
What’s The Distinction Between Cruelty-Free & Vegan? I Make clear All
Questioning what the excellence is between cruelty-free and vegan? Proper right here’s all you wish to discover out about animal-friendly magnificence.
Quick Summary
Vegan means a product doesn’t embrace any animal-based elements, whereas cruelty-free means a product hasn’t been examined on animals. The phrases shouldn’t be used interchangeably, as they every have very completely completely different meanings.
As regards to searching for make-up and surprise merchandise it is potential you will correctly have seen the phrases “cruelty-free” and “vegan” popping up on the labels of more and more extra merchandise. Whereas it looks as if the two phrases might be utilized interchangeably, many shoppers aren’t aware that there is actually a large distinction between the phrases cruelty-free and vegan.
As such, it’d shock you to be taught that some cruelty-free merchandise aren’t vegan, or that some vegan merchandise aren’t cruelty-free. Say what?!
So what is the distinction between the two phrases, exactly? And the best way do you be sure that the merchandise you buy are 100% cruelty-free and vegan? Study on for all of the information you wish to be a additional educated shopper.
What Does Vegan Indicate?


First off, let’s take a look at what vegan means inside the context of magnificence merchandise.
Proper right here the time interval “vegan” implies that the product does not embrace any animal-based elements or by-products. As an alternative, the product is made solely from elements of non-animal origin.
Frequent animal-derived elements utilized by the sweetness enterprise embody:
Ingredient | Derived From | Found In |
Beeswax | Bees | Lip balms, mascaras, pores and pores and skin lotions and sunscreen |
Carmine (cochineal) | Crushed beetles | Lipsticks, blushers, and eyeshadows |
Collagen | Fish or animal connective tissues | Skincare merchandise |
Honey | Bees | Skincare and haircare merchandise |
Keratin | Animal hooves, hair, horns, and feathers | Haircare merchandise promising power and shine |
Lanolin | Sheep wool | Lip balms, moisturisers and conditioners |
Squalene | Shark liver oil | Serums, moisturisers, and foundation |
Vegan merchandise stay away from utilizing these or completely different associated elements. To go looking out merchandise which could be licensed vegan, seek for the Vegan Society emblem or The Vegetarian Society Vegan Approved emblem:


These logos indicate that the product/agency is independently verified as using zero animal merchandise or animal-derived of their merchandise.
That can show you how to out, many vegan apps will do the arduous provide the outcomes you need – letting you already know if a product is vegan or not. All you wish to do is scan the product’s barcode.
What Does Cruelty-Free Indicate?
The time interval “Cruelty-Free”, alternatively, implies that the mannequin has not examined the finished product on animals.
Do beware though. If the declare is unverified, it’d indicate that the elements used have been examined on animals, and/or that the mannequin has instructed a third event to test its product on animals.
For merchandise which could be independently licensed as cruelty-free, seek for the Leaping Bunny emblem from Cruelty-Free Worldwide or the Magnificence With out Bunnies emblem from PETA. These logos indicate that the product/mannequin does not check out on animals at any stage of the product’s enchancment, or in any of the merchandise’ elements.


Every organisations have a helpful database that you could possibly search. This suggests in case you might be in any doubt in regards to the cruelty-free standing of any magnificence merchandise that you have bought, or plan to buy, you could look at them out.
So What Is The Distinction Between Cruelty-Free And Vegan Merchandise?
As you might even see, vegan and cruelty-free every have pretty completely completely different meanings.
What this suggests in comply with is that some magnificence merchandise could possibly be every vegan and cruelty-free. The gold commonplace, if you happen to’ll.
Within the meantime, completely different merchandise could possibly be labelled as vegan as they don’t embrace any animal merchandise. Nonetheless, they won’t be cruelty-free as they’ve been examined on animals.
Some people think about that vegan merchandise that are not cruelty-free should not be labeled as vegan. It’s as a result of animals have been used inside the manufacturing of these merchandise. Sadly, this is not how the sweetness enterprise thinks. So whilst you see the phrase vegan don’t assume that the product is cruelty-free.
And, significantly confusingly, non-vegan merchandise could possibly be labelled as cruelty-free. As an illustration, a mannequin making a keratin shampoo may label it as cruelty-free. It’s as a result of the mannequin does not check out on animals nevertheless does use animal-derived elements.
If it have been proper all the way down to me, then if a product makes use of animal-derived elements it shouldn’t be allowed to be labelled as cruelty-free. There clearly is just a few cruelty to animals involved. Nonetheless, it is not proper all the way down to me. That’s how the sweetness enterprise chooses to make use of those phrases. As such, it’s important to focus on these phrases’ meanings, so that you just aren’t misled or greenwashed.
The Bottom Line
No matter what some magnificence producers would have you ever ever think about, vegan isn’t on a regular basis the an identical as cruelty-free. Some cruelty-free merchandise won’t be vegan. And some vegan merchandise won’t be cruelty-free. Always look out for labels to help ensure that the merchandise are animal-friendly.