The Difference Between Cruelty-Free and Vegan Cosmetics

As people are becoming conscious, smart consumers, people such as yourself are looking through numerous labels, certifications and descriptions in cosmetics products. A very popular issue that people are concerned about is animal rights, which is deeply intertwined in the world of cosmetics. In just the US alone in 2015, up to 97% believe that animals require at least moderate rights, while some say that animals should have the same rights as humans. This continues to be the trend because we uncover secrets from different industries in the treatment of animals. In 2013, the European Union (EU) has completely banned animal testing in cosmetics products.

However, what does all of this animal rights mean in the cosmetics industry? What are some of the labels you should be wary of when purchasing cosmetics? In this article, we’ll cover the difference between vegan cosmetics, cruelty-free cosmetics and what Dr. Althea is doing to lessen animal rights in the cosmetics industry today.

Vegan cosmetics?

For cosmetics to be considered vegan, it cannot contain any animal-based or animal ingredients. It is a loose term to ensure that the product does not contain ingredients such as carmine, beeswax, collagen and more.

However, a caveat is that cosmetics products can be labeled as vegan, but still test on animals. If you care about both the ingredients and the process of animal testing, you will have to look for products that are vegan cruelty-free.  

Cruelty-free cosmetics?

For a cosmetics product to be cruelty-free, animal testing should have not been done during the manufacturing process at all. This means that none of the ingredients should have been tested on animals, or during the manufacturing process at all.

However, there is also a caveat for cruelty-free cosmetics. Alike vegan cosmetics, cruelty-free does not necessarily mean that the product will be vegan. Even though the ingredients derived from animals, it is possible that it has not gone under animal testing. Therefore, it is important to read labels to make sure that the product you are purchasing aligns with your ethical standpoint on animal rights.

What are we doing at Dr. Althea in terms of ethics?

In South Korea, where Dr. Althea is located and manufactured, it is against the law to test on animals during any step of the manufacturing process.

Dr. Althea is continuing to seek vegan ingredients for our skincare products. Not all of our products are vegan as of yet, but many of them are. For instance, we ensure to use plant-derived squalane for our products in order to abide by ethical guidelines. Although we are not yet perfect in our contributions to cruelty-free consumption, we are well on our way to improve and change for the better.