Cruelty-Free vs Vegan, what is the difference?

Veganism is not just a trend, it extends beyond just our diets. In 2017 sales of vegan cosmetics shot up by 100%. Veganism has grown to stand for fashion choices. We’re proud that the products we choose to promote carry Vegan Society or Cruelty-Free International accreditations.

We know these two ideologies cause some confusion about what they really mean and the difference between them. as they’re often used interchangeably but there is a difference. So, let us clarify …

Vegan

Vegan beauty products don’t contain any animal ingredients. It’s common to find animal-derived components like lanolin (wool wax) or shellac (a resin from the female lac bug) in toiletries and make-up, but vegan products will exclude all of these.

Cruelty-free

calling a product cruelty-free means that neither the product nor the ingredients or components have been tested on animals. This can be a minefield, as many companies don’t test the final product, but many will test some of their ingredients.  Looking out for accreditation you recognise – like Cruelty-Free Internationals’ leaping bunny or PETA, meaning not tested on animals

Fairly simple, however, there is confusion when we consider that a vegan product isn’t necessarily cruelty-free and vice versa. Did you know vegan products can be tested on animals? although this is more likely to be true of ‘accidentally vegan products. And some cruelty-free products may contain animal-derived ingredients (such as honey or beeswax).

Labels can be mind-boggling, but they are also there to help us choose products that mirror our values when shopping.  Information is power and knowing your labels is powerful.  If you want 100% certainty that absolutely no animals were harmed to make your toiletries, then be sure to look out for products that are both vegan and cruelty-free.