The Difference Between Vegan and Cruelty Free

The label cruelty free does not mean that a product actually is. There is no legislation that deals with the labelling of beauty and health products. This means, for example, that a product can be labelled cruelty free even if the company tested every one of the ingredients on animals but didn’t test the finished product. Cruelty free products can also contain animal products or use ingredients that were animal tested by other companies.

Vegan products contain no animal ingredients and are usually strict and specific about animal testing and using animal tested ingredients on their labels.
..There is a significant difference between a cruelty-free label and a vegan label. Vegan products adhere to cruelty-free standards, but in addition, these products don’t contain any animal ingredients or animal byproducts. Many conventional beauty products, particularly cosmetics and shampoos, contain ingredients that are derived from animals or animal byproducts

If you’re concerned that your beauty products aren’t vegan and a telephone call to the company doesn’t reveal whether an ingredient is animal-derived or not, PETA’s Wesley suggests contacting an animal protection organization. They’ll be able to provide you with the detailed ingredient information that makeup labels do not provide.

Here is a listing of some surprising animal ingredients to look for on cosmetic labels and some greener alternatives

Ingredient: Allantoin
Source/Use: Found in cows and other mammals and used as a healing agent in many cosmetic creams and lotions
Alternative: Allantoin is also found in many plants, particularly the extract of comfrey root.

Ingredient: Beeswax
Source/Use: Wax from virgin bees is used as a sealant in lipsticks, mascaras, eye creams, lip balms and nail whiteners
Alternative: Paraffin, vegetable oils and fats.

Ingredient: Boar bristles
Source/Use: Hair from boars commonly used in makeup brushes and toothbrushes
Alternative: Nylon or vegetable fibers.

Ingredient: Biotin
Source/Use: Found in all living cells and used in cosmetics and shampoos
Alternative: Plant sources.

Ingredient: Stearyl alcohol or sterols
Source/Use: A mixture of solid alcohols that may sometimes be prepared from sperm whale oil and is used in skin creams, hair rinses and some shampoos
Alternative: Vegetable stearic acid

Ingredient: Fish liver oil
Source/Use: A source of vitamin A sometimes used in cosmetics and hair dyes
Alternative: Vitamin A derivatives from carotene (carrots) or synthetic sources

Ingredient: Mink oil
Source/Use: An emollient used for its moisturizing properties in cosmetics and skin creams
Alternative: Vegetable/natural oils such as avocado, almond and jojoba

Ingredient: Silk/silk powder
Source/Use: The tiny fibers made by silk worms to form a cocoon — used as a coloring ingredient ion face powders and soaps
Alternative: Milkweed seed-pod fibers or synthetic silks

Ingredient: RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
Source/Use: Slaughterhouse waste that is commonly used in many protein-enriched shampoos and conditioners
Alternative: Plant cells

Ingredient: Sponge (luna and sea)
Source/Use: A sea animal that looks like a plant and is used as an ingredient for sponges and loofahs
Alternative: synthetic sponges

Ingredient: Stearic acid
Source/Use: Fat extracted from cows, sheep and pigs and used as a lubricant in deodorant, hair spray, shampoo and soap
Alternative: Vegetable fats or coconut