Hempz

Last Updated: April 22, 2023

How Ethical Is Hempz?

Supporting companies that share the same values and ethics to what matters most to us is how we can drive positive change in this world. Here’s a quick summary of Hempz’s ethics and initiatives.

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Ethical Analysis

Is Hempz cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Hempz’s policies.
Hempz is cruelty-free. None of Hempz’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
All of Hempz products are 100% vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
They claim their main ingredient, Hemp is sustainable. However, I couldn’t find any information on their website of Hempz’s sustainability initiatives or practices.
It’s not clear where Hempz’s mica is mined or sourced from and how they trace or audit to ensure no child labor was involved. See their ethical mica mining policy here.
Hempz products come in plastic packaging. I couldn’t find anything stating they’re working on reducing their use of virgin plastic in their product packaging.

About Hempz

Since 1998, Hempz made it their mission to unlock the beautifying, wellness-boosting power of hemp. Hemp seed oil is the key ingredient in each of their products, delivering supple, nourished skin and healthy-looking hair.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
PRODUCTS: Bath & Body Care, Hair Care, Skincare
CERTIFICATIONS: Leaping Bunny

Hempz

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

You can find Hempz cruelty-free products at Ulta, Well.ca, and on Amazon.

Hempz is Cruelty-Free

Hempz 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 Hempz to be Cruelty-Free.

Below is a screenshot of Hempz’ official animal testing statement:

Hempz Cruelty-Free Claims

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 Hempz has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

“Our formulations have not been vetted for China and we do not have any future distribution plans to China.”

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.

Hempz is 100% Vegan

Hempz has confirmed all of its products are vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Hempz’ website:

Hempz Vegan Claims

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.

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 Hempz if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,

“It is ethically sourced without child or forced labor. Thank you.”

Hempz claims their mica is ethically sourced without child labor but did not specifically address where their mica is sourced from and how they audit or trace to ensure no child labor was involved in mining their mica.

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What do you think

3 thoughts on “Hempz”

  1. Hi Vicky, excellent work, and great questions. These are perfect examples of what we should all be finding out about a company before we give them our hard-earned and influential shekels. And the more we ask, the more companies will realize there is demand…quite a little virtuous circle we can create!

  2. I woudn’t consider Hempz cruelty-free, since the company uses ingredients that have been tested on animals in some of their products.

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