With its iconic white bottles and a signature fragrance, Biolage has recently had a significant reintroduction to its products, thanks to its new cruelty-free and vegan policies.
Biolage is 100% cruelty-free and vegan. It doesn't conduct animal testing on its products or use animal-derived ingredients.
Arnie Miller, who began his career as a hair stylist, is now known as the founder of Matrix Essentials which later gave us Biolage in 1990.
Now, over 30 years later, Biolage has kept its reputation as a world leader with their salon-grade haircare products.
And with their newest change in policies making them 100% vegan and cruelty-free, the brand is making a sustainability push that looks like it will only develop more as time goes on.
But this whole rebrand isn’t the most impressive thing we’ve seen. Most of it is just words; how much is another greenwashing ploy?
Biolage's Ethical Overview
Biolage is 100% Cruelty-Free
Test any of its products or ingredients on animals
NO
Purchase any ingredients tested on animals within its supply chain
No
Distribute its products to any countries that require animal testing by law.
NO
Biolage is very proud of its newly acquired cruelty-free status but the brand is owned by L'Oréal, which is notoriously associated with animal testing.
Does Biolage Test on Animals?
As of August 2022, Biolage announced that they were officially 100% cruelty-free and vegan, with the certification to prove it.
Until this point, Biolage has had a questionable history, but we’re glad they are officially committed to being transparent throughout their supply chain.
What Is Biolage’s Cruelty-Free Status in 2022?
A screenshot of Biolage’s official statement regarding its cruelty-free policies and vegan products is taken from its website:
Biolage is Leaping Bunny Certified
Biolage is Leaping Bunny certified through Cruelty-Free International.
While you might know PETA very well – it surprisingly doesn't hold the strictest cruelty-free regulations. Leaping Bunny certification is the gold standard to live up to.
Leaping Bunny certification proves that:
Is Biolage Sold Where Animal Testing is Required By Law?
Biolage does not distribute any of its products to China or any country that requires animal testing on cosmetics by law.
China has a shocking track record. It is the country with the most animal testing globally, with over 20 million animals used per year.
However, if you live in China or are concerned about its cruel beauty policies, there are a couple of loopholes.
Here's how to find cruelty-free cosmetics in China: Are Cosmetics Made in China Cruelty-Free?
Biolage is Vegan
It's official, Biolage is now 100% vegan! Not only are they free from animal testing, but the brand also doesn’t use animal-derived ingredients in any of its products.
However, it's worth knowing that Biolage is the exception and not the rule.
Most mainstream skincare brands are not 100% vegan. These animal-derived ingredients to look out for in general include honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, squalane, and carmine.
The Best Vegan Biolage Products
Biolage is a leader in professional haircare with their signature vegan formulas. You won’t go wrong with their products, but it’s all about finding what suits your haircare needs.
To save you some time, here are some of its most popular skincare products:
For a complete list of Biolage’s vegan products, you can find everything on the website.
Vegan Alternatives to Biolage
Brand | price range | 100% vegan | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
$20 - $50 | Yes | Leaping Bunny | |
$20 - $30 | Yes | PETA | |
$10 - $30 | Yes | PETA | |
$25 - $50 | Yes | PETA | |
$5 - $20 | Yes | Leaping Bunny |
Biolage Isn’t Considered Natural, or Organic
Biolage doesn’t claim to be natural or organic.
The brand wants to give reliable products with formulas naturally inspired by botanical oils and plant extracts, all while using science. Safe and clean products are always the priority.
All products use a certain amount of synthetic ingredients in their formulas. Biolage is no exception – but it does choose to use better or clean synthetics.
If a synthetic ingredient is "clean," it means it is safe and non-toxic for us. Its purpose is to preserve the stability of a beauty formulation.
Biolage Has a 73 – 91% Allergen-free Ranking
According to Skin Safe, Biolage has a 73 – 91% allergen-free ranking across 206 products.
Many of Biolage’s products are free of allergens such as gluten, coconut, nickel, top common allergy-causing preservatives, lanolin, paraben, topical antibiotic, MCI/MI, soy, propylene glycol, oil, dye, and SLS.
Reading the ingredient list is crucial because Biolage is not 100% hypoallergenic or non-comedogenic, and they do not claim to be.
However, certain products are specifically for these concerns, so make sure you buy what your skin needs.
The EU/UK Have Stricter Ingredient Regulations
We don’t want to scare you, but you HAVE to read up on any product’s ingredient list before you make a purchase – especially if you live within the United States. The reason why will shock you.
The FDA has only banned or restricted 11 harmful chemicals from cosmetics within the country. Europe and the UK, on the other hand, have banned 1,328!
Luckily, Biolage sets a great example of what true clean beauty is meant to be, and you shouldn’t have to worry about any serious hidden nasties in its products.
With hair care, you want to avoid these ingredients:
Biolage Is Moderately Sustainable and Ethical
Biolage doesn’t currently support any ethical causes, but they are becoming more sustainably conscious.
It's no secret that the world has a huge waste problem, and cosmetic brands only make it worse by using unsustainable packaging and harmful ingredients.
Biolage takes environmental accountability by:
Final Thoughts
Biolage proudly states that they are a leader in professional haircare that is recognized worldwide. They are with their signature formulas that are now 100% cruelty-free and vegan.
They are a large brand considering ethical and sustainability factors, which is always appreciated. They are transparent about their supply chain and are actively trying to make changes to improve.
However, it does come off that they are doing more in the sustainability department than they are. They are making some steps, but their favourite point is their high PCR plastic usage. There’s more they can do!
But considering they only changed to being certified cruelty-free and vegan as of August 2022, we will likely see more improvements from here.
But we mustn’t forget that these are all just words. The only way they’ll keep the sustainability train going is if their customers continue to voice their wants and needs!