At least once a week I am asked if there are any products that are either vegan, cruelty free or environmentally friendly. The answer is yes, and yes, anyone can use them. You do not have to own a poncho or have a rescue dog as a pet to purchase these products. (trust me…I had to clarify in writing because I have had to clarify said fact verbally to a woman sporting a complete ensemble of fur and leather…really…I wish I made this shit up…you have no idea).
Many professional hair care lines have jumped onto the environmentally friendly, cruelty free, vegan train. Yes, they care about our drinking water and they love bunnies. Their products are low in sulfates or sulfate free, alcohol free, gluten free and paraben free…Al Gore will be so proud. The following are lines that I am familiar with and sell in our shop.
SOMA – This line is organic, 100% Vegan, 100% Biodegradable (making Mr. Gore so happy!), paraben and formaldehyde free. Their products contain wheat/keratin proteins and all their packaging is recyclable.The SOMA line has a product for every hair type and every hair issue. If you want a sleek look or a spiked mohawk – SOMA will deliver the goods. Oh…and they love bunnies too.
JOICO Structure – The newest addition to the Joico family that has 3 products that are vegan – Structure Cleanse, Structure Condition and Structure Renovate. * An important piece of information about Joico – Joico cares about the environment, investing in alternative energy sources to better the environment, they are committed to eliminating their carbon footprint and leading sustainable business practices & they have also joined forces with Verus Carbon Neutral.
Bain de Terre Purite – The newest addition to the Bain de Terre family. The Purite line is sulfate free, paraben free, gluten free and is free of colorants and formaldehyde. They love bunnies too.
Alterna Bamboo – A lovely collection that consists of a volumizing, frizz control, shine and color line. All the products are free of parabens, gluten, sodium chloride, Phthalates and synthetic colors. They love bunnies too.
So there you have it. You can have great hair and still love the environment. You can have a rockin’ look without the guilt of leaving baby bunnies motherless. When standing in the shower you no longer have to feel guilt of possibly mutating a fish with the shampoo that is going down the drain.
That Girl in the Red Coat 
I think while you’re right about people blowing things out of proportion a lot of vegans/cruelty free shoppers want to buy their products from a fully cruelty free company. Baine de Terre may offer cruelty free products, but since they are not cruelty free as a whole, many people may not consider them cruelty free. Another example is Carol’ s Daughter. While Carol’s Daughter is cruelty free their parent company l’Oreal is very much not cruelty free. So yes you can buy cruelty free/vegan products from a larger company, but that doesn’t make the company cruelty free, and that is what they are referring to.