We have an exciting announcement!
Abyssian Haircare has always been proud of our kind, clean, and conscious brand, where we go beyond simply being a beauty brand to supporting our planet by investing in carbon-offsetting initiatives.
For every product sold, we plant a tree with the Eden Reforestation Project.
We have moved from plastic packaging to eco-friendly infinitely recyclable aluminium bottles.
We work with local farms to ensure that our main star ingredient, Abyssinian, is a low-planet-impact ingredient because not only is it amazing for your hair but it also requires minimal water to grow. Small-scale farming communities can continue to harvest, press, and sell their product in the South African dry season.
With each ingredient we use in our products, we ensure that it’s planet-friendly, sustainably sourced and that farmers are fairly compensated. We use only ingredients free of toxins, irritants, and unnecessary additives, combining the best of science and nature.
We also believe in plant-based beauty that’s close to the source, which is why we are proud to announce that we have officially received the cruelty-free, vegan PETA certification.
Why is a PETA certification important?
We were always a vegan brand but now it’s officially official!
At Abyssian, the official stamp of approval allows our conscious customers to feel they’ve made the right choice in choosing us for their hair care needs.
What does being cruelty-free and vegan mean? We have signed PETA's pledge to certify that all our Abyssinian products are free from animal-derived ingredients.
We certify that our company and suppliers will never test any of our ingredients or finished products on animals now or in the future.
A little about PETA certification
Founded in 1980, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is a non-profit organisation with over six and a half million members and supporters.
They promote animal safety in lab testing, entertainment, fur trading, and factory farming.
Unfortunately, some companies claim to be cruelty-free and vegan so that conscious consumers feel they can trust the brand. Companies can make these claims to improve their reputation and sell products to ethically-minded consumers.
With a certification from PETA, customers can look on PETA's database for confirmation that the brand does not test on animals and that its products contain clean ingredients.
PETA-approved companies like us are able to display their Beauty Without Bunnies logo proudly and are listed on PETA’s cruelty-free shopping guide and online database.
This approval means that you will always be able to trust that our ingredients come from where we say they do! So, if you’re serious about clean ingredients, always check for the Beauty Without Bunnies logo.
Why do we support the vegan, cruelty-free initiative?
Quite simply because it’s the right thing to do!
Abyssian haircare was founded by a French duo, Sebastien Morin and Thierry Mandonnaud, who worked in the beauty industry for over 15 years when they founded the company. After fathering four beautiful girls between them with long hair, they realised that so many chemicals commonly found in hair care products were not only bad for their girls’ hair but also costly to the environment, with dozens of discarded plastic bottles plaguing the planet each year – that multiplied by every household on the planet. They realised they wanted a brand that worked in line with nature, inspired by nature, driven by scientific discovery, delivering planet-friendly, cruelty-free, vegan hair care solutions for all hair types.
At Abyssian, we strive to deliver products that make your hair look and feel fabulous without a massive cost to your health or the environment. Our products contain the highest-quality, scientifically proven ingredients, plus you can feel good about saving the planet and supporting a brand that does not test on animals to ensure effectiveness!
But why is a vegan PETA certification important? By choosing cruelty-free products derived from natural sources, you will not only help to protect the environment but also reduce animal cruelty in the world. You’ll also protect yourself from potentially harmful chemicals, caring for your skin's and hair’s natural community of microorganisms that are essential to keep your scalp healthy and your hair shiny. Our anti-pollution club ingredients are all about restoring a healthy balance to your hair!
Our products have fewer synthetic chemicals since we use natural, plant-derived extracts, including our own specially patented Abyssinian oil, Keraplantin™, rice water, Polluclear™, and Apibiome™. That means fewer toxic chemicals on you, dumped into waterways, soaking into the soil, and being released into the air.
As mentioned, along with natural ingredients that you can trust, our packaging is recyclable and uses post-consumer recycled pumps, which also decreases waste.
How do we make safe products without animal testing?
It’s estimated that around 20 million animals are harmed or killed each year due to animal testing gone awry – often for medical or cosmetic purposes. At Abyssian, we always strive to be part of the planet’s sustainability solution and not part of the problem.
We simply do not need to test our products on animals because we formulate our hair care with natural ingredients that are safe for skin and hair.
But we don’t just ensure that our brand doesn’t test on animals. We ensure that our supply chain doesn’t either. Our trained chemists choose from thousands of elements and hundreds of suppliers to ensure that the products that go into our haircare range aren't tested on animals by third parties either.
At Abyssian we select ingredients for their safety and lowest possible irritancy potential. We put our whole team to the test (including the founders’ family) and have everyone see how they like each product for several months prior to roll-out in stores or on the website. That ensures that all products we create are safe to use and show no adverse effects when used on the scalp, hair, or skin. After all, what you put on your head, you put into your body. Clean, natural, irritant-free, vegan ingredients is our promise. No bunnies in sight!
We are also exploring alternative methods like tests on artificial skin which are offer great possibilities, especially for the impact on the microbiome. Artificial skin uses skin models made from human skin cells obtained from surgical waste which can replicate how human skin will react much better than animal skin. According to Heike Mertsching et al., in their research article “Human skin equivalent as an alternative to animal testing,”, artificial skin is “the model that most closely mimic[s] normal human skin. They allow the topical application and skin irritancy testing of a great variety of products used in daily life.” So you can be sure that every product of ours that you use is not only cruelty-free but is still completely safe to use for yourself and your entire family, especially if you have little ones.
Why do some companies choose to test on animals? Well, the answer isn’t quite straightforward. No doubt most people would consider testing on animals unnecessary and animal suffering and death to be cruel. However, some Eastern countries require animal testing to sell products. But due to recent legal changes, mandatory testing for general cosmetics is ending, and so is the justification for animal testing.
There is still a long way to go, and products classified as “special cosmetics” such as hair loss treatments and dyes still have to be tested on animals. With pressure and support from groups such as PETA, there is hope that all animal testing worldwide will soon end.
The takeaways
We are delighted to be officially PETA certified so that we can give you peace of mind that our products are not only safe and healthy for your hair and scalp but also safe for the planet – and animals!