Olaplex

Last Updated: January 31, 2022

How Ethical Is Olaplex?

Make a positive impact by supporting companies with the same values and ethics as what matters most to you. To navigate and find ethical brands, here's a summary of Olaplex's ethics and initiatives.

Where to Shop /

Ethical Analysis

Is Olapex cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Olapex’s policies.
Olapex is cruelty-free. None of Olapex’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.
All of Olapex products are 100% vegan and don’t contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.
Olaplex’s efforts to reduce their carbon footprint includes:
  • Limiting secondary packaging
  • Prevent 17MM pounds of GHG from being emitted into the environment
  • Save 27MM gallons of water
  • Save 21K trees from being cut down
  • Olapex products come in plastic packaging but they claim to keep their secondary packaging extremely limited.

    About Olaplex

    Olaplex uses its patented technology to noticeably repair extremely damaged hair to repair broken hair bonds at a molecular level to give you your healthiest hair.
    COMPANY BASED IN: USA
    PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
    PRODUCTS: Hair Care
    CERTIFICATIONS: Leaping Bunny

    Olaplex

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

    You can find Olaplex cruelty-free products at Sephora and Amazon.

    Olaplex is Cruelty-Free

    Olaplex 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 Olaplex to be Cruelty-Free.

    Below is a screenshot of what’s stated on Olaplex’s website:

    Olaplex Cruelty-Free Claims

    What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

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

    “We do not have any authorized distributors in China.”

    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.

    Olaplex is 100% Vegan

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

    “Yes! Olaplex is vegan and cruelty-free!”

    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.

    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.


    I hope this article helped you to understand Olaplex’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!

    Kindly Share
    the Good Vibes

    Inspire others to make a positive change by sharing this resource on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Email.

    Share /

    Share on facebook
    Share on twitter
    Share on pinterest
    Share on email

    What do you think

    Leave a Comment

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *