Best cruelty free shampoo for colored hair

A number of companies produce cruelty-free vegan shampoo. Unfortunately, though, most shampoos still contain animal products. What’s more, many top brands are tested on animals.

This page offers links to more a dozen recommended vegan shampoos. If you’re just here to order an excellent, low-cost bottle from Amazon.com, you can stop reading now and click through to our top pick: Love Beauty & Planet’s Volume and Bounty Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner.

Not only is this product vegan and cruelty-free, it’s a fantastic deal. You get two large bottles of shampoo and conditioner for less than what many other brands charge for just the shampoo.

What Shampoos Are Vegan?

A number of companies make vegan shampoo. These brands often carry seals attesting to their refusal to use animal testing or ingredients. Despite what marketers would have you believe, most vegan brands offer comparable quality. So what you probably want is a big cheap bottle of vegan shampoo, ideally without the need to visit three different stores to find it.

A number of well-known cosmetics companies, including Acure, Avalon Organics, and 100% Pure oppose animal testing and label all their products as vegan.

Here are the bestselling vegan shampoos carried by Amazon.com:

• 100% PURE: Kelp & Mint Volumizing Shampoo
• Aspen Kay: Shampoo Bar
• Acure: 100% Vegan Ultra Hydrating Shampoo
• Aubrey Organics: Tea Tree & Primrose Shampoo
• Avalon Organics: Thickening Shampoo
• Beauty Without Cruelty: Shampoo Volume Plus
• Desert Essence: Fragrance Free Shampoo & Conditioner Bundle
• Ethique: Solid Shampoo Bar
• Garnier: Pure Clean Shampoo and Conditioner
• Giovanni: Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
• Honest Company: Shampoo & Bodywash
• Kiss My Face: Big Body Shampoo
• L’ORÉAL: EverPure Volume Shampoo
• Love Beauty & Planet: Volume and Bounty Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner and Hope and Repair Shampoo & Conditioner
• Mineral Fusion: Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
• Pacifica: Coconut Power Strong and Long Healing and Moisturizing Shampoo
• Paul Mitchell: Awapuhi Shampoo for All Hair Types

Shampoos are diluted detergents, plus some thickeners and usually some perfumes and colorants. None of this need be animal-derived.

Not so long ago, finding vegan shampoo took lots of time and effort. But now, you’ve got so many terrific options. It’s great to see more and more companies using exclusively vegan ingredients. No doubt our above product list will be twice as long in a few years.

Why Do Many Companies Use Animal-Derived Ingredients?

Given the growing interest in vegan lifestyles, why do so many shampoos still contain animal ingredients? It’s not because these substances possess unique cleaning abilities, but because they’re ridiculously cheap. Non-vegan ingredients are typically slaughterhouse byproducts. Meat packers would have to pay to dispose of this waste if it couldn’t be sold for a pittance to cosmetics companies seeking cheap filler materials. Really, the only reason to formulate a shampoo with animal ingredients is to cut costs.

So choosing a cruelty-free shampoo never means sacrificing on quality or performance. Your vegan shampoo options are excellent, and any product you choose keeps animals from harm.

Updated on September 11, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

You may be surprised to learn that there is actually plenty of cruelty-free and vegan shampoo and conditioners available at your local drugstore. The challenge is figuring out which brands are cruelty-free and vegan.

So to help you find and shop for vegan shampoo at Target, Walmart, or whichever drugstore you frequent, I’ve created this list of affordable cruelty-free and vegan haircare brands!

In this product guide, you’ll discover from a list of cruelty-free hair brands and vegan shampoo that I would recommend.

All of the brands mentioned in this product guide do not test on animals and are included in our Cruelty-Free Brand Directory.

Although some of the brands mentioned may not be entirely 100% vegan, I noted which ones offer a range of vegan hair products and how you can figure out which of their products are vegan or not.

As a bonus, most of these cruelty-free shampoo brands are also sulfate-free! I’ve indicated which ones are vegan and sulfate-free.

Cruelty-Free & Vegan Shampoo

ACURE

ACURE has a nice range of cruelty-free and vegan shampoo and conditioners for all hair types including normal, curly/wavy, dry, and color-treated hair.

All ACURE hair products are paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral-oil-free, petrolatum-free, and formaldehyde-free.

All ACURE hair care products are 100% vegan.

Where to buy: Target, Amazon

HASK

HASK hair care products feature responsibly sourced and exotic ingredients from around the world. They have a collection of shampoo and conditioner with a color-safe formula, however, not all HASK products are vegan, find a full list of HASK vegan products here

HASK hair products are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, and aluminum.

Where to buy: Ulta, Target, CVS, London Drugs, Walmart, Rexall, Amazon

Live Clean

Live Clean’s shampoo and conditioner are mild and gentle, with a rich foaming lather made with plant and naturally derived ingredients. Most Live Clean products are vegan, check the back of the packaging label and it should say ‘Pure Vegan’.

Live Clean hair products are paraben-free, phthalate-free, phosphate-free, silicone-free, DEA-free, SLS-free, and petrolatum-free.

Where to buy: Walmart, London Drugs, Target, Walgreens, Amazon

Kristin Ess

Kristin Ess is a celebrity hairstylist and colorist, offering her own line of affordable luxury haircare and hair styling tools.

Not all Kristin Ess‘s hair products are vegan, check product descriptions, and packaging for details.

Where to buy: Ulta, Target, Amazon, Shoppers Drug Mart, Well.ca

Giovanni

Giovanni’s salon-inspired cruelty-free shampoo, conditioner, and hair products offer high performance and ingredients inspired by pure botanical.

Almost all of Giovanni’s shampoo and hair products are vegan with the exception of their Magnetic collection, find more information about Giovanni’s vegan products here.

Giovanni hair products are paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, and mineral-oil-free.

Where to buy: Walmart and Amazon

Cake Beauty

Cake’s vegan shampoo and conditioner will leave your hair smelling like a batch of freshly baked cupcakes or muffins! This Canadian haircare brand is cruelty-free and 100% vegan.

Cake hair products are Paraben-free, Sulfate-free, and Phthalates-free.

All of Cake Beauty’s hair care products are 100% vegan.

Where to buy: Walmart, Walgreens, Ulta, Shoppers Drug Mart, Amazon

Hempz

Hempz vegan shampoo and conditioner are enriched with 100% pure natural hemp seed oil to help limit heat damage & preserve moisture.

Hempz cruelty-free shampoo and conditioners are paraben-free and gluten-free. Hempz does have some sulfate-free formulas, but check product descriptions or packaging for details.

All Hempz hair care products are 100% vegan.

Where to buy: Walmart, Ulta, Amazon, Target.

Derma E

Derma E has a range of cruelty-free and vegan hair care products and I especially love their vegan shampoo for dandruff. Derma E’s Scalp Relief Shampoo has helped soothe and treat my dry, flaky, and irritated scalp.

Derma E products are formulated without parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, petrolatum, sulfates, mineral oils, artificial colors, or artificial fragrances.

All Derma E hair care products are 100% vegan.

Where to buy: Walmart, Target, Shoppers Drug Mart, Amazon

Noughty Haircare

Noughty haircare range is packed full of goodness and contains no parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, or silicones. They have a selection of shampoo and conditioners for all hair types and concerns including dry & damaged and color-treated.

All Noughty hair care products are 100% vegan.

Where to buy: Ulta, London Drugs, Amazon

Eva NYC

Eva NYC is a Brooklyn-based cruelty-free haircare brand with an array of vegan shampoo and conditioner including their Clean It Up Shampoo which gently cleanses, strengthens, and nourishes hair and it’s also safe for color, keratin, and Brazilian-treated hair.

Eva NYC hair products are free from parabens, phthalates, artificial colors, mineral oil, and gluten.

All Eva NYC’s products are vegan with the exception of their Tone it Down collection which contains hydrolyzed keratin.

Where to buy: Ulta, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Amazon

Sukin

Sukin vegan shampoo and conditioners are free from sulfates, silicones, and harsh chemicals that can dry out and strip your hair and scalp. I’ve been using Sukin’s Hydrating Shampoo for my dry hair and I love this stuff!

Sukin products are formulated without sulfates, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oils, silicones, triclosan, petrolatum, DEA, EDTA, and synthetic fragrances.

All Sukin hair care products are 100% vegan.

Where to buy: Target, Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, Amazon

Every Man Jack

Every Man Jack specializes in naturally-derived cruelty-free shampoo, conditioner, and hair grooming products for men.

Not all Every Man Jack’s hair products are vegan, check product descriptions, and packaging for details.

Where to buy: Walmart, London Drugs, Target, Amazon

Paul Mitchell

For affordable, salon-quality, cruelty-free hair care products, I recommend Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioner.

Although not all Paul Mitchell’s products are vegan, they do offer some vegan options, find a list of Paul Mitchell vegan products here.

Where to buy: Walmart, Ulta, Target, Shoppers Drug Mart, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon

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What do you think

0 thoughts on “Vegan Shampoo and Conditioner You Can Buy at The Drugstore”

1. Ive been loving Live Clean shampoo’s for some time now and recently nocticed our dollar store had them so I picked up another 2 bottles for $2.50 ( WHAT !! ) I love how their shampoo makes my hair and is safe for my bleached processed hair as well. One that I also have in my shower is Avalon Organics, I have their dandruff shampoo and the rosemary volumizing and I love them both they work so well and I have fine hair and most shampoos weigh my hair down or make me really greasy.

   1. WHAAT?! OMIGOSH. Live Clean is available at the dollar store?! I definitely need to check out my dollar store and stock up!! I love their shampoo too!!

      YES, I’ve tried that Avalon Organics Rosemary shampoo as well and it’s one that I always reach for when I’m at the drugstore! I’m glad to hear it works for your hair type as well!! =)

2. I thought ogx was cruelty free?

   1. They were, but they were taken off of the PETA list.

3. Not a bad list at all but a shame they’re all packaged in plastic! Not on your list but they should be as one of the best 100% vegan, cruelty free, silicon free shampoos and conditioners out there and made by an ethical UK small business (good to see a small producer doing what the big pharms don’t) and it works great on my tangled frizzy hair – I actually know what that word silky means after all these years of seeing it in other ads as it keeps my previously wild hair under control now at last! And forgot to mention that they are also non-plastic and no water!! so a double thumbs up from me. Check them out at The Solid Bar Company, thx Cat M

   1. Dove and herbal essence are cruelty free, as of recent

   2. I bought Sukin based on this review. If it wasn’t for covid 19 and the fact that i had a double mask on while shopping, I would’ve smelled it before buying but since i couldn’t I trusted the review. It’s one of the worst smelling shampoo & conditioner i have used. If smelling like Pledge wood furniture cleaner is what I was going for it would be perfect. However, I prefer my hair not smell like a household cleaning agent. The conditioner had that non- scented smell. You know that ugly plastc like non- scented smell that some unscented products still have even though they’re supposed to be unscented. I guess that’s what some mfg’s think unscented is supposed to smell like. Anyway, its not good. So, I wasted $20 bucks cause i won’t use it again. Meanwhile I’m still in need of shampoo & conditioner.

4. I only use cruelty free shampoo. I started using sulfate free shampoo from Maple Holistics and it does a real good job for my hair.

   1. So great to hear you only use cruelty-free shampoo! =) Thanks for the recommendation, I gotta try them out! Do you know if they’re available in any drugstores?

5. are any of these shampoos palm oil free as well?

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