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Image | Olaplex / Umberto Giannini / Hempz / Illustration by TSD
When we think of the word ‘vegan’ the first thing that pops up in people’s minds is food or diet preferences, but ‘true’ veganism means incorporating this ethical lifestyle across all aspects of your life, and while many industries including fashion, home furnishings and cosmetics can make this a challenge, the demand for vegan-friendly alternatives is helping to turn the tide.
Veganism has become much more than just a trend, the lifestyle has boomed all across the world in the last few years and it keeps rising too.
According to World Animal Foundation, there are almost 88 million vegans in the world as of October 2023.
Unfortunately, many personal care products still contain animal-derived ingredients that are supposed to soften the hair, create the dye colour, and make the hair shinier and healthier such as keratin, carmine and collagen – all of which have plant-based alternatives which are better for us, the animals and the environment.
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I’m not going to lie, for a long time I thought the terms were interchangeable! But it turns out there’s a big difference between the two.
According to Vegan Friendly, the term ‘vegan’ means that the product contains no animal-derived ingredients, but it could have still been tested on animals, while cruelty-free means that no animal testing occurred, but may still have animal-derived ingredients in it such as honey or beeswax.
So if your primary reason for going vegan is for animals, look for brands or products that say they are both ‘vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’.
Here’s a round-up of 12 hair care brands whose products don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products nor do they condone any animal testing anywhere in the world.
1. Umberto Giannini
Umberto Giannini is a vegan and cruelty-free haircare brand you can trust, with over 30 years of expertise in the industry under its belt.
They cater for all hair types including curly, fine, colour-treated, damaged, oily and frizzy.
2. Gloss Moderne
Established in 2011, Gloss Moderne is passionate about “beauty that is both clean and luxurious”.
From their high-quality products to their sustainable packaging, their commitment to a greener and cleaner earth is clear.
3. Curlsmith
Curlsmith’s mission is to spread curl confidence. This haircare brand is perfect for those with coils, curls and waves, but being vegan and cruelty-free is at the core of their brand.
They are even certified by PETA and The Vegan Society.
4. Cotê Hair
Cotê hair’s product range caters for all hair patterns including curly, straight and wavy and hair conditions including dry, oily, fine and frizzy.
Cotê hair is big on sustainability! In fact, their products are created in a facility that is almost 100% solar-powered (check them out!)
They have also partnered with American Forests to create carbon-neutral products by planting trees – so far they have planted over 1000 trees!
5. Rahua
Rahua is a 100% vegan and cruelty-free hair care company, founded in 2008 by New York hairstylist, Fabian Lliguin.
The main plant-derived ingredient is the Rahua seed. It originates in the Amazon rainforest and is obtained by the Quechua-Shuar tribe.
Not only do they have a high-quality haircare range where many of the products have won awards, but they also have a luxurious skincare range too!
6. Maria Nila
Maria Nila has a wide range of hair care products from quintessential shampoos and conditioners to hair masks and oils.
Their vegan and cruelty-free products are produced in Sweden and developed out of their love for animals.
They are certified by PETA, The Vegan Society and Leaping Bunny.
7. Acure
Acure is a skin, hair and body brand. Their products cater to a range of needs and concerns related to all three categories.
As well as being vegan and cruelty-free, their high-quality ingredients contain no parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, paraffin or mineral oils either.
8. Hempz
This well-established beauty brand has been powered by pure hemp seed oil since 1998.
This special ingredient means that your skin, body and hair can enjoy the benefits of Vitamin E, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and Amino acids.
All of their products are cruelty-free and 100% vegan.
9. Noughty
Noughty is a British-born brand founded in 2016.
They have a range of hair products including treatments, kits and accessories like scalp massagers, all at very reasonable prices.
They are approved by The Vegan Society and Leaping Bunny, plus they have won 50 global awards!
10. The Wonder Seed
Formally known as The Healing Seed, The Wonder Seed is a beauty brand that caters to the face, body, hands, feet, and hair.
Their formula contains “the optimal amount of hempseed oil for human absorption” and is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Their products are also free from parabens, perfumes and artificial colours.
11. Olaplex
By now, you probably already recognise Olaplex as being one of the leading brands for professional salon-quality hair care products, but did you know they are also vegan and cruelty-free? Well, they are!
With a strong additional commitment to sustainability, Olaplex saves 44K gallons of water from being wasted, eliminates 35M pounds of Greenhouse Gases from being emitted into the environment and protects 57M trees from being deforested.
12. Sukin
Sukin believes that everything we need to nourish the body can be found in nature, this is demonstrated in their all-natural ingredients list which consists of plant oils, vegetables, fruits, botanicals and essential oils.
Both cruelty-free and vegan, this Australian-made brand promises that its formulations are “safe for seas, and won’t damage our rivers and plant life once it heads down the drain”, it’s a win-win!
