What is Cruelty-Free and Vegan Beauty?
Most of us have noticed that the vegan lifestyle is becoming more common these days. Or at least more frequently talked about on social media and amongst well-known public figures and celebrities. Therefore, in response to some beauty society complaints from consumers, the market for vegan and cruelty free cosmetics and personal care products is growing. Many cosmetics brands are taking note and offering cruelty-free options. But what is the difference between cruelty-free and vegan beauty products? Are vegan products more sustainable? And is vegan beauty just hype, or is it here to stay?
What is the difference between cruelty-free and vegan?
First, let’s make sure that we all understand what it means to practice veganism. People who lead a vegan lifestyle avoid all products that contain animal-derived ingredients or byproducts. This includes consumables, clothing, and any other item that might contain ingredients or materials derived from an animal.
Essentially, vegans practice a completely earth and plant-based lifestyle. Some more apparent exclusions in the vegan ideology are meat, dairy, fur, and leather. Examples of some less apparent ingredients are collagen, lanolin, sericin, or wool. Whether a person chooses to be vegan for ethical and moral arguments, environmental concerns, or both, the fundamentals of veganism remain the same – leave the animals alone.
What are cruelty-free cosmetics?
We’re all aware that many products in today’s world are, or once were, tested on animals. If this doesn’t personify the definition of cruelty for us, then I don’t know what ever will. There are now so many different ways for us to test ingredients and products that testing animals with makeup seems absurd. Achieving a completely ethical and humane beauty industry is possible.
For a product or brand to claim it is cruelty-free, there can be no past or future animal testing of any ingredients or final products. If you want to avoid non-cruelty-free makeup brands, check out the certifications you can look for in the section below.
What are vegan personal care products?
Let’s look into the difference between vegan products and cruelty-free ones. Vegan-friendly cosmetics and personal care products contain no animal-derived products or ingredients throughout the entire supply chain and manufacturing process. They are entirely mineral or plant-based and have been processed in such a way that no animal products were used.
Unfortunately, a lot of makeup and personal care products are made with ingredients that come from animals. Some common animal-derived ingredients found in non-vegan makeup are beeswax, honey, carmine, and milk. You can use the ingredient checker here or this alphabetical list of animal ingredients if you want to investigate the products you are considering using.
So, are vegan beauty products always cruelty- free?
The one surprising thing to note, cruelty-free cosmetics or makeup aren’t necessarily vegan. There are many brands and products that don’t test on animals, yet they still have animal-derived ingredients, such as casein or elastin.
And the opposite is true as well – a vegan cosmetic product may still have been tested on animals! We often understand veganism to be an umbrella term to mean “not involving or cruel to animals.” Believe it or not, if something is labelled as vegan, it does not automatically mean that it’s also cruelty-free.
Examples of products that are vegan but not cruelty-free
Although it is possible for a brand or product to be vegan but not cruelty-free, I had difficulty finding a current example. This has mostly to do with the fact that China has relaxed their animal-testing policy and laws. As of 2021, cosmetics were no longer required to be tested pre-market on animals by law. Since January 2023, China has also stopped requiring post-market animal testing as well. This is good news for some vegan brands marketing their products in China – meaning they can now potentially ascertain 100% cruelty-free status.
Examples of products that are cruelty-free but not vegan
This scenario is far more common than a vegan product that is not cruelty-free. Some examples of cruelty-free but non-vegan makeup brands are:
- Burt’s Bees – although Leaping Bunny Certified and therefore does not test on animals, many of their products like their lip balms, include animal-derived ingredients like honey and beeswax.
- The Body Shop – although they do offer many vegan beauty and health products, not every one of them is certified vegan and may still contain animal ingredients.
- Dove – the famous soap brand is certified cruelty-free, but cannot claim to be a vegan soap brand. Their products may still contain ingredients such as glycerin from animal sources and hydrolyzed silk obtained by using silk from silkworms.
Vegan and Cruelty-Free Certifications
Because the labelling “cruelty-free” is not regulated by the FDA, one of the best ways to ensure that the products you buy and brands you support are cruelty-free and vegan is to look for certifications. Here is a brief explanation of those that apply:
Leaping Bunny Certified – cruelty free label
To be certified with Leaping Bunny, there cannot be any animal testing of any ingredients, formulations, or products all along the supply chain of a final product. No animal testing can ever be performed at any level of production.
*This certification does not guarantee that the product is vegan (free from animal-derived ingredients.)
PETA Beauty without bunnies
PETA’s Global Beauty Without Bunnies program has two types of certifications. The first is global animal test-free, which is a cruelty-free logo. The guidelines for this certification are the same as mentioned in the Leaping Bunny standard above. *This certification does not guarantee that the product is vegan.
The second is global animal test-free and vegan, with the same standards as the first, but with the added regulation that the entire product line of a brand or company is vegan and free from animal-derived ingredients.
Certified Vegan – Vegan and cruelty-free symbol
The Vegan Awareness Foundation administers the Certified Vegan Logo. To be certified, the product must not contain animal products or byproducts such as honey, fur, silk, or feathers. Products must not have been tested on animals by the supplier, producer, manufacturer, or independent party. The product also may not contain any animal-derived GMOs or animal-derived genes.
Vegan Society – vegan and cruelty-free logo
The Vegan Trademark is an authentic international vegan standard managed by The Vegan Society. To be certified with this logo, the manufacture and development of a product and its ingredients must not involve any animal byproducts or derivatives and must not have been tested on animals.
But be careful…
Something to be aware of is that an individual product can be cruelty-free and vegan, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire brand or company is such. You may also encounter a brand or company that has some vegan-certified products but also sells others that aren’t.
And a brand can be certified in one of the above categories but still be owned by a parent company that is not cruelty-free. Some examples of this are Covergirl (owned by Coty) and Aveda (owned by Estee Lauder.) Whether or not you decide to choose to support these brands and purchase their products depends on how far you want to go down the cruelty-free rabbit hole (pun intended!)
Cosmetics and makeup that is both vegan and cruelty-free
Thankfully, the terms vegan and cruelty-free are not mutually exclusive. There are vegan and cruelty-free makeup brands out there to help you build a mineral and plant-based routine with products that haven’t been tested on animals.
Some examples of cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics and personal care products:
KVD Beauty – a vegan and cruelty-free certified cosmetics brand that rejects conventional beauty standards and accepts the beauty of uniqueness and flaws.
Earth Harbor – not only are they both cruelty-free and vegan-certified, but Earth Harbor cares about the planet, too! They are Climate Neutral, Plastic Negative, USDA Organic and FSC certified, and Fair Trade certified for individual ingredients.
Aveda – on top of being 100% vegan and Leaping Bunny certified, Aveda is a B Corporation, meaning they meet high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency.
Piperwai – this black, female-owned business is vegan and cruelty-free and cares about the earth, too! They use “clean” and vegan ingredients packaged in aluminum and PCR plastics to reduce their environmental impact.
You can check out this page by Cruelty-Free Kitty to see a list of cruelty-free brands. If the brand also has the Vegan logo beside it, you can rest assured that it produces cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics and personal care products.
Why You should Care About Vegan Beauty
Whether or not you currently currently use vegan beauty and hair products, when it comes to the moral reasons for avoiding animal testing and derived ingredients, there isn’t much to argue about. If the thought of a cute little bunny being spritzed with perfume or slathered with lotion to test if it will make it sick doesn’t make you ill, you probably haven’t bothered to read this far. Technology has come a long way, so why would we use these ingredients and test products this way if there are safer and more kind alternatives?
The benefit of cruelty-free makeup and vegan skincare is evident for animal welfare, but we come out on top, too, when we go vegan.
The benefits of using vegan and cruelty-free personal care products
Let’s remember that there are other vegan beauty benefits aside from making conscious beauty choices as a consumer. Because they are made from many plant-based ingredients, vegan hair and skin care products contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These help repair skin damaged by exposure to sun and chemicals. Most vegan cosmetics don’t contain sulfate, which can be drying to skin. Lastly, it is more likely that a vegan beauty brand also cares about the environment and uses all-natural or even organic ingredients!
Does Vegan and Cruelty-Free Mean a Product is Sustainable?
Although the chances are likely higher that a vegan brand cares about the planet, too, don’t assume that all cruelty-free products are sustainable ones. Their ingredients may not come from animals, but it is still possible for these products to contain chemicals that are harmful to your skin and to the environment. Remember that vegan doesn’t automatically mean all-natural or organic. Other aspects of sustainability that should be considered are packaging, ethical sourcing and manufacturing processes, and how employees are treated.
If sustainable beauty practices are also important to you, here are some compassionate beauty brands that are not only cruelty-free, but also take people and planet into account:
River Organics – Leaping Bunny certified, they are 100% soy and palm oil free, and create animal-friendly cosmetics packaged in paper tubes or jars, hand-poured in the U.S.
Plaine Products – this Leaping Bunny certified brand is also a B Corp that offers refillable, non-toxic and plastic-free products made in the U.S.
Cocoon Apothecary – both cruelty-free and vegan certified, this Canadian brand makes its products in small batches in Ontario and has a bottle-back program to promote circularity.
make your own vegan and Sustainable beauty products
If you’re hoping to use the most healthy plant-based beauty products, think about making your own! Learn how to create vegan makeup, soap, lotion, and more with these 5 Easy Steps. Learning how to create animal-free beauty alternates and DIY vegan beauty products has never been so easy!
Final Thoughts about cruelty-free and Vegan Beauty
I know that understanding the differences between vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable beauty products can be confusing and frustrating. But if you’re here and reading this, it means you’re doing your best! For far too long, we trusted brands and corporations to provide us with safe, healthy, and ethical products without ever questioning it. Investigating for ourselves and comparing hair and skin care products to ensure that the products we use align with our beliefs is the first step to a cruelty-free beauty routine!
All products recommended to you on Successfully Sustainable are independently researched in depth. To avoid waste and lead a minimal lifestyle, we test products only when required. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about this here.
