John Frieda is NOT cruelty-free.
This means that this brand either tests on animals, pays for animal testing, or sells in mainland China. Some brands that fall under this category test on animals where required by law, which means they're not cruelty-free.
John Frieda is owned by Kao, a company that is not cruelty-free.
At a Glance
| Finished products tested on animals | Yes, where required by law |
| Ingredients tested on animals | No, with possible exceptions |
| Suppliers test on animals | Uncertain |
| Third party animal testing | Yes, where required by law |
| Sold in mainland China | Yes |
John Frieda's Official Animal Testing Policy
“We are often asked if John Frieda products are cruelty-free. In our never-ending quest to get our transformative formulas just right, we test our formulas rigorously, but we absolutely do not test on animals. We follow the conventions of the EU and other governmental bans on animal testing for cosmetics. Occasionally, laws and regulations require testing of certain materials outside of the cosmetics category on animals.
Since the 1980s, Kao Corporation has been actively working with industry associations and relevant third parties to find robust alternatives to animal testing (many of which have been adopted as international guidelines for non-animal testing).”
What This Means
John Frieda claims to be in compliance with the EU animal testing ban. First, it’s true that all EU cosmetics brands must comply to these laws. However, this alone doesn’t mean that the company is truly cruelty-free. Some ingredients may still be tested on animals, and finished products may still be tested on animals outside of the EU.
As they mention in their following sentence, they do test on animals when the law requires it for certain materials. This means that John Frieda is not cruelty-free.
They also sell their products in mainland China, where animal testing is required by law.
Why We Classify Brands Like John Frieda 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.
