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You can find Ole Henriksen products at olehenriksen.com, Sephora, and Amazon.
Ole Henriksen is *Cruelty-Free
OleHenriksen 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 Ole Henriksen to be *Cruelty-Free.
Below is a snippet of the email response I received from Ole Henriksen when verifying their animal testing policy:
“OLEHENRIKSEN does not test our products on animals, nor do we test the ingredients on animals. Our manufacturers do not test our products on animals. We sell the same products in Europe and the cosmetic regulations in the EU require that we (and our manufacturers) do NOT test products on animals.
In addition, we are NOT allowed to use raw materials that are tested on animals for cosmetic purposes.”
*Olehenriksen is owned by Kendo and LVMH, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because LVMH allows 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 LVMH owns Olehenriksen.
What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?
Ole Henriksen 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.
Ole Henriksen is Not 100% Vegan
‘Vegan’ in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand that is 100% Vegan or a specific product is vegan.
In the case of Ole Henriksen, not all of their products are vegan. But they have some products that are suitable for vegans.
How to know which of Ole Henriksen products are vegan?
All of Ole Henriksen’s vegan products are labeled as such on their website. Or you can search “vegan” on their site.
Which of Ole Henriksen Products is Vegan?
Below is a list of Ole Henriksen products that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products and were labeled as “vegan” on their website or came up when I did a search for “vegan” products.
Serums & Treatments
Moisturizers
- Banana Bright™ Face Primer
- C-Rush™ Brightening Double Crème
- C-Rush™ Brightening Gel Crème
- Counter Balance™ Oil Control Hydrator
- Goodnight Glow™ Retin-ALT Sleeping Creme
- Sheer Transformation™ Perfecting Moisturizer
Cleansers & Scrubs
- Find Your Balance™ Oil Control Cleanser
- Pore-Balance™ Facial Sauna Scrub
- The Clean Truth™ Foaming Cleanser
- Transforming Walnut Scrub
- Truth Juice™ Daily Cleanser
Toners
Masks
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 Ole Henriksen’s products made?
When I asked Ole Henriksen where their products are manufactured, they told me:
“Our products are made in the United States and other locations throughout the world. Our products are not made in China.
All of our products do list the country or origin on the packaging or the product.”
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 Ole Henriksen if their mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, but they never responded to any of my emails or messages.
I hope this article helped you to understand Ole Henriksen’s cruelty-free and vegan status and by choosing cruelty-free together, we can help end animal testing for cosmetics once and for all!
