Redken 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.
Redken isn't owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free.
At a Glance
| Finished products tested on animals | Yes, where required by law |
| Ingredients tested on animals | Uncertain |
| Suppliers test on animals | Uncertain |
| Third party animal testing | Yes, where required by law |
| Sold in mainland China | Yes |
Redken's Official Animal Testing Policy
“L’Oréal, the parent company of Redken, no longer tests any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals, anywhere in the world nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes.“
What This Means
Although Redken as a company do not test their finished products or ingredients on animals, they nevertheless pay others to test their products on animals “where required by law”. This means that Redken is not cruelty-free.
When companies claim that they test on animals “where required by law”, it typically means that they sell their products in mainland China, where cosmetics are legally required to be tested on animals.
To learn more about animal testing laws in China, click here.
Why We Classify Brands Like Redken 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.
From Redken’s website
“Does Redken test products on animals?
L’Oréal, the parent company of Redken, no longer tests any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals, anywhere in the world nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes. For complete information on this subject, please visit here.”
“WHAT ABOUT IN CHINA?
L’Oréal has been committed to working alongside the Chinese authorities and scientists to have alternative testing methods recognized, and enable the cosmetics regulation to evolve towards a total and definite elimination of animal testing. Thus, today the products manufactured and sold in China called “non-functional” such as shampoo, body wash or make-up are already no longer tested on animals. We have opened an Episkin* Centre in Shanghai in 2014 enabling us to produce reconstructed skins. These skins are used for safety tests in vitro that do not involve animals and are made available for the Chinese authorities.
*Episkin is a reconstructed human skin model “
Do you have proof that redken tests on animals?
“L’Oréal, the parent company of Redken, no longer tests any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals, anywhere in the world nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes.” -https://www.redkensalon.com/faq