What’s The Difference Between Cruelty-Free & Vegan?

Wondering what the difference is between cruelty-free and vegan? Here’s all you need to know about animal-friendly beauty.

When it comes to buying makeup and beauty products you may well have noticed the terms “cruelty-free” and “vegan” popping up on the labels of more and more products. Whilst it feels like the two terms can be used interchangeably, many shoppers aren’t aware that there is actually a big difference between the terms cruelty-free and vegan. 

As such, it might surprise you to learn that some cruelty-free products aren’t vegan, or that some vegan products aren’t cruelty-free. Say what?!

So what is the difference between the two terms, exactly? And how do you ensure the products you buy are 100% cruelty-free and vegan? Read on for all the information you need to be a more informed shopper.

What Does Vegan Mean?

First off, let’s look at what vegan means in the context of beauty products.

Here the term “vegan” means that the product does not contain any animal-based ingredients or by-products. Instead, the product is made solely from ingredients of non-animal origin.

Common animal-derived ingredients used by the beauty industry include:

Ingredient	Derived From	Found In
Beeswax	Bees	Lip balms, mascaras, skin creams and sunscreen
Carmine (cochineal)	Crushed beetles	Lipsticks, blushers, and eyeshadows
Collagen	Fish or animal connective tissues	Skincare products
Honey	Bees	Skincare and haircare products
Keratin	Animal hooves, hair, horns, and feathers	Haircare products promising strength and shine
Lanolin	Sheep wool	Lip balms, moisturisers and conditioners
Squalene	Shark liver oil	Serums, moisturisers, and foundation

Vegan products avoid the use of these or other similar ingredients. To find products that are certified vegan, look for the Vegan Society logo or The Vegetarian Society Vegan Approved logo:

These logos mean that the product/company is independently verified as using zero animal products or animal-derived in their products.

To help you out, many vegan apps will do the hard work for you – letting you know if a product is vegan or not. All you need to do is scan the product’s barcode.

What Does Cruelty-Free Mean?

The term “Cruelty-Free”, on the other hand, means that the brand has not tested the finished product on animals.

Do beware though. If the claim is unverified, it could mean that the ingredients used have been tested on animals, and/or that the brand has instructed a third party to test its product on animals.

For products that are independently certified as cruelty-free, look for the Leaping Bunny logo from Cruelty-Free International or the Beauty Without Bunnies logo from PETA. These logos mean that the product/brand does not test on animals at any stage of the product’s development, or in any of the products’ ingredients.

Both organisations have a handy database that you can search. This means if you are in any doubt about the cruelty-free status of any beauty products that you have bought, or plan to buy, you can check them out.

So What Is The Difference Between Cruelty-Free And Vegan Products?

As you can see, vegan and cruelty-free both have quite different meanings.

What this means in practice is that some beauty products can be both vegan and cruelty-free. The gold standard, if you will.

Meanwhile, other products can be labelled as vegan as they don’t contain any animal products. However, they may not be cruelty-free as they were tested on animals.

Some people believe that vegan products that are not cruelty-free should not be classified as vegan. This is because animals have been used in the production of these products. Unfortunately, this is not how the beauty industry thinks. So when you see the word vegan don’t assume that the product is cruelty-free.

And, somewhat confusingly, non-vegan products can be labelled as cruelty-free. For example, a brand making a keratin shampoo could label it as cruelty-free. This is because the brand does not test on animals but does use animal-derived ingredients. 

If it were down to me, then if a product uses animal-derived ingredients it shouldn’t be allowed to be labelled as cruelty-free. There clearly is some cruelty to animals involved. However, it is not down to me. This is how the beauty industry chooses to use these terms. As such, it’s important to be aware of these terms’ meanings, so that you aren’t misled or greenwashed.

The Bottom Line

Despite what some beauty brands would have you believe, vegan isn’t always the same as cruelty-free. Some cruelty-free products may not be vegan. And some vegan products may not be cruelty-free. Always look out for labels to help make sure the products are animal-friendly.