Many people think that the terms ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘vegan’, when referring to beauty products, have the same meaning. However, a product could be vegan but not cruelty-free and vice versa. Cruelty-free refers to the testing process that a product undergoes. If this process doesn’t involve testing on animals, then the product can be called cruelty-free. An entire brand can also be labelled 'cruelty-free' if all of their products are free-from animal testing. Vegan beauty products refer to those that are made entirely with non-animal derived ingredients. Non-vegan ingredients are a lot more common than you think and are hidden behind fancy medical terms.
Image Credit: https://chemicalwatch.com/83648/limited-impact-expected-from-taiwan-cosmetics-animal-test-ban
Some of the grossest non-vegan beauty ingredients include the following:
Hyaluronic acid (derived commonly from rooster’s combs or found in the fluid from the eyes and joints of other animals).
Keratin (yes, that shampoo ingredient that you love, is derived from the vertebrates, hair, nails, claws, hooves and skin of animals).
Biotin (from organs, meats, eggs, fish).
Collagen (most common in anti-aging products for the skin, is derived from the bones, skin and connective tissues of cattle, fish, horses, pigs and rabbits).
And there is a whole host of other nasty ingredients that you could be putting on your skin or hair that hide behind such medical terms. Some of these ingredients can also be found from plant sources- such as biotin- but look out for ‘derived from a vegetative source’ or something similar in the ingredients list to be sure.
Did you know that 500,000 animals suffer and die every year in cosmetics testing, according to the Humane Society International, and this suffering is so unnecessary, considering over one-thousand UK companies are already certified 100% cruelty-free. You just have to know where to look.
It is important to explain the issue surrounding China when buying vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. Since March 2013 it has been illegal to sell cosmetic products within the EU which have been tested on animals, however, staying away from products that are tested on animals isn’t as easy as this. Some brands that are sold in the UK, for example, L’Oreal, Estée Lauder and MAC, also sell their products in China. China require beauty brands to test on animals in order to be able to sell their products in that country, meaning that if you buy from these brands in the UK you are supporting these practices. Unfortunately, many of these brands claim to be cruelty-free, like Estée Lauder for example, and then later state on their website ‘we acknowledge our brands are sold in countries where animal testing on cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients is required by law’.
So knowing this, how do you go about buying beauty products that are vegan and cruelty-free and staying away from those that aren’t? You’d have to buy from a really obscure store that you’ve never heard of, or order online, right? You’d definitely have to compromise on price because vegan products are really expensive, right? Wrong.
I have compiled a non-comprehensive list of beauty brands that are both vegan and cruelty-free and I guarantee you have heard of almost all of them.
For luxury brands check out:
Bare Minerals (made with all-natural products, they sell the best makeup for sensitive skin).
Lush (for bath products like bath bombs and soaps).
The Body Shop (great for skincare like face masks, cleansers, toners and moisturisers).
Love Beauty and Planet (sell sweet smelling shampoos and conditioners, as well as toothpaste and bamboo toothbrushes).
Urban Decay
Too Faced
Charlotte Tilbury
Glossier (great for lipgloss!).
Tropic (would highly recommend their lemon cream-deodorant).
Milk (ironically is entirely vegan).
Isle of Paradise (for tanning products).
To save on price go to:
The Ordinary
Elf
Nyx
Collection
Obsession
BarryM
CoverFX
Simple (for makeup removing products).
Bulldog (although marketed at men are great for everyone, with all natural ingredients like aloe vera and green tea, they have a selection of vegan shave soaps, gels and creams as well as skincare).
Superdrug's own-brand products (amazing hair care that is great value for money, with delicious scents like avocado & manuka, rosehip & cactus and coconut water. They also sell dry shampoo).
Co-op's own-brand products (similar to Superdrug, are great for hair care, dandruff shampoos and toothpaste).
St Moriz (for tanning products. However, St Moriz isn’t entirely vegan so look here for a list of their vegan products).
For more advice on shopping for cruelty-free and vegan products, Boots have a vegan filter option on their website, or have a browse on Leaping Bunny or My Beauty Bunny for ideas. Alternatively, when browsing in-store, ask for advice from an employee or look for the following signs on packaging:
