Cruelty Free Vs Vegan: What’s The Difference?
The future of the beauty industry is vegan AND cruelty-free.
But why do we need to refer to both terms, are they not synonymous?
The answer: it depends.
The line between cruelty-free and vegan can be, and often is, a little blurred. Both terms are not regulated (i.e. there’s no FDA approved definition) and so the difference between can vary from person to person.
Having said that, the precautionary approach on the interwebs (which we tend to agree with), defines them as follows:
- Cruelty-free means that the products, and the ingredients that were used in the product, were not tested on animals at any stage during their development.
- Vegan means that the products contain no animal ingredients or animal by-products. Which includes well known ingredients like honey, beeswax, gelatin, yogurt and other less obvious animal by-products like lanolin (wool grease), squalene (shark liver oil), carmine (crushed-up beetles), ambergris (whale vomit) and placenta (sheep organs).
CRUELTY FREE VS VEGAN: THE ETHICAL GAP EXPLAINED
While the definitions of vegan and cruelty-free are not altogether aligned, at its heart, the principle behind each is the same. Both labels represent, and are champions for, the protection of our furry and not-so-furry animal friends and their rights.
However, with this fundamental principle in mind the definitions seem to yield an ethical gap:
- Cruelty-free products, while not tested on animals, may still contain animal ingredients or by-products which would have necessitated the death of an animal. This, of course, begs the question – are these products truly cruelty-free? We believe that regardless of what your diet is (vegan, vegetarian or omnivore) none of your cosmetic and body care products need to contain animal ingredients.
- Vegan products, while they don’t contain any animal ingredients, may still be tested on animals, which is surely not in the spirit of veganism?
So, for example, a moisturizer may tick the cruelty-free box but contains beeswax and is therefore not vegan. On the flip side, a vegan shampoo or vegan sunscreen that is free of animal ingredients or by-products may at some point in its development have been tested on animals and is thus not cruelty-free.
Straightforward right?
Not quite…since these definitions are not standardised, there are some pitfalls to be aware of when shopping for ethical and sustainable consumables. Let’s delve into some of these pitfalls …
Cruelty Free Certifications
The three major trusted cruelty-free certification bodies in this space are:
- Leaping Bunny (an internationally recognised symbol)
- PETA (US based but recognised internationally)
- Choose Cruelty Free (an Australian based certification).
Sadly, a number of fake “bunny” type logos or symbols are popping up on products globally, misleading consumers and behind the scenes, undoubtedly still testing on animals.
When it comes to the cruelty-free label, some brands regrettably use it purely as marketing lip-service but, in reality, their products are clearly not what they say they are, for example:
- Cruelty-free may just mean that the finished product is not tested on animals but the ingredients are tested on animals at some point in their development.
- Some brands that claim to be “cruelty-free” might not personally test the product on animals but they have a third party do so. The most notorious example of this are brands that sell cosmetics and body care products in China, which is a gigantic market. The hitch is, China’s laws require products to be tested on animals before they can be sold in its territory. To get around this, brands just outsource the animal testing and voila, they get to hold on to the cruelty-free tag.
Another cruelty-free issue, which is not as black and white, has to do with stance of the parent company.
A brand, like Tom’s of Maine or The Body Shop may be cruelty-free but their parent companies (Colgate-Palmolive and L’Oréal respectively) are not. The question is, do you boycott them because their owners are not aligned with their cruelty-free ethos?
Some people take a hard-line approach while others argue that boycotting them will have a negative impact on the growing awareness and popularity of cruelty-free products as less resources and marketing will be directed to those brands as a result of fewer or no product sales.
For us, we prefer to back the independent cruelty-free brands out there.
We believe that by supporting these truly progressive companies we can help them grow into their own ethical empires, which will, in time, replace the big brands and finally put an end to the archaic practice of animal testing (at least that’s the goal).
As for the Vegan label, it was originally created purely to describe a diet which excluded all animal ingredients and by-products.
However, it has now evolved over time to a lifestyle choice, avoiding the use of anything animal related from leather to wool to carmine (red dye or in layman’s terms, beetles) in products.
When it comes to the cosmetic and beauty care industry, many people tend to think cruelty-free and vegan are synonymous. However, as we mentioned above, something labelled as vegan does not necessarily mean that the product or its ingredients are cruelty-free.
Vegan Certifications
While not as strong as cruelty-free certifications, there are a few trusted vegan associations or bodies that provide their stamp of approval for vegan products.
We’ve mostly come across Vegan.org and the Vegan Society UK, but there are a few lesser known others.
However, many products simply claim they are free of animal products and either still contain beeswax or honey (for example) or of course, use a fake logo! And just for the record, there is no evidence to suggest that animal derived fillers or additives are superior to plant based ingredients.
OUR APPROACH TO CRUELTY FREE AND VEGAN PRODUCTS
To curb the ethical gap, ideally you want to ensure that the product and brand is both vegan and cruelty-free. This way, you can rest assured that no animal has been harmed and killed for the purposes of producing the product.
Here’s a nifty Venn diagram that we like to refer to when deciding on whether to purchase a product or support a brand. As you can see there are a couple of additional criteria (organic and palm oil free) that we also like to look out for.
CRUELTY FREE AND VEGAN CERTIFICATION
Outside of Sustainable Jungle, we’d suggest looking for the most trusted vegan and cruelty free certifications/ logos available today as follows:
Cruelty Free
Vegan
Both Cruelty Free and Vegan
Bear in mind that some brands and products may still be cruelty-free and vegan but not necessarily have these ethical symbols or logos on their product (often due to licensing costs – they may be just an artisan or small batch brand).
To verify, follow these steps:
- To check the product is vegan, read the ingredients list (see here for a good list of animal ingredients to watch out for) to ensure it has no animal ingredients or by-products.
- To check if the product is cruelty-free, check out the Leaping Bunny’s approved brands list, PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies brand lists and / or Choose Cruelty Free’s Cruelty-free list.
VEGAN AND CRUELTY FREE RESOURCES
With all that said, we couldn’t leave you without mentioning some of our cruelty free and vegan resources here on Sustainable Jungle.
For a list of specific vegan and cruelty free guides, articles, product and brand recommendations click on the link below:
- Cruelty Free, Sustainable & Vegan Sunscreen
- Cruelty Free and Vegan Toothpastes
- Natural Skin Care Ingredients: A List of the Most Common & Effective
- Best Natural Deodorants For Men
- Gifts For Vegans From Ethical Beauty Brands
- Vegan and Sustainable Makeup Brands
- Cruelty Free and Vegan Shampoo & Conditioners
- Cruelty Free and Vegan Deodorants
- Cruelty Free and Vegan Moisturizers
- Vegan handbags and purses
- Cruelty free Deodorant
We’re also adding to this list all the time but if there’s a specific type of product that you’re looking for (but can’t find any good options) – let us know and we’ll see what sustainable gems we can find!
FINAL THOUGHTS ON CRUELTY FREE AND VEGAN BRANDS AND PRODUCTS
Cruelty free and vegan brands and products are on the rise and rise. It’s no wonder the economist named last year as the year of the vegan.
So, if you’re already supporting cruelty-free and/or vegan brands or if you’re just starting out on your ethical journey, we’re happy you’re here. You’re making a conscious decision to support brands that are heading in the right direction – pro-animal welfare and animal rights.
As always, we hope you’ve found some value here.
If you have any questions, comments or other “vegan / cruelty-free” suggestions, leave a comment!
Great post, to follow the logic of this post, surely this means avoiding buying vegan products at fast food chains? As they’d not be considered cruelty free?
Hi K, this was originally written in the context of beauty products. I wouldn’t be able to say it covers fast food accurately so probably needs a bit more research.