Herbal Essences is NOT cruelty-free.
This means that this brand tests on animals or finances animal testing. Some brands that fall under this category test on animals where required by law, which means they're not cruelty-free.
Herbal Essences is owned by Procter & Gamble, a company that tests on animals.
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We believe that eliminating animal testing is the right thing to do. We do not test our products or ingredients on animals anywhere in the world unless required by law, and we are working hard to make it obsolete. To date, we have developed over 50 alternative, non-animal testing methods, and have invested more than $400 million in finding alternatives and getting them accepted by regulators around the world. We will continue working with the world’s top independent experts and partnering with leading animal protection groups such as the Humane Society of the U.S. to promote new alternatives research and regulatory acceptance of existing alternatives. This is the only way to eliminate all animal testing, globally.Why We Classify Brands Like Herbal Essences As “Not Cruelty-Free”
The term “cruelty-free” is unregulated. This means any brand can claim to be cruelty-free without breaking the law, even if they test on animals.
Because of this, we communicate with brands directly to gather information about their full animal testing policy.
Brands who are classified as “not cruelty-free” break one or more of the Cruelty-Free 5:
- Their company engages in animal testing
- Their suppliers engage in animal testing
- They allow third-parties to test on animals on their behalf
- They test on animals where required by law
- They knowingly sell cosmetics in stores in mainland China, where animal testing could be performed
A supplier is any company that sells the brand raw materials, ingredients, or finished products. A third-party is an outside company or entity, whether or not it’s hired by the brand.
What’s The Deal With China?
Many beauty brands choose to sell their products in China. It’s important to note that these companies can not be considered cruelty-free.
As of 2020, China still requires most cosmetics to be tested on animals in order to be sold in the country.
As for products which can bypass these mandatory tests, the Chinese authorities may still pull these products from the shelves and have them tested on animals. Although the chance is small, we believe that companies can not be considered “cruelty-free” while taking this risk.
We believe that eliminating animal testing is the right thing to do. We do not test our products or ingredients on animals anywhere in the world unless required by law, and we are working hard to make it obsolete.
To date, we have developed over 50 alternative, non-animal testing methods, and have invested more than $400 million in finding alternatives and getting them accepted by regulators around the world.
We will continue working with the world’s top independent experts and partnering with leading animal protection groups such as the Humane Society of the U.S. to promote new alternatives research and regulatory acceptance of existing alternatives. This is the only way to eliminate all animal testing, globally.
I am wondering the same thing too!! I am wondering if they are saying it’s not cruelty free is that some of the bottles have the bunny logo and some do not
I’m so confused as to why PETA has certified both Aussie and herbal essences to be cruelty free if they aren’t actually cruelty free. 😩 also, both Aussie and Herbal Essences state that they are indeed cruelty free on their websites. Is this just a really new development, or am I missing something?