Vegan vs. Cruelty Free Beauty - What's The BIG Difference?

Author: Justyna Roznowska

In the UK, more people than ever identify as Vegan with a whopping 3.5 million recorded in 2018 - but what does this mean in the world of beauty? And is this the same as 'cruelty-free'?

 

What makes a product cruelty-free?

For a brand to be animal-derived cruelty-free at no stage of its production process can any of the ingredients be tested on our furry friends. The product can, however, use animal derivatives eg.mink fur used in eyelashes. 

Animal testing has been banned in the UK since March 2003 but do not be fooled, many of the big name brands still test on animals in order to sell their products in China, where it is required by law for products to be tested on living animals. This also means their parent companies and any third parties may not be free of any animal testing. BEWARE!

What makes a product Vegan?

Even if a company may claim to be cruelty-free, it does not automatically make it vegan-friendly.

For a brand to be classed as vegan, no ingredients can contain any animal-derived ingredients such as honey, collagen, gelatine or beeswax.

 

How do I know my if skin-care favourites are vegan or cruelty-free?

Here’s a list of signs to look for when shopping for vegan and cruelty-free products to replace your old problematic faves.

* Look for the leaping bunny symbol. This means the product has been certified by PETA or another animal-friendly organisation and is completely free of animal cruelty or any animal derived. Check the PETA website before purchasing.

• * Be careful of new or unknown ingredients! In the long and confusing lists of product contents it’s easy to get lost, however knowing which ingredients to avoid makes shopping for the right product so much easier! Avoid cosmetics which contain honey or beeswax along with certain types of collagens and lipids.

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  * Do your research. Prior to heading out to your local boots or browsing the new in the section of BeautyBay do some browsing. One of the most useful sources is the PETA approved list of vegan and cruelty brands which has over 3,500 brands in their database. Simple and so helpful!
• And lastly, if you need that last push to encourage you to switch to vegan & cruelty-free skincare checkout the “How Cruel is My Make-Up Bag” tag on Youtube to help you realise how many of the big-name brands are still testing on baby rabbits.
   

Whether you chose to join the Vgang and enjoy skin-care cruelty-free, we at Kokoa Beauty believe animals are not ours to test on and chose to be completely cruelty-free and vegan!