Is Matrix ethical and cruelty-free?
Not really — Matrix fails 3 of the 4 ethics signals we track, including its animal-testing position, and holds no third-party certification we can verify.
Matrix is a professional haircare brand owned by L'Oréal, offering salon-quality products with limited ethical certifications, a reliance on L'Oréal's animal-testing policy (which involves sales in China), and incremental sustainability pledges that lack independent verification.
The evidence, signal by signal
Cruelty-freeflagged
Matrix's parent company L'Oréal does not conduct animal testing for its own products but permits regulatory animal testing where required by law, including in China.
Vegan optionsunverified
Some Matrix products (e.g., select Biolage items) are labeled vegan, but the brand does not have a fully vegan range or certification.
Sells in mainland Chinaflagged
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
Third-party certifiedflagged
No independent certifications recorded on the products we track.
Public pledges: Matrix commits to using 100% PCR plastic in selected bottles by 2025 and adheres to L'Oréal's 'L'Oréal for the Future' carbon neutrality and eco-packaging goals.
Scored with our public methodology. Profile last updated 2026-09-19.
More on Matrix
Is Matrix ethical? FAQs
Is Matrix cruelty-free?+
Matrix's parent company L'Oréal does not conduct animal testing for its own products but permits regulatory animal testing where required by law, including in China.
Does Matrix have vegan products?+
Some Matrix products (e.g., select Biolage items) are labeled vegan, but the brand does not have a fully vegan range or certification.
Does Matrix sell in mainland China?+
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
What is Matrix's ethics score?+
Matrix averages —/100 across 0 products we score on certifications, sourcing, labour, packaging and transparency.
What are the best alternatives to Matrix?+
See our full list of ethical alternatives to Matrix for better-scoring options in the same categories.