Essences, their ethical practices generally, and whether or not they use animal-derived ingredients in their products.
Is Herbal Essences Cruelty-Free?
It is unclear if Herbal Essences is cruelty-free. While they purport to not test their products on animals, it is not clear whether they test through third parties, their suppliers, or in countries where it is required by law.
At EthicalAble, we reach out to brands to enquire about their animal testing policies. Typically, we take their answers at face value, however, we also perform independent research to verify their claims.
The requirements for us to to confirm that a brand or company is cruelty-free are:
- The brand does not test their finished products on animals,
- The brand does not test its ingredients on animals,
- The brand does not use suppliers that test on animals (and takes reasonable steps to verify this),
- The brand does not commission third parties to test on animals,
- The brand does not sell its products when required by law and/or in countries that require animal testing.
Is Herbal Essences Vegan?
Herbal Essences is 100% vegan. None of their products contain animal-derived ingredients, and they may hold certifications from organisations such as Vegan.org or The Vegan Society.
In determining whether or not a brand is vegan, we use the definition of veganism put forward by The Vegan Society.
Therefore, to consider a brand to be 100% vegan, they must “exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals” and not use animal-derived ingredients in their products.
If a brand is not cruelty-free, they cannot be considered vegan.
Further Information
Cruelty-Free Certifications
Herbal Essences has no cruelty-free certifications.
The cruelty-free certifications we compare brands against are Leaping Bunny and PETA. Many cruelty-free brands are certified by at least one of these two bodies. You can generally (but not always) trust that a brand with one of these certifications is truly cruelty-free and does not carry out or allow any form of animal-testing in any part of its supply chain.
Read more about certifications here.
Does Herbal Essences Sell In Countries Where Animal Testing Is Required By Law?
Some countries, like mainland China, may require animal testing on imported cosmetics and other products sold in domestic retail stores.
Herbal Essences may sell its products in these sorts of countries.
What About The Parent Company?
Herbal Essences is owned by Procter & Gamble, which is not a cruelty-free company.
Some people believe that if a parent company tests on animals, the child brand cannot be considered cruelty-free. We respect this view, but we do not take the parent company into account when designating a brand cruelty-free on EthicalAble. You can learn more about why we adopt this policy here.
On This Page
About EthicalAble
At EthicalAble, we provide information about cruelty-free, vegan, and sustainable beauty products. We’re here to help those those seeking ethical alternatives. Read more about us.
