Is Henkel Cruelty-Free? (in 2024)

Does Henkel test on animals or sell in China?

Henkel is a German company that owns popular brands like All, göt2b, Right Guard, and Schwarzkopf. But is Henkel cruelty-free or do they test on animals?

For a company to be considered cruelty-free they have to meet all of the following criteria:

Do not test any of their products or ingredients on animals
Don’t allow others to test on their behalf
Do not sell in a country where animal testing is required.

After doing a bit of research, I found that Henkel doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free parent company.

Let’s look into what all of that really means and what you can do about it.

Is Henkel Certified Cruelty-Free?

When researching a brand’s cruelty-free status my first stop is the certified cruelty-free list. There are three organizations that give official certifications to brands around the world; Leaping Bunny, Peta, and Choose Cruelty-Free.

Henkel is not found on any of these organizations’ cruelty-free lists.

Does Henkel Test on Animals?

The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Henkel’s policy can be found in the ‘Sustainability’ section of their website. Here is an excerpt of what it states:

“Wherever legally possible, we demonstrate the safety of our products and the ingredients we use through existing data or through accepted alternative test methods, thus avoiding animal testing. Henkel only ever uses such tests if required by legal regulations or if no accepted alternative test methods are available for obtaining the necessary safety data.”

Henkel’s animal testing policy contradicts itself. It states that they do not test on animals. However, they will make the exception to satisfy a country’s legal requirements. Therefore, Henkel does allow animal testing on their products.

What About China’s New Animal Testing Laws?

China has announced that as of May 1, 2021, general cosmetics such as shampoo, body wash, lipstick, lotion, and makeup can be sold without being tested on animals. However, a company is required to jump through various hoops for this to happen. As of now, Henkel has not been exempt and their products can still be tested on animals by the Chinese health authority. Even if an exemption happens it is still possible that the products can be subjected to post-market testing.

What Brands Does Henkel Own?

Henkel is a multinational corporation that owns over 200 personal and household brands. Below is a list of the ones mainly sold in North America.

Many people in the cruelty-free community choose to completely boycott any brand owned by a non-cruelty-free parent company. So, I try to provide as much information as possible so that you have the resources to make your own decision.

So, I’ve indicated which brands are sold in China or are certified cruelty-free. I would err on the side of caution for any of the companies that don’t have additional information.

All
Alterna
Aquence – SOLD IN CHINA
Bain de Terre
Barnängen – SOLD IN CHINA
BC Bonacure – SOLD IN CHINA
BlondeMe
Bonderite – SOLD IN CHINA
Combat
Dial
Dry Idea
Essensity – SOLD IN CHINA
Gliss Kur – SOLD IN CHINA
Got2b – SOLD IN CHINA
Joico
Keratin Color
Kenra Professional
LePage
Loctite – SOLD IN CHINA
Naturelle
Osi
Osis+ – SOLD IN CHINA
Pravana
Pritt
Purex
Right Guard
Renuzit
Sun Laundry & Dish
Smooth ‘N Shine
Schwarzkopf – SOLD IN CHINA
Soft Scrub
Silhouette – SOLD IN CHINA
Snuggle
Sunlight
Surf
Tec Italy
Technomelt – SOLD IN CHINA
Terson – SOLD IN CHINA
Tone
Zotos
[3D] Men – SOLD IN CHINA

Wrap Up: Is Henkel Cruelty-Free?

No, Henkel is not a cruelty-free company. Even though they claim to not test on animals, they do make the exception when required by a country’s law.

Therefore, Henkel is not considered to be cruelty-free. They will be added to my list of brands that test on animals.

Now I’d like to hear from you…What are your thoughts about Henkel? Will you boycott them completely or use some of their cruelty-free brands? Please leave your comments below!