Let’s look into the Redken brand’s current animal testing policy and cruelty-free status in 2021.
Is Redken Cruelty-Free?
Is Redken cruelty-free? NO!
Redken is a hair care brand endorsed by professionals with its base in the United States. Redken products are available only in select salons and through their affiliated online distributors. They are currently sold in over 58 countries, however, a detailed list of these countries are not easily available.
Its parent company, L’Oreal has its products available worldwide including China, a country where testing of cosmetic products on animals is mandated by law. And this is one of the major reasons why Redken cannot be considered a cruelty-free brand.
Redken also features on PETA as a company that DOES test on animals. So Redken may or may not directly sell in China but since its parent company does, the brand too comes under the scanner and is not cruelty-free.
Is Redken Sold In China?
Are Redken products available in China? YES and NO!
There is no clarity with regards to whether Redken sells its products in China. The brand on its website just mentions that they are available in over 58 countries across the world but does not provide additional information about this and leaves it open to speculation.
They have addressed a query pertaining to sale in China on Facebook where they maintain that Redken is not sold in China and the post is about a year old. However, no such claims are addressed on their official website.
The reason it is essential to know if a brand sells in China is because the Chinese law states that all cosmetic products that are manufactured internationally need to undergo necessary tests on animals before they can be sold in physical stores in mainland China. The law does not apply to online sales of products and neither to brands that sell in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan which are part of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China.
Products that fall under the cosmetic category are make-up, skin care, hair care, sun care products (all except oral care and soaps).
Though it is unclear if Redken is available in salons in mainland China, it’s parent company L’Oreal is a widely known brand in the Asian market and does have products in stores in mainland China.
Is Redken Vegan?
Is Redken vegan? NO!
For a brand to be vegan, not only should the products have ingredients (active and inactive) which are derived from plants entirely but also it should not be involved in any process, directly or indirectly in which animals are subjected to any form of cruelty.
Redken’s parent company L’Oreal is sold in China which makes the brand indirectly involved in animal cruelty and Redken does not have an entire range of completely vegan products with ingredients that are plant based. Most of their products contain stearyl and cetyl alcohol and its by products. These are fatty alcohols made from animal tallow and used in shampoos, creams etc as a thickening agent.
Redken has a newly introduced vegan range of hair care products that have completely plant based ingredients, however, the brand is not completely cruelty-free and hence cannot be considered a 100% vegan brand.
What Is Redken’s Animal Testing Policy?
Redken addresses its position on animal testing on the FAQ page of its official website. It states,
L’Oréal, the parent company of Redken, no longer tests any of its products or any of its ingredients on animals, anywhere in the world nor does L’Oréal delegate this task to others. An exception could only be made if regulatory authorities demanded it for safety or regulatory purposes.
The exception in this case although not precisely stated is China, where regulatory authorities do demand results of animal tests of products prior to sale in the Chinese market as also post market testing wherein products are randomly taken off shelves and tested upon for safety and regulatory purposes especially if a consumer has registered a complaint.
Is Redken Owned By A Parent Company?
YES! Redken was acquired by L’Oreal in 1993 and is part of their Professional Products Division that endorses brands which support hairdressers and hair care.
The parent company L’Oreal is also on the PETA list of companies that DOES test on animals.
What Does Redken Sell?
Redken is a professional brand for hair stylists and its product line ranges from hair styling, hair color and hair care products.
What Is Redken’s Current Cruelty-Free Position?
Redken’s position in 2021 is that it is NOT a cruelty-free brand.
I Use Redken Products. What Can I Do To Help?
Ask the brand to be more transparent. As a consumer it is your right to have complete information about the products you use and the impact it has on the environment and as a brand it is their duty to present the complete truth so that the consumer can make a well-informed decision. There are brands that have maintained their cruelty-free status despite an acquisition by a conglomerate and if Redken is one of those brands then they should have it labeled across their website and the fact they don’t makes it a cause for concern.
