Is Paul Mitchell Cruelty-Free & Vegan in 2021? (What You Need To Know!)

April 28, 2020February 26, 20217min read

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Paul Mitchell is an American manufacturer of professional hair care products and has a longstanding commitment to ending animal testing globally but is Paul Mitchell still cruelty-free and vegan in 2021? We’ve got the answers here!

Is Paul Mitchell Cruelty-Free?

Paul Mitchell is Cruelty-free! None of Paul Mitchell’s ingredients, formulations, or finished products are tested on animals, anywhere in the world.

Paul Mitchell’s Animal Testing Policy

Paul Mitchell 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.

Below is a screenshot of Paul Mitchell’s official animal testing statement:

Is Paul Mitchell Sold in China?

Most imported cosmetics sold in mainland China are required by law to be tested on animals in 2021. And in 2017, Paul Mitchell started selling some of their Tea Tree products in China and claims they weren’t required to test on animals. But how did Paul Mitchell bypass China’s animal testing laws?

Here is what’s currently stated on Paul Mitchell’s website:

So I emailed and asked Paul Mitchell how they were able to sell some of their products in China without animal testing?

They explained to me that they’ve been trying to get China to approve and use the latest technology of reconstructed human tissue models as a scientific non-animal testing method for product safety.

As soon as China accepted this new non-animal test alternative, they allowed Paul Mitchell to test a selection of its products using this new method instead of normal animal testing. And that is how Paul Mitchell got approval to market some of their products in China without animal testing.

Here’s a snippet of the email response I received from Paul Mitchell:

“Thank you for your inquiry. In 2012, John Paul Mitchell Systems® partnered with an American company that is at the forefront of tissue engineering and is a world leader in the production of innovative 3D reconstructed human tissue models. Their innovative use of non-animal (in-vitro) testing had the powerful synergistic effect of lower costs and significantly improved product safety.

John Paul Mitchell Systems® brought a group of respected scientists from China to work side by side and train with their team and, as a result, the China FDA accepted the impressive results and reproducibility of the non-animal test alternatives and agreed to test a small selection of products for approval without the normal animal testing required. Subsequently, we were granted approval to market a select offering of Paul Mitchell® and Tea Tree products in China—without animal testing.
Due to the hard work and dedication of the team, and in compliance with local laws, John Paul Mitchell Systems® is now able to service hairstylists and guests in China while maintaining its core corporate value of zero animal testing. Thanks to years of research and diligence, John Paul DeJoria’s steadfast commitment to providing the finest-quality, cruelty-free professional products continues today.

According to co-founder and Chairman of the Board John Paul DeJoria, “Since the Paul Mitchell brand was founded in 1980, we have always adhered to our strict no-animal testing policy and will continue to do so in the future. We are proud to be the first professional beauty company to announce that we don’t conduct or condone animal testing.”

I then asked about the issue of post-market animal testing. Historically, Chinese officials would pull products off from store shelves and test them on animals. This was often done without the company’s knowledge or consent.

Paul Mitchell reassured their products are not subject to post-market animal tests in China and stated, “As long as the products are properly registered and shipped to approved outlets, they will not test.”

It’s from my understanding that Paul Mitchell is only offering a small selection of their approved products to specific outlets in China, specifically for use in hair salons or by hairstylists in China. Therefore these products are not required to be tested on animals.

Paul Mitchell has met all of our criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist and is included on our List of Cruelty-Free Brands.

You can find Paul Mitchell products on Amazon and Ulta.

Is Paul Mitchell Vegan?

Not all of Paul Mitchell’s products are vegan as some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients or by-products. However, Paul Mitchell does have some vegan options.

Paul Mitchell also claims they are committed to making 10 of 12 product lines 100% vegan by 2023.

Which of Paul Mitchell Products Are Vegan?

You can find out which of Paul Mitchell’s products are vegan as they’re marked on their website under each product description. See below for an example.

Paul Mitchell Vegan Products

Below is a list of Paul Mitchell products that are suitable for vegans and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

As of 2021, I will no longer be regularly updating this list of Paul Mitchell vegan products as all of their vegan products are now clearly marked. Check their website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on which products are vegan or not.

Shampoo – Paul Mitchell Vegan

Conditioner – Paul Mitchell Vegan

Hair + Scalp Treatments – Paul Mitchell Vegan

Hair Styling Products – Paul Mitchell Vegan

Skin Care + Body – Paul Mitchell Vegan

Hair Color – Paul Mitchell Vegan

All Paul Mitchell Professional Hair Color products do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and are 100% vegan, including the color XG, The Demi, and The POP XG.

Is Paul Mitchell Sustainable?

Paul Mitchell Headquarters is based in: the US

Paul Mitchell Products are Manufactured in: Its styling tools are manufactured in China and its liquid lines are manufactured throughout the US.

Paul Mitchell is working to become a sustainable company and has set goals to reduce its use of virgin plastic and its carbon footprint. You can learn about all of their sustainability goals and track their progress on their website.

Here’s a quick summary of some of their sustainability and social initiatives:

Sustainability & Environmental Initiatives: Paul Mitchell is actively committed to reducing its carbon footprint and has Tree Planting Programs in partnership with Reforest’Action. Its headquarters is solar-powered and its ‘Clean Beauty’ line is manufactured with 100% certified clean energy from renewable sources. The company also offers a recycling program to responsibly recycle hair tools.

Eco-Friendly Packaging Initiatives: Paul Mitchell has set goals to transition its bottles and packaging to recycled plastic. I’ve already seen some of their Tea Tree products containing 100% post-consumer recycled materials. And the hair color tubes are made with recycled aluminum and are 100% recyclable.

Its newest line, ‘Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty’ is made with bio-plastic packaging from sugarcane and is 100% recyclable. The company has also set goals to reduce its plastic caps and single-use plastic products.

Giving Back Initiatives: Paul Mitchell has a long list of charities and causes that they have and continue to support over the years stating, they “have donated millions of dollars to hundreds of philanthropic causes: from environmental protection to children’s charities and human rights.”

Ingredients and Formulations Claims: Some of Paul Mitchell products claim to be Gluten-Free, Paraben-Free, or Sulfate-Free, but not all, check their website’s product description to see each product’s claims.

Paul Mitchell’s Response to Mica Sourcing: When I emailed Paul Mitchell to ask if their Mica is ethically sourced without the use of child labor, they responded stating:

“We use Mica in 2 products currently, Tea Tree Grooming Pomade and Invisiblewear Pump Me Up. Our Mica source is from Germany and are both ethical and safely sourced!“

I hope this article helped you to understand Paul Mitchell’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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Rachel
February 25, 2021

Super strong condition has silk amino acids… derived from silk… from silkworms or moths. How is this product marketed and listed as vegan?

- Vicky Ly
  February 26, 2021
  
  Hey Rachel,
  Thanks for letting me know the Super Strong Conditioner by Paul Mitchell contains silk amino acids and it’s not vegan. I’ve removed it from this vegan list.

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Is Paul Mitchell Cruelty-Free & Vegan in 2021? (What You Need To Know!)

Is Paul Mitchell Cruelty-Free?