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10 Best Cruelty-Free Shampoos[/caption]
1. Hask Argan Oil Shampoo (not pictured)
Best for: All hair types.
Buy from: Amazon.
I love and recommend any shampoo and conditioner duos from Hask. The Argan Oil line is especially great for those with dry or damaged hair as it's rich and hydrating. It doesn't weight down your hair and keeps it light and glossy. This is my new favorite shampoo as I no longer use Wen (which is pictured here).
Best for: Dry or damaged hair.
Buy from: Amazon.
This is the most gentle, nourishing shampoo I've ever tried and it's affordable. It has a mild lemony scent that isn't overwhelming, and while it's a gentle shampoo, it absolutely cleans your hair and gets the job done. I always reach for this one when my hair feels particularly dry, and it always leaves it smooth and silky as promised.
3. Kevin Murphy Blonde Angel Wash (blonde or silver hair)
Best for: Blonde or silver hair.
Buy from: Amazon.
If you have blonde or silver hair and you want to keep it from getting yellow or brassy, you need a purple shampoo in your life. This is the best purple shampoo I've used, and it's 100% cruelty-free! The scent is heavenly, and it leaves my bleached hair tangle-free. Kevin Murphy is a professional line found only in salons.
4. Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Two
Best for: Normal to oily hair.
Buy from: Amazon.
A clarifying shampoo efficiently gets rid of build-up, leaving your hair squeaky clean. If you have oily hair or use a lot of hair-styling products, using a clarifying shampoo at least once a couple of weeks might be a good idea. Paul Mitchell’s Clarify Shampoo, while making my hair feel utterly clean, doesn’t dry it out. It leaves it soft, shiny, and adds a boost of volume. Hands down the best cruelty-free clarifying shampoo.
5. John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo
Best for: All hair types.
Buy from: Amazon.
This is another one of my favorite shampoos ever, and it's well-loved by women with different hair types. John Masters Organics is an organic beauty brand and their products are free of harsh chemicals and synthetics. They're also super luxurious yet effective. This shampoo smells like honey and coconut (seriously, so good) and it leaves my hair clean and shiny. Loooove this one!
6. Lush Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo
Best for: All hair types.
Buy from: Lush.
There’s a reason why Lush is in this list. Twice. Simply put, their hair care stuff is the bomb. Cynthia Sylvia Stout is my favorite liquid shampoo of theirs. Its secret ingredients: beer and cognac oil for glossy hair! It’s great for curly as well as thin hair, and has a strong scent I can only describe as voodoo soap, which I personally find fantastic.
7. Yes To Blueberries Healthy Hair Repair Shampoo
Best for: All hair types.
Buy from: Amazon.
Another very affordable option that's cruelty-free, 99% natural, and works wonders. The Yes To Blueberries shampoo is gentle and leaves your hair smooth and moisturized without weighing it down. This along with the Giovanni shampoo are the best affordable options I've found. You can find Yes To Products in so many drugstores nowadays, and they're Leaping Bunny-certified!
8. Yarok Feed Your Volume Shampoo
Best for: Fine hair.
Buy from: Amazon.
Have you heard of Yarok? It's an all-natural hair care brands that's also cruelty-free and vegan. They're on the luxury side of things, but their products are high-quality and totally eco-friendly -- Yarok means "green" in Hebrew. This shampoo, for instance, gives fine hair some oomph without using any harsh ingredients, and it works!
9. JASON Dandruff Relief Shampoo (all hair types)
Best for: All hair types.
Buy from: Amazon.
This is an all-natural solution for dandruff and itchiness. It contains safe ingredients that really work like Sulfur and Salicylic Acid, and it's free or SLS or any other harsh ingredients that might aggravate dandruff. It also contains Rosemary, Olive Oil, and Jojoba Oil. If you struggle with dandruff, this is the best cruelty-free solution out there.
10. Lush Big Shampoo (all hair types except colored or dry)
Best for: All except dyed, dry, or damaged.
Buy from: Amazon.
Big is a cult Lush product, and also my favorite shampoo of theirs. As its name implies, it’s designed to give hair big bouncy volume. It’s unlike any other shampoo out there: made with real sea salt -- which gives it a strangely pleasant texture -- it cleans hair thoroughly yet gently. My hair has never been as soft as when I wash it with Big, which is probably due to it being infused with avocado butter and coconut oil. Also, it has an absolutely amazing flowery-citrusy scent. If your hair is very dry or colored, this one might be too harsh!
I hope this list has been useful, and I'd love to hear your own picks! What's your favorite cruelty-free shampoo ever?
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I hae been using L’Oreal products for years and now have found out from you they test on animals!
So do you know of one like their blue Elive shampoo and conditioner which slightly colours greyish hair a lovely violet. Provoke is supposed to but not as good as Elive.
Thanks Suzan’s! Can’t imagine why animal testing is still legal!! We must really live what China does so well!! As well as many other countries ????
I consult your site whenever I go to replace any of my products. Thank you for giving us the information we need to help stop this unnecessary testing on innocent animals.
Hi thanks for the imfo on cruelty free products, but I would like to know why isn’t Inoxa up there as they have the bunny logo and Enya thank you Jan Purcell
I’m looking for a non-comedogenic shampoo
Can you recommend any hypoallergenic cruelty free shampoos for all hair types, if you know any? It would be much appreciated.
are any of the cruelty free shampoos listed above are also SLS and silicone free?
Just confused about Maui hair moisturizing mask. Cruelty Free or not ?
Thanks so much for sharing this. I am so confused about Maui moisturizing hair mask. So when I Googled the product it stated that it is indeed Cruelty Free. Then I read another statement saying they were not. What is really going on ?
I’m looking for a blonde shampoo and conditioner
Hask, John Masters, and Yes to Blueberries are “currently unavailable” from Amazon.
:O WHATS UP WITH THIIISSSS?!?!?!?!?!? https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/herbal-essences-beauty-without-bunnies/
Dear Suzi love your site! I am a hairstylist and I love WEN. I have been using it for 8 years and have fine, straight and curly hair. Will never use anything else. Thank you for all of your hard work!
I like the company raw sugar. All natural, vegan, and cruelty free. Plus for every product you buy, they donate a bar of soap
I totally love the shampoo bars from Kilted Suds! They are a Leaping Bunny Certified company, and the shampoo is AMAZING!
Function of Beauty is cruelty-free 🙂
Isn’t Carol’s Daughter cruelty free? They sell it at Family Dollar which is very affordable..
Thanks for all you do, Suzi! I’ve started switching over all of our personal care and household products to cruelty free in the last year, and your site is such a great resource! I think a lot of the people who love to argue with you don’t bother to really cross check your lists. I did my own research when I first started using your site, and you’re now my go to for ideas and easily accessible cruelty free lists.
I recently ordered the John Masters shampoo you recommended, and so far so good. I’m just hoping my hair/scalp doesn’t build up immunity to it. (I usually have to switch up products regularly, or they will quit being as effective.)
I’m still on the hut for a cruelty free replacement for John Frieda Secret Weapon, but I may give John Masters hair milk a try. 🙂
Hi Natalie, thank you for your kind message! I hope the switch to cruelty-free hair products goes smoothly and you enjoy the products!!
Maple Holistics makes some great cruelty free shampoo.
I have been using Unite products for a few years now. They say they are cruelty free and vegan.
Tried a sample of Lovers shampoo and conditioner, works really well… but I can’t find ANYTHING on them being cruelty free. I have a feeling they’re not. Anyone got any info on that brand?
Wen Sixthirteen was my best bet since it’s the right shampoo for my hair. I hope it’s not really tested on animals. It’ll be heartbreaking if it’s true.
Is the brand huda beauty and Fenty Beauty By Rihanna cruelty free ?
Is Naturebox Cruelty free?
Awesome article. Our store has recently started stocking Faith in Nature including a wide range of their shampoos and conditioners. They’re a British company and have a great back story. Their products are all cruelty free and their Shampoos and Conditioners are free from SLS and parabens (good for coloured hair) and contain 100% natural fragrance.
link: https://www.ecohuman.co.uk/collections/shampoo/faith-in-nature
Is fanola cruelty free?
Thank you for all your help, I love it. I get that there’s a lot of confusion das n peoples minds between green, vegan and crueltyfree. These are three different statements not to be mixed up.Best option: all of them. My minimum standard: crueltyfree.
Not on your list but they should be as one of the best 100% vegan, cruelty free, silicon free shampoos and conditioners out there and made by an ethical UK small business (good to see a small producer doing what the big pharms don’t) and it works great on my tangled frizzy hair – I actually know what that word silky means after all these years of seeing it in other ads as it keeps my previously wild hair under control now at last! And forgot to mention that they are also non-plastic and no water!! so a double thumbs up from me. Check them out at The Solid Bar Company, thx Cat M
just a suggestion, but can you make your lists printable?
I love your blog, Suzy. Pureology hair care is 100% vegan but is it cruelty free?
Great list, thank you!
You are amazing! Thank you for such good information!
nice article.
Hi Suzi! I want to alert you to an article I just read about Wen haircare. It seems there are lots of cases of extreme hair loss and other complications after using their products, please check out the following FDA link –> https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/products/ucm511626.htm <– I know this is a 1year old post, but is worth to have a look. Also check out Perfect Potion haircare, Australian brand, certified cruelty free, essential oils based. Just lovely! xoxo, Denise
I was using WEN and stopped , I have thick medium course but Very awesome flexible hair , and WEN definitely started to cause me to lose my hair I was shedding like I never had before and it wasn’t until I stopped using the product that I realized that WEN was the reason,! Afterwards I goggled wen and found lots of other people clearly had similar reaction the product and that there were multiple lawsuits against them . Made me realize it wasn’t my imagination . Enough proof for me to throw out all their products
Thank you so much for all of the time and hard work you put into your blog, it has really been an invaluable resource for my switch to all cruelty free products!! Don’t let the negative comments get you down, if they misunderstand and think you’re posting about cruelty free AND vegan that’s their fault for not paying attention! I actually appreciate that you aren’t limiting your list to products that fit both categories, it’s hard to find that 🙂
Thanks so much for your lovely comment! Congrats on switching to cruelty-free! 🙂
Can anyone recommend a hair straightener/smoother that’s cruelty-free?
Very informative. Thanks!
I love this post, very helpful thanks! I can recommend organic shampoo by Shea Moisture – fruit fusion with coconut water <3 I believe it is cruelty free too 😉 Check my page if you have a minute, iamthyroidtoday.com
Have a great day!
I bought the kids carrots and mango shampoo and conditioner for my daughter and ended up using it too… the smell is amazing and it leaves our hair silky smooth.
would love to see a similar lists for conditioners. 🙂
Has anyone tried DryBar Shampoo’s, Rahua, Gloss Moderne or Morocconoil? My shampoo and conditioner is running out and I’m in need of a new one…I was using Avalon Organics which I found to be okay. My hair is very fine and AO didn’t moisturize it very well. (And I mention the brands above because I was given a sephora gift card lol)
And if you find the above mentioned products not to be Cruelty Free, please cite! (Something other than the fact that it’s not on leaping bunny or peta) I’ve tried to do my research and I am still learning.
De lorenzo Hair Care is certified vegan they have a great dry shampoo called absorb.Many other ranges for different hair types
There professional color range is also certified vegan
Is Living Proof cruelty free?
Hi! Just wanted to thank you so much for putting up this list! Good info is hard to find. After reading some of the comments below, I want to make sure you know how much you’re appreciated! ❤️
I’d recommend the produc of Pro Naturals ♥
I really like the Live Clean products – Canadian, available at the drugstore/Walmart, cruelty-free and sulfate-free. The company was recently purchased by Hain Celestial, which is a nice external verification that they’re really what they say. I loooove their Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo – I have very oily hair & am a dry shampoo/texture product addict (fine, pixie-cut hair). It is the bomb. Their body/skin products are not so good (the face products are super fragranced) but the shampoo is faaaaab.
Dear Suzi your blog is my new LOVE, really happy to find amazing blog and thanks for all amazing reviews and advices. I wana ask you if you now a brand Nashi Argan for hair, I searching on web and I can´t find if testing on animals. Best wishes from Slovenia
Camamu Poo Bars – Argan and Horsetail is my favorite. Doesn’t dry out and gets my hair clean without much fuss. Made in Portland Oregon and never tested on animals. http://camamusoap.com/
WEN is Leaping Bunny-certified! They choose not to display the logo. Here’s the link: http://www.leapingbunny.org/content/wen-chaz-dean
Ummm…….not sure what you are not getting, but no bunny logo means not cruelty free. That is a fact. First of all…..why wouldn’t a company want to display the logo? That makes no sense not to. And the link that you posted actually specifies they use Animal ingredients!! If you go down the list the last thing mentioned is Animal ingredients: yes. Wen is not cruelty free!! Any true vegan knows this!!!!!
I get where you’re coming from now. Wen isn’t vegan, no! However they don’t test on animals and are Leaping Bunny certified.
LOL just because it doesn’t have a bunny logo doesn’t mean it isn’t cruelty-free.
Good gracious. ? Haven’t you ever seen any product that States “not tested on animals” without the logo???
A company may not test on animals and can state on their products that they are caring and not testing on animals, but that doesn’t mean the ingredients they use in their product weren’t tested on animals before being shipped. The vegan bunny is the only sure way to know you are getting cruelty free. This article is very misleading. Bunny all the way!!!
Hi Suzi! I’m looking for the BEST smelling shampoo you can suggest. I have really fine hair, so any sort of scented shampoo just fades away as soon as I’m out of the shower. Is there anything that would stick with me all day long?
Hmmm. Have you tried anything from John Masters Organics? There’s also Kevin Murphy I really like in terms of fragrance.
John Frieda is not cruelty-free. They participate in 3rd party animal testing in Asia.
Anyone know of a shampoo that’d be ok to use on colored hair
Look for something gentle with no SLS. A good example would be John Masters Organics Honey & Hibiscus Shampoo or for something less pricey, try Giovanni’s Smooth As Silk Shampoo. 🙂
I love john masters but its too expensive. Any suggestions for SLS and silicone free shampoo/conditioner that’s also cruelty free?? I use Paul Mitchell tea tree special shampoo now but it strips my hair color because of the SLS.
Pravana, John Masters Organics, Paul Mitchell all have a color safe formulation.
Jason, Alba and Sukin.
Wen shampoo, etc is full of harsh chemicals . There is a website about the secret behind Wen.
Also it is not on Peta’s list or leaping bunny list. But reading the ingredients is a dead giveaway.
I haven’t checked out your other suggestions. I found a leaping bunny on a cosmetic product that has a bunny but is not on Peta’ list yet .
I think if you are really serious about using cruelty free products you have to do your research.
Liz
I
Which is why I put countless hours of research into cruelty-free products and ingredients every week. 😀
Wen has been Leaping Bunny certified since 2013. You can find them on the Leaping Bunny’s list here, and I included a screenshot. I have never said that Wen is natural! My list of recommendations for cruelty-free AND green shampoo will be up soon! I still have a few brands to try.
Paul Mitchell is definitely not cruelty free. They’re on Peta’s list for testing on animals.
You must be confusing Paul Mitchell for some other company!
From PETA.org: “Paul Mitchell has supported PETA’s efforts to end animal testing for many years. In 1989, it became the first hair-care company to publicly oppose animal testing when it signed PETA’s statement of assurance, pledging never to test its products on animals.” (link)