Is Bumble and Bumble Cruelty-Free and Vegan?

Bumble and bumble is internationally known for its revolutionary hair products. English-born founder Michael Gordon left school at fifteen to work in a London hair salon in the mid-’60s.

He named his New York salon Bumble in protest against the stuffy name-branded salons of the time. The Bumble and bumble hair care product company was launched in 1996. It is now owned by Estée Lauder.

Our readers have been asking if the brand is cruelty-free and vegan. Is Bumble and bumble cruelty-free and vegan? Keep reading to find out the details.

Is Bumble and Bumble Cruelty-free?

How do we define cruelty-free? Well, for the Bumble and bumble brand to be regarded as cruelty-free, it needs to satisfy these criteria, which we will analyze one by one:

• None of the products should be tested on animals. This means no animals should be used in product development by the company itself or its suppliers. Test animals live a life of misery and are cruelly confined throughout their days. Animal testing is unnecessary and not even very effective in predicting human reaction.
• They should not test on animals even when required by law. Sometimes brands will not generally perform tests on animals unless it is required by law. We find that equally unacceptable. And a company cannot bypass this just by paying a third party to test on its behalf.
• The products should not be sold in China. Even though China appears to be changing its requirements regarding compulsory animal testing for cosmetics, any product can still be pulled off the shelves and tested post-market.

Are Bumble and Bumble products tested on Animals?

Bumble and bumble do not test their products on animals or ask anyone else to do it for them.

Do They Test Animals When Required by Law? Or Use a Third Party?

No, Bumble and bumble don’t allow animal testing of their products if required by law.

Are Bumble and Bumble products sold in China?

No, Bumble and bumble products are not for sale in China. China makes tests on animals for all imported cosmetics compulsory by law.

The only exception to this regulation is online purchases – where imported goods are delivered directly to the consumer. Therefore, any brand currently selling through retail outlets in China is not cruelty-free.

Does Bumble and Bumble have Cruelty-free Accreditations or Certifications?

Yes, Bumble and bumble has been awarded PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies logo.

Is Bumble and Bumble’s Parent company Cruelty-free?

The company Bumble and bumble was formed in 1996. In 2000, Estée Lauder bought a significant stake in it, eventually buying Gordon out entirely.

Estée Lauder is not cruelty-free and sells its products in Mainland China. The company has however, pledged to help ban animal testing by 2023. Their current animal-testing policy is to test only when required to by law.

What is Bumble and Bumble’s Animal Testing Policy?

Bumble and bumble’s animal testing policy is available on its website, but there is a conflict between the U.S. (.com) site and the U.K. (.co.uk) site.

The U.S. site says only that it doesn’t test on animals, whereas the U.K. site qualifies this by saying it tests only if required by law. The latter policy is the Estée Lauder Group policy, which sells in China.

Is Bumble and Bumble Vegan?

To qualify as vegan, Bumble and bumble products must not contain any animal parts or anything derived from animals. We have assessed the brand’s products based on this definition.

Bumble and bumble is not a vegan brand as its products may contain animal derivatives. It does not have any vegan certifications. However, it has a large number of products that don’t contain any animal products:

• Blondish Hair Powder
• Brownish Hair Powder
• Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil
• Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo
• Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Conditioner
• Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Dry Oil Finishing Spray
• Super Rich Conditioner
• Gentle Shampoo
• Prêt-à-Powder
• Pret-a-Powder Tres Invisible Nourishing Dry Shampoo with Hibiscus Extract
• Don’t Blow It Fine Hair Air Dry Styler
• Don’t Blow It Thick Hair Styler
• Creme de Coco Shampoo
• Creme de Coco Conditioner
• Surf Spray
• Surf Foam Wash Shampoo
• Surf Creme Rinse Conditioner
• Surf Styling Leave-In
• Surf Foam Spray Blow Dry
• Surf Infusion
• Seaweed Shampoo
• Seaweed Conditioner
• Color Minded Shampoo
• Color Minded Conditioner
• Thickening Volume Shampoo
• Thickening Full Form Soft Mousse
• Thickening Go Big Volumizing Treatment
• Thickening Great Body Blow Dry Crème
• Tonic Lotion Primer
• Prep Primer
• Sumogel
• Sumoclay
• Styling Creme
• Grooming Creme
• While You Sleep Overnight Damage Repair Masque
• Save The Day Daytime Protective Repair Fluid
• Curl (Care) Shampoo
• Curl (Style) Conditioning Mousse
• Color Stick
• All-Style Blow Dry
• Quenching Shampoo

Summary

As a brand, Bumble and bumble don’t test on animals or sell their products in China. They are owned by a group that does, however.

Consumers who wish to boycott products in any way affiliated with animal testing might want to keep that in mind.

The brand has used alternatives to animal derivatives in several of its products – it’s just a pity they are not clearly labeled and listed.