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Is Alterna Cruelty-Free and Vegan? - The Vegan Abroad Skip to Content

Is Alterna Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

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Alterna Hair Care

Is Alterna Cruelty-Free?

Alterna is NOT cruelty-free.

Is Alterna Vegan?

Alterna might have some vegan products, but I don’t consider any of their products vegan since they test on animals.

Is Alterna PETA Certified?

No, Alterna is not PETA certified.

Alterna has a line of hair products called My Hair. My Canvas that is PETA certified.

Is Alterna Leaping Bunny Certified?

No, Alterna is not Leaping Bunny Certified.

Is Alterna Owned By A Parent Company That Tests On Animals?

Yes, Alterna is owned by Henkel, a company that tests on animals.

From Their FAQ

Alterna Claims To Be Cruelty-Free

This may look promising, but, unfortunately, it is not. Here is why:

“Cruelty-free” has no legal definition. Any brand can claim “cruelty-free” even if they do test on animals.

Some brands like to say that they are “cruelty-free” because it is a marketing buzzword to sell more products.

The only way to find out is to ask the company. One important question to ask is if their products are sold in China.⠀⠀

Animal Testing in China

Animal Testing is required by law in China for all foreign cosmetics companies. All American and European cosmetic brands that are sold in China must undergo animal testing. 

Any brand that chooses to sell its products in China cannot be considered cruelty-free. Even products that can bypass mandatory tests may still be pulled from the shelves by Chinese authorities to be tested on animals.

This does NOT include products that are made in China, only if they are sold in China. 

The only way to know if a brand sells products in China is to ask them directly. Make sure to note that Hong Kong is not included in this policy, and neither are products only sold online to Chinese consumers.

Is Alterna Sold in Mainland China?

I couldn’t find any information online about if Alterna is sold in mainland China.

Alterna did tell me that Henkel, their parent company, tests on animals when required by law. With this information, we can assume that Alterna products are sold in China and are not cruelty-free.

Vegan and Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Alterna

Dae Hair

Dae is a vegan and cruelty-free brand that was created by the famous blogger Amber Fillerup Clark. Amber’s home state of Arizona is what inspired her to create Dae. The name, Dae, is an acronym for dawn, afternoon, and evening.

Olaplex

Olaplex is a vegan and cruelty-free brand that creates hair products that are designed to restore damaged or compromised hair.

Shop the full list of 100% cruelty-free and vegan brands.

Email to the Company

Before classifying any brand as cruelty-free and vegan, I send them an email with the following questions:

  1. Are your products vegan? If only some are vegan, which ones?
  2. Are any of your products or ingredients tested on animals?
  3. Do you have a Leaping Bunny or PETA certification?
  4. Do your suppliers or any third parties test animals on your behalf?
  5. Does your company sell products in mainland China (except Hong Kong)?
  6. Are you owned by a parent company that tests on animals?

Here is how Alterna responded:

Hello, thank you for reaching out. I would be happy to help answer your questions!

When it comes to our Caviar Anti-Aging collections, contain Siberian sturgeon living in the South of France, sustainably harvested under controlled conditions. A special extraction process captures the opulent nutrition inside raw Caviar beads.

We launched a new line recently called My Hair My Canvas. This line is the newest expression of Alterna Haircare’s transformational performance. These versatile products turn the everyday act of washing your hair into moments of self-kindness. Our vegan formulas elevate your hair care routine and make it fun and effortless to create customizable and beautiful looks.    

Wherever legally possible, we demonstrate the safety of our products and the ingredients we use through existing data or through accepted alternative test methods, thus avoiding animal testing.

Henkel only ever uses such tests if required by legal regulations or if no accepted alternative test methods are available for obtaining the necessary safety data.

Naturally, at the same time, we comply with legal regulations that do not allow animal testing, e.g. testing in order to meet the requirements of the EU legislation on cosmetics.

We would very much like to be able to answer all questions about the safety of our products and the ingredients we use without any animal testing at all. Unfortunately, however, it is not yet possible to avoid animal testing completely: This is because legally acceptable alternative test methods are not yet available for all safety aspects, and alternative test methods are not able to answer all questions relating to safety.

We have been working intensively for more than three decades on the development of alternative methods to obtain the necessary safety data without animal testing. Significant examples include tests on cell systems – known as in-vitro methods ‏(Latin: “in glass”).

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