What is the distinction between cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics? Let’s look more closely.
What is vegan makeup?
Vegan cosmetics classify items that do not contain any animal-derived (such as gelatine, cholesterin, or collagen) or animal by-products (such as honey, beeswax or milk). Many people believe that vegan also implies that no animal testing has been conducted on the products or substances. The term “vegan” is not governed by law and is commonly applied to products that do not contain animal-derived ingredients. However, this does not rule out the possibility that these have been tested on animals. Not all vegan products are cruelty-free.
Obviously, there are a great number of companies that produce cruelty-free vegan cosmetics. Typically, products and/or entire brands bear a certification confirming their vegan status, such as the Vegan Society’s seal of approval.
What exactly is cruelty-free makeup?
Cruelty-free indicates that animal testing is prohibited at every stage of a product’s manufacturing process. Consequently, a cruelty-free product that contains honey or milk is not necessarily vegan, i.e., a product that has not been tested on animals.