is herbal Essences cruelty-free and vegan

If you are wondering is Herbal Essences cruelty-free or want to know is Herbal Essences vegan you are not alone. The cosmetics industry has been experiencing significant changes. A large portion of current and potential consumers want to know the animal testing policies of different types of brands. Although there are many individuals who could not be bothered, the quest for cruelty-free and vegan makeup as well as skincare products has been growing steadily.

Is Herbal Essences Cruelty-Free?

Herbal Essences is cruelty-free. Herbal Essences is a well-known cosmetics company that develops and markets a range of effective hair care products including masks, shampoos, mousse, conditioners, styling products, and treatments. The brand’s wide range of products is a favorite of many people with different hair types all across the world. It’s is a popular brand, that is also cruelty-free.

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Herbal Essences is one of the brands that is owned by the American conglomerate Procter and Gamble since 2001. The cosmetic brand has chosen to adhere to policies that are different from those of its parent company. P & G is not cruelty-free and includes some form of animal testing.

Procter and Gamble allow different brands under its portfolio to operate under different policies. Herbal Essences was founded in 1971. The well-known brand has maintained its policies and doesn’t conduct testing on animals both pre-production as well as during production for product development purposes. It also stopped post-production testing in 2019 and became cruelty-free.

Examples of brands under P & G portfolio that are not cruelty-free include Pantene and Olay. Aussie is also owned by P & G but it’s cruelty-free.  

The brand P & G states that the multinational doesn’t use animals in the laboratory research that they conduct to assess the efficacy and safety of their products and ingredients. The organization also states that using animals when developing their products is sometimes required by law in some countries where they sell. 

Is Herbal Essences Sold in China?

No, and yes. Herbal Essences is cruelty-free because it does not agree to or pay for animal testing a requirement for the items to be sold in physical stores in Mainland China. The Asian country still requires all cosmetic brands sold in physical stores in the nation to pay and participate in post-production animal test activities.

However,  Herbal Essences does sell domestically manufactured non-special use products in the Chinese market. The Chinese regulators don’t require animal testing on this group of products. Although these products are sold in physical stores, they are not subject to being pulled off the shelves and tested.

The brand has not been submitting and paying for its special use products to be tested on animals and is therefore not allowed to sell them in Mainland China. Many other companies agree to the testing so as to abide by the mandatory registration requirements set by Chinese regulators.

Where is Herbal Essences Made?

The brand Herbal Essences doesn’t manufacture its products in China. The brand makes its products in the U.S. before they are shipped and distributed to different countries across the world.

Is Herbal Essences 100% Vegan?

Herbal essences are not vegan. The brand indicates that none of its products are certified as vegan.

However, the brand uses beeswax, honey, and other animal-derived ingredients when making most of the products which makes them non-vegan.

It’s advisable to check the list of ingredients if you are searching for Herbal Essences vegan products. It would be advisable to check a brand that is clear on its list of vegan products.

Is Herbal Essences Organic or Natural?

Herbal Essences is not 100% organic or natural. The company does claim that all of its products are made with 90% natural ingredients.

The brand also indicates that it is increasing the sourcing and use of certified organic materials.

Is Herbal Essences Paraben-Free?

Herbal Essences is paraben-free. The cosmetic industry has been dealing with controversy when addressing the use of some of the compounds such as parabens.

There is a group that feels the compounds are harmful and should not be included in cosmetics. The second group feels that the compounds have been approved by the FDA and other organizations and are therefore okay.

So, if you’re wondering is Herbal Essences paraben-free? Herbal Essences has products that are paraben-free. Is Herbal Essences Sulfate-free? The answer is that the brand has a sulfate-free collection. However, the rest of the products are not sulfate-free. It’s advisable to check the products’ ingredients before making a purchase.  

Is Herbal Essences Gluten-Free?

Yes, some Herbal Essences products are gluten-free. The brand does indicate that some of its products are gluten-free. The best way to know for sure is to contact the brand’s customer service and ask if a particular product is gluten-free or not.

Is Herbal Essences Hypoallergenic?

No, none of the products from Herbal Essences are labeled as hypoallergenic. The hypoallergenic products are ideal for people with hypersensitive skin.

The company also provides no guarantee that any of its products are allergy tested or developed in an environment that is allergen-free.  

Is Herbal Essences PETA Cruelty-Free Approved?

Herbal Essences is PETA approved. The popular brand Herbal Essences doesn’t agree with animal testing and is, therefore, PETA certified. Now you have the answer to is Herbal Essences cruelty-free?

The brand was certified as cruelty-free in 2019. Prior to then, the brand was not cruelty-free because it was selling products that require animal testing in China. The brand has since then stopped and been approved as cruelty-free but can still be found on some none cruelty-free lists.

 It can sometimes be challenging to know for sure whether brands are cruelty- free or not.  The confusion is confounded further when it comes to brands that are themselves cruelty-free but owned by brands that are not cruelty-free.

The words most of the brands use on the website are also deceptive and aimed at confusing the public. Sometimes brands use words such as “not tested on animals” or cruelty-free”. Many brands also claim that they don’t advocate animal testing which is a rather vague claim.

However, it’s important to note that even though they don’t conduct any animal testing in their private testing facilities, some brands pay third parties to do it for them. It is also not unheard of for brands to use ingredients from suppliers who conduct tests on animals.

Herbal Essences Cruelty-Free

Herbal Essences has not been certified by Leaping Bunny although its cruelty-free. The most common type of animal cruelty reported by far in the cosmetics industry takes place after the final products are manufactured. Many of the cosmetics brands conform to post-production-testing requirements.

The brands agree because they want to access large markets such as Mainland China. The choice made by each of the brands is company-specific depending on the convictions of the owners.

One of the ways of eliminating any doubts related to whether a company is cruelty-free is checking the Leaping Bunny or PETA website for the list of brands that have been approved as cruelty-free. Sometimes, organizations that are cruelty-free approved have the bunny logo on their websites, especially under the FAQ. Some even include the bunny on product labels. 

Herbal Essences develops great hair products and has been in the business for many years. The brand also manufactures its products in countries where the drive for ending animal cruelty has been building gradually. Although, that doesn’t automatically mean that the brand or its products are cruelty-free. The brand claims that it has been involved in supporting the end of animal testing for many years.

It is also good to note that not all brands seek certification from different bodies. Different brands have different ways of approaching certification. Herbal Essences has chosen to seek cruelty-free certification from PETA only.

Where to buy Herbal Essences Products?

Herbal Essences products are available on the company’s website which ships to different locations. The brand products are also available in many cosmetic product retailers including CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and Target. 

The brand expanded to sell in physical stores in other parts of the world including the United Kingdom, and Canada. In the locations that the brand sells, there are no requirements that include animal testing. The choice has made the brand to be classified as cruelty-free.

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