Vegan cosmetics VS Cruelty Free
Vegan beauty jargon is confusing. Indeed, the expression 'cruelty-free' is one example, and many people think they are one and the same thing.
In the field of beauty, the term 'vegan' means the total absence of ingredients of animal origin or derived from animals, while the term 'cruelty-free' refers to a product that is not tested on animals. According to the New York Times, "it is possible for a vegan item to have been tested on an animal and for a cruelty-free product to contain ingredients of animal origin".
Clearly, vegan beauty means the absence of ingredients of animal origin, while cruelty-free means a product that is not tested on animals. In other words, it is possible for a vegan product to have been tested on an animal and for a cruelty-free product to contain ingredients of animal origin.
Cruelty-free: Has not tested its products or ingredients on animals in the last five years.
Vegan: Contains no ingredients of animal origin, but does not indicate whether it has been tested on animals.
In Britain, the Vegan Society charity, the world's oldest vegan society, has registered thousands of brands that are both vegan and cruelty-free.
"It's easy to choose a food product and decide whether it's vegan or not, but it's harder with beauty," said Dominika Piasecka, head of media and public relations at the Vegan Society. "There is a huge need for this to be labelled".