100% vegan and cruelty-free but acquired by Unilever, which is not cruelty-free
| Ingredient transparency | Full ingredient list read and categorised |
| Ownership | Unilever (Owned by Unilever (acquisition announced Dec 2024)) |
| Where made | USA/contract manufacturers |
| Price | Luxury |
| Cruelty free | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Certifications | CFK-verified cruelty-free & vegan |
| Packaging | Recyclable |
| External ratings | CFK cruelty-free & vegan (parent Unilever not CF) |
| Lab tested | Yes (peptide/bond-repair science) |
| Clinical studies | Brand cites internal bond-repair testing |
| Caveat | Vegan & cruelty-free, but 2024 Unilever acquisition means parent is not cruelty-free, key transparency point |
Why there is no score: Partial read. This verdict is provisional. Only part of the catalogue could be read and the certifications listed have not been checked against the certifiers own registers, so the evidence does not yet support a settled verdict. No score is published. Ingredient lists were obtained for 12 of 18 products, 67 percent of the catalogue. The other 6 products publish no ingredient list that could be read. A percentage drawn from part of a catalogue is not a figure for the range, so none is shown.
Catalogue 18 products, 12 with an ingredient list, 6 without.
Last checked 22 July 2026.
Not yet independently verified. The certifications listed for this brand are as the brand states them. They have not yet been checked against the certifiers own registers, so they should be read as a claim rather than a confirmed fact.
We analysed 12 K18 Hair products, categorising every listed ingredient by function, origin (raw natural, naturally derived or synthetic) and safety concern. This is not the whole catalogue, so it is reported as a partial read. Percentages show the share of each formula that is natural or naturally derived.
Most common flags: Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Linalyl Acetate
Coverage: Partial read: ingredient lists were published for 12 of 18 products, 67 percent of the catalogue. No average is shown, because a figure drawn from part of a catalogue is not the figure for the range.
Analyst note: PARTIAL READ: ingredient lists were found for 12 of 18 products in the catalogue, 67 percent. The remaining products do not publish an ingredient list where it could be read automatically. Any average below is calculated on the 12 products read, and is not a figure for the whole range.
| Product | Natural | Ingredients | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| TripleBright oxidation defense purple shampoo | 79% | 34 | 10 |
| Jumbo DAMAGE SHIELD protective conditioner | 76% | 29 | 4 |
| Jumbo DAMAGE SHIELD protective shampoo | 84% | 19 | 3 |
| Jumbo PEPTIDE PREP™ detox shampoo | 78% | 18 | 5 |
| HeatBounce 1.6 oz | 95% | 44 | 13 |
| K18 x Future Society Limited Edition Scent Mask | 82% | 28 | 12 |
| HeatBounce conditioning heat protectant 4oz | 95% | 44 | 13 |
| DAMAGE SHIELD protective shampoo 8.5oz | 84% | 19 | 3 |
| Molecular Repair Hair Oil | 94% | 17 | 6 |
| AstroLift™ reparative volume spray 4oz | 73% | 15 | 2 |
| DAMAGE SHIELD protective conditioner 8.5oz | 76% | 29 | 4 |
| PEPTIDE PREP™ detox shampoo 8.5oz | 78% | 18 | 5 |
Full ingredient breakdown
The full ingredient by ingredient breakdown of all 12 K18 Hair products (314 ingredients, each categorised by function, origin and safety concern) is free with an account.
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