If you thought that vegan makeup and cruelty-free makeup were just fashion fads, you were mistaken. Ethical beauty, just like ethical fashion, gained a massive following slowly but consistently. With organizations carrying the flag against animal experimentation and the vegan lifestyle becoming a norm, it is no wonder that the beauty industry has followed suit. The terms “vegan” and “cruelty-free” often circulate interchangeably, even though they do not mean the same thing.
Vegan vs. Cruelty-Free Makeup
Generally speaking, the two terms mean different things, even if the cosmetic and beauty industry still mixes them up sometimes. We do not presently have enough regulation or methodology to govern the use of these terms. What we have is a collective agreement that each label describes a different type of product.
- Vegan makeup designates the products that do not contain any ingredients derived from animal products or byproducts.
- Cruelty-free makeup refers to products that have never been tested on animals. The term encompasses brands and beauty lines that do not test ingredients, formulas, or finished products on animals.
Vegan makeup does not contain animal products, but the manufacturer may have tested it on animals in a lab. On the other hand, cruelty-free products did not get animal testing but could contain animal ingredients.
Are There Makeup Products Both Vegan AND Cruelty-Free?
Some brands have embraced the new environmental and social trends and have started manufacturing both products. You can get vegan and cruelty free makeup (found here) from companies that deliver on the promise of upholding ethical beauty standards. You can expect vegan & cruelty free beauty products to be of high quality, deliver premium results, and sport slightly high prices. On the other hand, once you read the labels and make sure what you see is what you get, you can be happy to have made your contribution to a better tomorrow.
So far, the situation seems clear. To make sure your makeup and beauty products are vegan, look for the Vegan Trademark. It ensures that brands and products carrying the label respect the authenticity criteria of their products being free of animal ingredients. The same trademark applies to cruelty-free products as well, although the Leaping Bunny certification is the international standard in this case.
A cosmetic company – big or small – does not necessarily have to present these trademarks on their products. If they don’t, all you need to do is check the labels carefully. Here lie some issues, however:
When is Vegan Not Vegan?
We have vegan meat diets, vegan wine, and vegan clothes & accessories. It was only natural to embrace vegan cosmetics and self-care products. But what is vegan and what is not when it comes to your makeup? With the lack of international regulations, you have to rely on the manufacturer’s labe. Here are some cosmetic ingredients that the Vegan Trademark does not consider vegan at all:
- Collagen;
- Beeswax;
- Carmine;
- Keratin;
- Guanine;
All these common ingredients come from animals and are there to make your lip balm shinier, the eyeshadow sparkler, or the foundation thicker. If you want to embrace veganism for the greater good of humankind, read the labels and buy products that do not contain any of these.
When is Cruelty-Free Not Cruelty-Free?
You can find independent cosmetic brands delivering vegan products that you can trust. Nevertheless, when it comes to finding pure cruelty-free makeup, things can get a little shadier, and you need to do some research. Here is how to start!
- For some brands, cruelty-free means that they did not test the finished products on animals. However, it may mean that they tested some ingredients and formulas on animals in the process of creating the final product.
- Some companies boasting a “cruelty-free” label may have outsourced other companies to test the products for them. To get around some global economy issues, many companies hire third-party laboratories for animal trials.
- Find out if your favorite cosmetic brand sells massively in China. For all imported cosmetics, China imposes mandatory product animal testing. To circumvent the issue of offering both cruelty-free and animal-tested products on international markets, many companies resort to the third-party testing maneuver we mentioned. See if your preferred brand has disclaimers along the lines of “against animal cruelty, but…” Ellipsis usually refers to exports.
- Check both the brand and the parent company. You may love a brand for its cruelty-free cosmetics, but is the conglomerate that owns it also against animal testing?
It requires some difficult research to find ethical beauty products, but it is not impossible. Showing your support for independent brands offering vegan and cruelty free makeup is just one of the many steps towards protecting our animal friends. Fighting for animal rights, an ethical approach to self-care, and environmental protection are also an important part of the process. Where do you stand on the issue of veganism and animal rights?
