OUAI Acquired by Procter & Gamble

OUAI Acquired by Procter & Gamble

OUAI acquired by a non-cruelty-free brand. Will OUAI stay cruelty-free?

Created by Kardashian hair stylist Jen Atkin, OUAI stepped into the cruelty-free hair care scene only a few years ago. Known for its simple and chic packaging and high-end products, the line was an instant hit. It’s grown quickly in popularity over the years. The product line has also expanded quite a bit too. You can find them on their own website, Ulta, Look Fantastic, and Sephora. OUAI acquired by a brand that is not cruelty-free may be an issue for some.

It’s been announced by WWD that the cruelty-free brand OUAI has been acquired by Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble is not cruelty-free. These acquisitions are always tough to navigate for the cruelty-free community. Let’s break down what it means for OUAI, their cruelty-free status, and how it might impact you as a cruelty-free consumer.

Popular vegan products from OUAI:

Note: By using the affiliate links in this post you are supporting Logical Harmony! How does it work? When you purchase a product through one of these links Logical Harmony gets a commission at no extra cost to you. This is a very large part of what keeps Logical Harmony running – Thank you!

I’m excited about this new type of relationship between a younger socially connected brand and one of the largest companies in the world. They’re excited about the brand, are passionate about what we do and how we do it, and can support us in many ways. They’re the best at building global brands so the opportunities are limitless. I appreciate the fact they will let us at Ouai continue to think differently and invent as we go. I have long term ideas about the ever-changing beauty industry and am excited to be rooted within P&G.

– Jen Atkin via Cosmetics Business

Company Founder Jen Atkin will remain as the Chief Creative Officer. Colin Walsh will continue as Chief Executive Officer. It’s unclear if they will stay in these rolls long-term or just through the transition.

Jen and Colin will be the people truly leading, defining the brand’s expansion and those type of things, but I do I do personally see, and I know that they do, a geographical expansion of that core brand and its core offering as a great opportunity.

– Alex Keith, CEO of P&G Beauty via Happi

My thoughts on this acquisition…

Procter & Gamble owns a handful of other beauty brands, and most are not cruelty-free. It was recently announced that Procter & Gamble also acquired cruelty-free skincare brand Farmacy. So maybe this is changing? It’s so hard to know what the motivation behind acquisitions is. I know that many assume they are profit-based, which does have some merit. After all, most small brands have the goal of being acquired eventually.

For brands, it can be driven by more factors too. Access to better retailers, being able to place larger orders to lower prices, and being able to make products more accessible to all consumers tend to be often named. At the end of the day, it’s business. While ethics factor to a degree, business growth is the bottom line.

It’s also hard to know what this means for the future of OUAI. It usually takes brands some time to integrate into their new parent company and changes rarely happen soon after acquisition. This makes it a great time to let Farmacy know how much you value that they are cruelty-free.

When it comes to cruelty-free brands owned by parent companies that test on animals, I personally think we all have to pick what’s best for ourselves and our own situations. When mentioning these brands I include a disclosure for this reason. Everyone has access to different brands and I think any steps towards going cruelty-free are worth taking and worth supporting. I also think it’s always important to let the brand know if this impacts your decision to purchase from them going forward. It’s helpful for big companies, like Procter & Gamble, to hear that cruelty-free is important to consumers. But if you’re not purchasing their cruelty-free options until Procter & Gamble stops testing on animals, definitely let them know.

Will this change impact your choice in buying OUAI products?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I think it’s so important to have these discussions.

Here on Logical Harmony, you can find a full list of cruelty-free brands as well as shopping guides to help you find the cruelty-free brands at Dermstore, Ulta, Nordstrom, Sephora, Beauty Bay, Beautylish, Cult Beauty, and tons more. There are also lots of vegan product lists for cruelty-free brands too.

Popular vegan products from OUAI:

Note: By using the affiliate links in this post you are supporting Logical Harmony! How does it work? When you purchase a product through one of these links Logical Harmony gets a commission at no extra cost to you. This is a very large part of what keeps Logical Harmony running – Thank you!

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