Is Kerastase Cruelty-Free?
Does Kerastase test on animals or sell in China?
Kerastase is a French luxury haircare brand that was founded in 1964. They were pioneers in developing products that actually took care of hair. But is Kerastase cruelty-free or do they test their products 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 Kerastase doesn’t meet the above cruelty-free requirements and is not considered to be a cruelty-free haircare brand.
Let’s look into what all of that really means and what you can do about it.
Is Kerastase 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.
Kerastase is not found on any of these organizations’ cruelty-free lists. However, they are found on Peta’s list of brands to avoid.
Does Kerastase Test on Animals?
The next step in my research is going directly to the company’s animal testing policy to see where they stand. Kerastase’s policy can be found in the FAQ section of their website. Here is an what it states:
“We are happy to confirm that the L’Oréal group of companies, which includes Lancôme, Redken, Garnier, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Biotherm, Kérastase, and Vichy, as well as L’Oréal, has carried out no animal testing since 1989 on the entire range of its products. This decision was undertaken within the framework of our fundamental objectives: to offer innovative products of high quality while ensuring their safety in use by our customers. For information about the significant efforts deployed by our laboratories over a period of 25 years to develop alternative methods to animal testing, as well as our very important achievements in this field, please consult our website at http://www.lorealusa.com.”
Kerastase’s animal testing policy claims that they, nor other L’Oreal group owned brands, have tested on animals since 1989. Based on this statement one could conclude that they don’t test on animals. But L’Oreal has stated they make an exception to animal testing depending on a country’s regulatory authorities. So, let’s dig a little bit deeper to find out the truth.
Is Kerastase Sold in China?
Yes, Kerastase does sell in China. After doing a quick Google search I was able to locate two salons in China that carry their hair products. This may not be the same as other L’Oreal brands like Kiehl’s that have a Chinese website. But remember any imported cosmetic that is sold in China is subject to animal testing. I’ve included an image of the salons below.
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, Kerastase 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.
Is Kerastase Owned By a Parent Company?
Yes, Kerastase is owned by L’Oreal, a company that tests on animals. You can view a full list of brands that they own to see which other companies you should avoid.
Is Kerastase Vegan?
Kerastase is not considered to be vegan because they test their products or ingredients on animals or allow others to do so on their behalf. So, until this changes, we choose not to look into whether they may or may not have products that don’t contain animal ingredients.
What are Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Kerastase?
There are several cruelty-free haircare alternatives to Kerastase. Check out the list below:
Wrap Up: Is Kerastase Cruelty-Free?
No, Kerastase is not a cruelty-free haircare brand. Even though they claim to not test on animals, they choose to sell in a country that requires imported cosmetics to be tested on animals.
Therefore, Kerastase 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 Kerastase? Please leave your comments below!
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