CRUELTY-FREE VS VEGAN: AN ETHICAL GAP?

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).

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 mascara 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 …

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. 
  • The three major trusted cruelty-free certification bodies in this space are the Leaping Bunny (an internationally recognised symbol), PETA (US based but recognised internationally) and 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.
  • 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.
  • 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. 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. 

• 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. 

Outside of Sustainable Jungle, we’d suggest looking out for the most trusted certifications/ logos available today as follows:

bear in mind that some brands and products may still be cruelty-free and vegan but not necessarily have the 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.

Cruelty free and vegan products and brands are on the rise and rise. It’s no wonder the economist name 2019 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 or get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!