There are a lot of lousy haircare products out there. Unfortunately, they can be hard to detect if you don’t know what to look out for. The bottle that you pick up from your local Target may just be the reason why your hair can never seem to act right.

But outside of that, there is a crucial question you should ask about every beauty product.

It’s a simple one – is said product cruelty-free?

Why is this important? Because animals don’t deserve to be subject to cruel testing just for the sake of people looking good. Companies that test on animals don’t just stick to mice. They will test on cats, dogs, and even rabbits.

It helps those cruelty-free products usually don’t have harmful chemicals, and they prioritize ingredients that are way better for your skin. If I had the choice between cosmetics that are laden with questionable ingredients and one that is cruelty-free, I’d choose the cruelty-free one in a heartbeat.

To that end, I’ve researched and examined a popular haircare brand called Olaplex to see if they are cruelty-free. I’ll be covering quite a bit, so let’s get started!

What is Olaplex?

As I stated earlier, Olaplex is a haircare brand that specializes in repairing and restoring hairs of all kinds. This is done with their patented chemical ingredient called Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, which is claimed to repair the disulfide bonds in your hair.

This, in turn, leads to luscious and vibrant hair. The company was founded in 2014 in a Californian garage, so I can safely say that they’ve had humble beginnings. As such, it’s even more impressive that it’s grown so large so quickly.

While I won’t comment on the validity of the scientific claims, I can say that Olaplex definitely has its fans. Many people have claimed that Olaplex products really helped their hair out when nothing else could. And that is worth something in a world where proper hair care can be quite difficult for some people.

Now that you know a bit about Olaplex’s background, let’s tackle the harder questions.

Is Olaplex Truly Cruelty-Free? Here’s the Verdict.

Amazing news – Olaplex is 100% cruelty-free, at least in the United States. The company claims it to be so, which is more important than people tend to realize. You have to understand that companies can get into HUGE trouble with regulatory agencies if they commit false advertising.

That’s not even to mention the backlash suffered by upset customers. It’s a risk not worth taking, especially for larger companies. When a large chunk of a brand includes a cruelty-free image, ruining that image can cause serious financial problems.

Olaplex fans in the U.S. can rest easy knowing that their beloved haircare products aren’t tested on any animals.

Is Olaplex Confirmed to be Vegan?

Yes, Olaplex is actually vegan as well. It does not contain any animal products whatsoever, which is a bit of a rarity in the haircare industry.

And remember, just because something is cruelty-free does not mean that it is vegan. You can skip the animal testing part while still including animal products. If you don’t want to support companies that use animal products, then you really need to make sure that the product is vegan.

Many times, products that aren’t cruelty-free, vegan, or eco-friendly will try to hide it by using other fancy descriptors. They’ll play up the effects that the product should have on you, not what is in them.

If a product doesn’t outright state that they are cruelty-free, vegan, or otherwise eco-friendly, then assume that they are not.

Is Olaplex Sold in Countries that Require Animal Testing?

No, Olaplex is not sold in countries that require animal testing. In fact, it’s not authorized to sell its products to any country to require this kind of testing, which is telling as to what kind of company Olaplex is.

Now, this one is a big one to watch out for. There are still countries out there that require animal testing for products to be sold there, especially international ones. This primarily affects the beauty industry, in which haircare is involved. So if you determine that a product sells its products to one of these countries, you know that the “cruelty-free” claim is rather misleading.

China used to be the biggest animal-testing proponent until May of 2021, which is when laws were changed to no longer require animal testing on general cosmetics (makeup, skincare, hair care products, nail polish, perfumes, etc.).

Special-use cosmetics include products that make claims, such as hair dyes, hair perming products, sunscreens, whitening products, anti-hair loss, and more. These must still be animal tested.

Olaplex skips this altogether by not selling its products in China.

Does Olaplex Have Any Noteworthy Certifications?

No, Olaplex does not have any noteworthy certifications.

If you were curious about which certifications really matter, there are two that you should always look out for.

1. PETA
2. Leaping Bunny

Now, I’ll be the first to say that PETA does get clowned on for a lot of reasons. While I acknowledge their efforts to save animals, I also recognize that they often do so in ways that bring condemnation rather than awareness.

Despite this, they actually have a good program for determining which products get to have their cruelty-free seal of approval. Should a company’s products meet PETA’s standards, they can be certified cruelty-free under PETA. This comes with a cool little logo that can be slapped on a product for consumers to easily see.

But what you really want to see is the Leaping Bunny logo of approval. Leaping Bunny has a more comprehensive set of rules and higher standards – basically, it’s harder to meet their requirements. But companies that can do so will prove that their products are unquestionably cruelty-free.

If PETA is a good public college, then Leaping Bunny is an Ivy League college. The difference is sizeable.

I hope that Olaplex will be rocking one or both of these logos on their products one day. It would lend that much more credibility to the brand.

Is Olaplex Sustainable and Eco-Friendly?

I’m happy to report that Olaplex is both sustainable and eco-friendly. The company is always trying to find new ways to cut down on the environmental harm that often comes with manufacturing, production, and shipping.

To that end, they’ve refined their processes from 2015 to 2021. The result was:

1. Saving 57mm gallons of water from being wasted.
2. Eliminating 35MM pounds of Greenhouse Gases from being emitted into the environment.
3. Protecting 44K trees from being deforested.

It’s a lot of good work. It’s meaningful when a company is willing to invest money into the environment – it shows that they are willing to put their money whether their mouth is. No BS.

It helps that the ingredients in their products don’t contain any harsh chemicals or toxins that might otherwise leach into the ground. There are no parabens, no phthalates, and no phosphate. Nothing that would cause animals to get sick and nothing that would end up in our drinking water.

In fact, Olaplex products tend to be mostly made from water and their patented Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate (which isn’t bad for the environment based on this safety data sheet (SDS)). While the chemical name may be a bit long and scary, it’s pretty harmless.

I’m actually pretty happy to see that there is no data to support that Olaplex is bad for the environment, unlike some other materials out there (looking at you, plastic). They even ask their consumers to become more mindful of their habits and encourage them to apply their spending power toward the greater good.

Sure it’s a bit of marketing to push more Olaplex sales, but there is also truth and wisdom in the advice. I really like that.

Final Thoughts

Olaplex is pretty impressive, all things considered. It’s cruelty-free, good for the environment, vegan, and still manages to be a powerful product that has a ton of fans. The only bad thing I could find was the price! Seriously, this stuff makes you pay for the quality that it produces.

Sometimes that is worth it though, right? Especially when it comes to beauty and health – you can’t really skimp on them.

If you wanted to check out Olaplex for yourself and try out some of its products, you can find them through this Amazon link. Just so you know, making a purchase through an affiliate link may earn me a small commission. It won’t cost anything extra, and I would appreciate the support.

Anyways, I hope that you learned something new and had fun reading my post. I’ll continue to be on the lookout for other “cruelty-free” brands, so be sure to tune into this site often. And check out some of my other posts – I talk about the environment in other ways too!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a stellar day. Oh, and let’s continue to strive towards a greener, better way of life.