Oribe (Kao)

Last Updated: January 13, 2023

How Ethical Is Oribe (Kao)?

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 Oribe’s ethics and initiatives.

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Ethical Analysis

Is Oribe cruelty-free, vegan, or sustainable? We’ve got the answers here! Read below for more details on Oribe’s policies.
Oribe is cruelty-free, but Oribe is owned by Kao, a parent company that is NOT cruelty-free.
Not all of Oribe’s products are vegan but they have some vegan options.
Oribe offers Liter Refills pouches as their “continued commitment to sustainable packaging.” Each refill pouch uses 71% less single-use plastic than its liter bottles, reduced carbon emissions in transport due to the compact format of the pouches and localized manufacturing, and reduced material into the waste steram.
Oribe claims some of their products contain mica. However, it’s not clear where their mica is mined or sourced from and how they trace or audit to ensure no child labor was involved.
Oribe products come in plastic packaging and the company states “the majority of Oribe packaging is recyclable if disposed of properly.” Oribe does offer refill pouches for some of its most in-demand and best-selling collections.

In addition, Oribe’s new Foundation and Amplifier bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and are recyclable.

About Oribe (Kao)

Oribe Hair Care began its journey in 2008, the brand blends craftsmanship, performance and decades of styling experience from the top of the editorial and salon worlds to create a new category in hair care.
COMPANY BASED IN: USA
PRODUCTS MADE IN: USA
PRODUCTS: Hair Care, Bath & Body Care, Fragrances
CERTIFICATIONS: PETA-Certified

Oribe (Kao)

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

Is Oribe Cruelty-Free?

🐰 Oribe is a *cruelty-free brand. None of Oribe’s ingredients or products are tested on animals. Oribe has met all the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included in our Cruelty-Free Directory.

Does Oribe Test on Animals?

When asking, does Oribe test on animals? We must look beyond to ensure none of Oribe’s ingredients or suppliers test on animals. And they don’t sell in any country or under conditions that may require animal testing by law.

In our research, we discovered the following:

  • ✓ Oribe confirmed they do not test their products or ingredients on animals or ask others to test on their behalf.
  • ✓ Oribe confirmed all their ingredient suppliers do not test on animals
  • ✓ Oribe confirmed they do not allow or sell their products under conditions where animal testing is required by law

By meeting all of our Cruelty-Free Criteria, Oribe is a *cruelty-free brand by our standards.

*Oribe is owned by Kao, a corporation that is NOT cruelty-free because they allow some of their other brands to test on animals.

The decision is yours 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. Do what you’re comfortable with. I just thought it was important to disclose that Kao owns Oribe.

What is Oribe’s Animal Testing Policy?

Below is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Oribe’s website about its animal testing policy:

What About China’s Animal Testing Laws?

With the current changes to China’s animal testing laws, some cosmetics sold in China can be exempt from animal testing under certain conditions. However, without meeting those conditions, animal testing is still legally required for most cosmetics sold in China in 2023.

But Oribe has confirmed they only sell online or in Hong Kong, and not in retail stores in mainland China; therefore, they are not required to test on animals.

Currently Oribe products are not directly sold in Mainland China. However we do sell to Joyce beauty which is shipped to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is not part of mainland China so, they do not have the same animal testing laws as mainland China. Therefore, Oribe is not required to test on animals.

Is Oribe Certified Cruelty-Free?

Oribe is certified cruelty-free by PETA, but not Leaping Bunny.

Cruelty-Free Policies 2023

Just because a brand claims it is ‘Cruelty-Free,’ doesn’t always mean that’s the case.

That’s because 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, or any third parties.

How We Assess Cruelty-Free Policies

Since 2015, the start of my blog, I’ve been emailing companies asking about their animal testing policies and cruelty-free commitments.

And based on the responses I receive from companies, I’ll research to find any supporting facts needed before concluding whether the brand should be classified as “Cruelty-Free,” “Animal-Tested,” or “Grey Area – Unclear Policies.”

☕️ Every week, I continue to reach out to new brands while trying my best to keep current brands updated. If you found any of my posts or guides helpful, consider Buying Me A Coffee! I would greatly appreciate it! ❤️

What about Vegan?

Just because something is called Cruelty-Free, doesn’t always mean it’s Vegan. And vice versa.

Cruelty-Free only refers to no animal testing, while Vegan means formulated without animal products.

Some brands are Cruelty-Free, but not Vegan.

And some are Vegan, but not Cruelty-Free.

Another important distinction to know is, Vegan in cosmetics can refer to an entire brand is 100% Vegan or a specific product is Vegan.

Is Oribe Vegan?

⭐️ Oribe is NOT an entirely vegan brand. But Oribe offers some vegan options that are free of animal products.

How to know which of Oribe’s products are vegan?

The following is a screenshot of what’s currently stated on Oribe’s official website about its vegan products:

Where to buy Oribe? Check out oribe.com, Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter, Beautylish, and on Amazon!

Vegan Policies

Similar to ‘Cruelty-Free,’ there is no standard or legal definition for the label ‘Vegan.’ But Vegan is generally used to mean formulated without animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.

Some common animal products 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 unless a brand explicitly labels its ingredients or product as Vegan, it’s often 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 chose were from non-animal sources.

Where are Oribe’s products made?

Oribe states on its website,

Where are Oribe products made?
Most Oribe products are made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients. A few products—including our Italian Resin Brushes & Combs (Made in Italy)—are produced in partnership with makers abroad to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship.”

Ethical Mica Mining Policy

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

Thanks for reaching out! Yes, the following products contain Mica

  • Airbrush Root Touch Up Spray – Light Brown
  • Airbrush Root Touch Up Spray – Platinum
  • Balm d’Or Heat Styling Shield
  • Silverati Conditioner
  • Silverati Illuminating Treatment Masque
  • Silverati Shampoo
  • Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream
  • Supershine Moisturizing Cream”

Oribe’s response 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.


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

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What do you think

4 thoughts on “Oribe (Kao)”

  1. Oribe recently (December 2017) sold to Kao based in Japan. They haven’t started selling in mainland china but I would assume they will follow suit with EVERYONE else under Kao’s umbrella.

  2. I am disappointed that they sold their company to Kao. Their products have a hefty price tag that I’ve happily paid because I thought they were completely cruetly-free. While some still choose to support brands that are cruelty-free, while their parent company is not, it is hard for me to ignore the fact that I am ultimately lining the pockets of a parent company that tests on animals.

  3. Hi, so I was searching for the products on that list, and the Signature Shampoo and Conditioner had Keratin on the list of the ingredients. So I’am confused, isn’t it animal based? Or in this case is plant based? Much love from Brazil! ❤️????????

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