This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
You can find hello cruelty-free products at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
hello is *Cruelty-Free
hello 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 hello to be *Cruelty-Free.
*hello is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, 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 Colgate-Palmolive owns hello.
Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on hello’s website about its animal testing policy:
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
hello has confirmed they do not sell their products in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.
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.
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.
hello is 100% Vegan
hello 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 hello’s website about its vegan claims:
Vegan Policies
Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But it usually means no animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
Common animal-derived ingredients used in oral care products include animal-based glycerin or beeswax. Additionally, carmine, lanolin, snail mucus, honey, animal-derived keratin, and squalene can be found in personal care products and cosmetics.
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 hello’s products made?
I asked hello where their products are manufactured and they told me:
“Our toothpaste, mouthwash and deodorant (as well as other products!) are made in the USA using globally sourced ingredients. Our brushes and floss picks are currently assembled in China.”
*Note: Cosmetics made in China are not required to be tested on animals. Only cosmetics that are imported and sold in physical stores in mainland China are required to be tested on animals according to China’s animal testing laws.
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 hello if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor and they responded by stating,
“Hope you’re having a great week so far, and thanks for taking the time to reach out! We can confirm that the mica we use is ethically sourced – our supplier confirmed that there is no child labor used to source the mica”
I hope this article helped you to understand hello’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
