💄 Beauty
Cruelty-free vs vegan
Two different labels with two different meanings, explained.
2 min read Updated 14 June 2026
The two labels
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cruelty-free | The finished product (and ideally ingredients) was not tested on animals at any stage. |
| Vegan | No animal-derived ingredients in the formula. |
A product is fully ethical only when it's both.
How to verify
- Leaping Bunny logo - strictest cruelty-free certification, audited.
- PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies - checks cruelty-free, vegan, or both.
- The Vegan Society Sunflower - gold standard for the vegan claim.
- Brand's own claim - readable, but cross-check on PETA's database.
Common animal ingredients to watch for
- Carmine (red colour from beetles) - in lipsticks, blush.
- Beeswax / Cera alba - in lip balms, mascaras.
- Lanolin - from sheep wool, in moisturisers.
- Honey - in face masks, scrubs.
- Silk powder / sericin - in foundations, primers.
- Squalene - sometimes from shark liver (squalane from olives is fine).
- Guanine - fish scales, in shimmer products.
- Collagen / elastin - usually animal-derived in skincare.
The parent-company question
Some 'cruelty-free' brands are owned by parent companies that do test (or sell in markets requiring testing). You can decide where to draw your own line - both approaches are defensible.
References
Written by Malavika Malaviya. Last updated 14 June 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.
