What Does Vegan Beauty Mean?
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Curious about vegan beauty and what it entails? You’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re just starting your journey or looking to deepen your understanding, this guide covers everything you need to know about vegan cosmetics.
From what makes a product vegan to the benefits of choosing vegan beauty and understanding key terms like cruelty-free and natural—it’s all here. No matter where you are on your path, we’re here to help you make informed and compassionate choices in your beauty routine.
What Does Vegan Mean?
When you see labels like “vegan”, “vegan-friendly”, or “100% vegan” on beauty products, it means that these products do not contain any ingredients derived from animals or any animal by-products. But what exactly does this entail?
- Animal-Derived Ingredients: These are ingredients that come directly from animals. For example, carmine (also known as cochineal extract, C.I. 75470, E120, natural red, or crimson/carmine lake) is a red pigment derived from cochineal insects and is often used in lipsticks.
- Animal By-Products: These are substances produced by animals but not directly harvested from them. Common examples include honey and beeswax (also known as Cera alba), produced by bees and frequently used in moisturizers and other skincare products. While bees are not killed for honey or beeswax, harvesting these by-products can disrupt their natural ecosystem.
Animal-derived ingredients
Animal-derived ingredients can be found in various beauty products such as makeup, skincare, haircare, and nail products. This includes but is not limited to:
- Honey: A sweet substance made by bees.
- Beeswax: A wax produced by bees used in many lip balms and creams.
- Lanolin: An oily substance derived from sheep’s wool, often found in moisturizers.
- Gelatin: A protein obtained from animal bones and skin, used in some masks and capsules.
- Silk: A natural protein fiber produced by silkworms, sometimes used in hair products.
- Pearl: Crushed pearls can be found in certain cosmetics for their shimmering effect.
- Collagen: A protein sourced from animal tissues, used for its anti-aging properties.
- Cholesterol: Often derived from animals, it is used in skin and hair products for its moisturizing qualities.
- Carmine: A red pigment made from crushed cochineal insects, found in many lipsticks and blushes.
Warning: Terms Are Not Regulated (Yet)
For some reason, brands can easily use terms like “cruelty-free,” “clean,” “vegan,” and “non-toxic,” but these terms are not regulated by the FDA. This means any company can claim to be “cruelty-free” or any of the above terms, regardless of their (animal testing) policies. This means blatantly trusting the brand promises isn’t the way to go cruelty-free/vegan/clean anymore.
How Does Conscious Bunny Define “Vegan”?
As you may know, there’s currently no legal definition of the term “vegan,” so it can mean different things to different people. When I use “vegan,” I mean a brand that is entirely free of animal ingredients. This means their products do not contain any ingredients that come from animals or are derived from animals.
How Do You Recognize Vegan Brands?
Currently, there are 4 third-party certifications for vegan beauty products and brands: Vegan Action, Vegan Society, PETA, and The Vegetarian Society. Check out this article to learn more about vegan organizations and their logos.
Also, know that a brand can be vegan without being certified. Brands do not have to get a vegan certification, and they can still be vegan. This requires research of your own or browsing sites like ours to find out if a brand is really vegan.
What’s The Difference Between ‘Vegan’ vs. ‘Vegan-Friendly’ vs. ‘100% Vegan’?
All of these mean the same thing. The product doesn’t contain animal-derived ingredients or by-products. Sometimes, the only difference is when a brand isn’t fully vegan but does offer vegan products. It can also indicate whether the brand is vegan-certified, in the process of getting certified, or doesn’t have a certification.
Does Vegan Also Mean Cruelty-Free?
The terms vegan and cruelty-free have different meanings, so they are not the same and can’t be used interchangeably. It is possible that a product is cruelty-free and not vegan or the other way around, vegan and not cruelty-free.
- Vegan: Vegan beauty products do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. This means they are free from substances like honey, beeswax, lanolin, and carmine.
- Cruelty-Free: Cruelty-free beauty products are not tested on animals at any stage of their development. However, they may still contain animal-derived ingredients.
It’s important to note that some vegan products might not be cruelty-free if tested on animals. Conversely, some cruelty-free products might not be vegan if they include ingredients derived from animals.
How To Know If A Brand Or Product Is Really Vegan?
- Look for vegan-certified logos;
- Read the ingredient list or copy and paste an ingredient list into our Vegan Ingredient Checker;
- Check the brand’s website/FAQ section or ask them directly;
- View our Vegan Beauty Brands A-Z to find out all vegan brands, so you don’t have to do the research yourself.
