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You can find Aveda products at aveda.com
Aveda is *Cruelty-Free
Aveda has confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf. Their suppliers also do not test on animals, nor do they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. And finally, their products are not sold in stores in mainland China or any other country that may require animal testing.
By our standards, we would consider Aveda to be *Cruelty-Free.
*Aveda is owned by Estee Lauder, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.
It’s your choice whether you want to support or boycott cruelty-free brands owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to this. I encourage you to do what you’re comfortable with, but I think it’s important to disclose that Estee Lauder owns Aveda.
Below is what’s currently stated on Aveda’s website:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
As of May 1, 2021, some imported ordinary cosmetics can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, for the most part, animal testing is still legally required for most imported cosmetics in 2022.
But Aveda has confirmed they only sell in Hong Kong and not in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
Since Hong Kong is not part of mainland China, they do not have the same animal testing laws as mainland China.
As long as Aveda is not selling in retail stores in mainland China, which they have confirmed they are not, then their products are not required to be tested on animals.
Cruelty-Free Policies
Note that there is no legal definition for the label ‘Cruelty-Free.‘ It can mean different things to different people. But Cruelty-Free is generally used to imply no animal testing. More specifically, the ingredients, formulation, or finished product are not tested on animals at any stage of product development.
At ethical elephant, we always assess a company’s cruelty-free policy using our Cruelty-Free Checklist. This ensures no animal testing was performed by the brand itself, its suppliers, and by any third parties.
Also, note that Cruelty-Free and Vegan don’t always mean the same thing.
Aveda is 100% Vegan
Aveda has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Some of Aveda products used to contain beeswax, honey, and/or bee-derived ingredients. But Aveda recently announced they have successfully found vegan alternatives and all of their products have been reformulated to being 100% vegan now.
Aveda states on their website that “As of 2019, all products manufactured are 100% Vegan. And we are committed to having all vegan products on shelves by January 1, 2021.“
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it’s usually used in the context to describe something that doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Some common animal products used in cosmetics include carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, beeswax, honey, pearl or silk-derived ingredients, animal-based glycerin, keratin, and squalene.
There are plant-based and synthetic alternatives to animal-derived ingredients. But it’s sometimes difficult to know with certainty whether a product is vegan just by reading the ingredient list.
So it’s best to ask the company and manufacturers to ensure the ingredients they’ve chosen to use were from non-animal sources.
Where are Aveda Products Made?
“The majority of Aveda products are manufactured in our state of the art facility in Blaine MN.”
Ethical Mica Mining Policy
Mica is a mineral that’s used in cosmetics to add a shimmery effect. But the mining of natural mica has been linked to child labor and human rights violations.
Unless the company discloses its mica mining policy, we have no way of knowing whether its mica is ethically sourced without child or forced labor.
So I asked Aveda if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“The Estée Lauder Companies formulates with mica that is globally sourced.
While our ingredient supply chains are complex and multilayered, ELC has proactively partnered with local NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (now the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation or KSCF) to help address child labor in the mica mining industry by promoting education as an alternative to work for children in mica-sourcing communities. For more information, please reference our CR Report.”
1 thought on “Aveda (Estee Lauder)”
I read Aveda uses palm oil. That’s highly unethical when it comes to sourcing.