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Clairol is NOT Cruelty-Free!
Clairol allows its products to be tested on animals when required by law.
In addition, Clairol is owned by Wella, a parent corporation that is NOT cruelty-free.
Clairol’s Animal Testing Policy
While researching to learn more about Clairol’s cruelty-free status, I couldn’t find the brand’s official animal testing policy anywhere on its website.
As I was about to send them an email from their ‘Email Us’ page, it led me to Clairol’s parent company, Wella’s Consumer Affairs contact form.
The first thing I did was click on Animal Testing Inquiry from the drop-down menu for ‘Type of Inquiry.’ And Wella’s animal testing statement automatically shows.
See below for a screenshot of what I see from going from Clairol’s ‘Email Us’ button to ‘Animal Testing Inquiry’
Policies stating “some governments stipulate the testing of finished products on animals in accordance with local legal and regulatory requirements” usually imply the company is selling its products in mainland China. That’s because cosmetics sold in stores in mainland China are required by law to be tested on animals.
And that’s in fact, the case for Wella and many of the other beauty brands it owns like OPI and Sebastian Professional.
I ended up sending Clairol an email because I wanted to see if I would receive a different response and animal testing statement from Clairol.
But unfortunately, they further confirmed in their response that Clairol follows the same protocols and policies set by its parent company, Wella.
See below for a snippet of the email response I received from Clairol:
“Thank you for contacting us recently about your concerns with Clairol products. We appreciate your inquiry. Clairol follows the protocols and procedures set by its parent company Wella.
The Wella Company doesn’t perform any animal testing on ingredients or products, on any brand, regardless of Cruelty Free certification. We don’t even rely on recent animal testing data made by others to prove our products are safe since the entry into force of EU animal testing ban in 2013. We follow this even if animal data have nothing to do with the cosmetic industry sector.
We continue to advocate for a ban on animal testing at every possible forum, typically by supporting activities led by Trade Associations. We are not in control of what China Authorities may decide to do with our products that are marketed in China: in any case, our products are proven safe before they enter China without the need of animal/non-animal additional testing that are run independently by governmental labs. The Wella Company doesn’t perform/request such tests, and we are not even informed/interested about the outcomes.
Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any other questions you may have about Clairol or Wella.”
Based on their response, Clairol and Wella state they are not in control of what China Authorities may decide to do with their products while selling in China. And although the company itself may not be conducting any animal tests, they are allowing Chinese authorities to test their products/ingredients on animals if they require it.
Truly cruelty-free brands will never allow their products or ingredients to be tested on animals. Cruelty-free companies have a policy where if the law requires them to test on animals then they will refuse to sell their products under those conditions.
Unfortunately, Clairol and Wella state they will allow their products and ingredients to be tested on animals if the law requires it. For those reasons, Clairol is NOT cruelty-free.
Cruelty-Free Policies
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, including when required by law.
See below for our complete cruelty-free checklist. Since Clairol has the same animal testing policy as Wella and they both state they allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law, we cannot classify the brand as being cruelty-free.
Is Clairol Certified Cruelty-Free?
Clairol is not certified cruelty-free by any third-party cruelty-free certifications like Leaping Bunny or PETA.
Because Clairol is not certified cruelty-free by a third party, no one is looking into or substantiating Clairol’s cruelty-free commitments and claims.
Is Clairol Owned By A Non-Cruelty-Free Parent Company?
Yes. Clairol is owned by Wella, a parent corporation that still engages in animal testing in 2022.
Some cruelty-free consumers may choose to purchase and support cruelty-free brands owned by animal-tested parent corporations as they hope it will convince the parent company to become cruelty-free.
But in this case, Clairol is NOT cruelty-free and neither is its parent corporation, Wella.
Is Clairol Cruelty-Free?
To sum up, Clairol has the same animal testing policy as its parent company, Wella where they both allow their products to be tested on animals when required by law. Therefore, we would NOT consider Clairol to be a cruelty-free brand.
Currently, Clairol is on our List of Brands to Avoid – Animal Tested.
Is Clairol Vegan?
Clairol claims to offer some “vegan” options that are free of animal-derived ingredients, but because Clairol engages in animal testing, we wouldn’t classify anything sold or produced by Clairol to be vegan.
In order for products to be considered vegan by ethical elephant’s standards, the products and their ingredients must not be tested on animals anywhere in the world. Also, they must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Clairol
Looking to switch to cruelty-free hair products? Here are some cruelty-free brands to check out:
Or check out our guide to Cruelty-Free & Vegan Hair Dye Options!
