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Luscious locks and animal testing don’t go hand in hand.
That’s why we’ve created a no-nonsense list of all the best cruelty free haircare brands available here in the UK. From purple shampoo, to volumizing conditioning spray – these brands cover all your haircare wants and needs.
What’s on this page?
Aveda
Cruelty free haircare superstore
Aveda is a powerhouse in the haircare world. It has every product for every type of hair, and all of it is cruelty free, and as of last year, vegan too.
It is also fast becoming a good ethical choice for the planet too – with a huge drive on recycled (and recyclable) packaging and sustainability.
- Range: Women’s, men’s, brushes, literally every type of haircare product you could want or imagine, except for dyes. Also has a skincare range. Largely botanically focused.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? ££
Bleach London
DIY bleach and colour specialist
Bleach London specialises in, you guessed it, bleach. The DIY kits are vast, and well thought-out, containing: bleach, toner, colour, and conditioner.
The colour shampoos are excellent – from purple/silver (to keep your dyed blonde from going yellow) to rose gold and pearlescent – the range is very on trend.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? ££
Faith in Nature
99% natural origin shampoos & conditioners
The Faith in Nature shampoo and conditioner range is so large, it’s almost overwhelming. Made from 99% natural ingredients, there are lavender, rose, bergamot, citrus, and aloe sets (and hundreds more).
A company with strong ethics, and strong products. There are plenty of restock centres around (or you can buy shampoos in 5 litre bottles, like I have) to be more environmentally friendly.
- Certified cruelty-free? Cruelty Free International
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? ££
Umberto Giannini
Innovative, fun haircare
Umberto Giannini is a satisfying brand name, and the products are more than satisfactory.
The range is really innovative, with lengthening products, scalp restorers, and curl jellies, as well as your ‘standard’ shampoos, conditioners and dyes.
Widely available online and in stores such as Boots.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? £
Foamie
Zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars
I first discovered Foamie through the best smelling shower gel bar I’ve ever used. And luckily it also does shampoo and conditioner bars.
This means there is no packaging or plastic – a real ethical buy. Everything is made in and shipped from the UK, with no ‘nasties’ in the ingredients list.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? £
Herbal Essences
Super smelling, botanic ranges
Herbal Essences is all about plants, and hair, of course. The range contains extracts from real plants (like coconut, aloe vera) and is verified and worked on by a partnership with Kew Gardens.
Probably the best thing about Herbal Essences is the smell of the products, and the large, botanic range.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? Not entirely vegan as some products contain beeswax and/or honey
- Price range? £
We Are Paradoxx
Top ethical haircare choice
We are Paradoxx is an almost perfect haircare brand: cruelty free, vegan, 90% plastic free, and some really high-end, and innovative products.
From scalp scrub to dry shampoo powder, this is a brand to turn to if you want to try clean, new products from an ethical brand.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA and Leaping Bunny Scheme
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? ££ – £££
Maria Nila
Sweden’s finest
Maria Nila is a Swedish haircare brand, which focuses on brand ethics as well as creating wonderful products.
The range is big, effective and – importantly – sustainable.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? Yes all products are vegan
- Price range? ££ – £££
Lee Stafford
Young, fun haircare brand
Lee won a hairdressing competition on This Morning years ago, and since then he’s developed a popular haircare range.
You’ve probably seen the distinct pink packaging on the high-street – it’s widely available.
- Certified cruelty-free? Leaping Bunny certified
- Vegan? There is a vegan range, but not all products are
- Price range? £
Paul Mitchell
Professional haircare brand
Paul Mitchell is committed to the cruelty free cause. Paul and his company have been creating professional haircare products that are cruelty free since 1980, and there are ranges within ranges.
- Certified cruelty-free? PETA
- Vegan? There is a vegan range, but not all products are
- Price range? ££ – £££
Cruelty free brands that also sell haircare products
Beauty Pie
Luxury products at discounted prices
Beauty Pie has a small, but mighty haircare range. The ‘Super Healthy Hair’ conditioner is without doubt my favourite conditioner – I’ve even got compliments on my hair from hairdressers after using it.
The range has silk scrunchies and pillowcases too. Beauty Pie has a membership scheme – you pay to join and get seriously good discounts on the whole range – it’s worth it.
- Certified cruelty-free? Beauty without Bunnies (PETA)
- Vegan? Some vegan products, some not – everything is clearly labelled
- Price range? ££
Tropic Skincare
Tropical, fresh ingredients
Tropic is a highly ethical and reputable company. It does skincare, makeup and some haircare too. The hair range isn’t huge, but the ingredients list sounds good enough to eat.
Tropic is also one of our favourite cruelty-free makeup brands.
- Certified cruelty-free? Cruelty Free International and PETA
- Vegan? Yes, and one of the only brands to be certified by the Vegan Society
- Price range? ££
Superdrug
High-street, haircare staple
Superdrug ‘own brand’ products are all cruelty free and vegan. They are not the most cutting edge, luxury products.
But, they are cheap, and there is a good range of shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, and other staples.
- Certified cruelty-free? Cruelty Free International
- Vegan? All ‘own brand’ products are vegan
- Price range? £
The Body Shop
Ethical high-street choice
The Body Shop is the staple high street choice of the ethical shopper. It has a pretty large haircare range.
The range is also quite brave: I’ve not seen a banana shampoo anywhere else. There’s also a specific men’s range.
- Certified cruelty-free? Cruelty Free International. The Body Shop is an active campaigner for animal rights
- Vegan? Not entirely. The vegan range is clearly labelled (most of the range is vegan)
- Price range? £ – ££
Wrap Up
So, there we have it, there are so many cruelty free brands out there, there is no excuse for a hairy encounter with unethical hair care. From classic shampoo through to masks, brushes, scalp scrub, the brands here cover the lot. Enjoy your cruelty free shop!
If you enjoyed this list, you should also check out our best cruelty-free brands, and the best cruelty-free makeup brands.
Our methodology: how we created this list
To appear on this hair care list, each company either has to be accredited as cruelty free by an official body, or have a strict company policy, which can be backed up.
A company must not test on animals themselves, or employ any third party to do so on its behalf to be considered cruelty free. This doesn’t just just apply to the company and a finished product, but also each ingredient within the product.
FAQs
– Aveda
– Bleach London
– Faith in Nature
– Umberto Giannini
– Foamie
– Herbal Essences
– We are Paradoxx
– Maria Nila
– Lee Stafford
– Paul Mitchell
… And many more – but these are our top picks.
– L’Oreal
– Head & Shoulders
– Aveeno
– Bed Head
– Clairol
– John Frieda
– Kerstase
– Nivea
– Schwartzkopf
– Sunsilk
– Tigi
– VO5
– Vidal Sassoon
– Wella
… These are some of the most popular brands, but it is not an exhaustive list.
