Importance Of Cruelty Free

More and more, the average person wants to understand how their beauty products are made (plus, how that creation impacts the world). If you’re one such consumer looking to be more informed about your beauty care, you might wonder where the ingredients in your favourite face cream come from and what effect their sourcing has on the environment. You might also want to know how your cleanser is packaged or how your serum gets transported to your door. Product testing—and whether or not those products are tested on animals—is another facet to consider. That’s where “cruelty free” comes into play.

What does it mean to be cruelty free?

A truly cruelty-free brand won’t test its products on animals. It should also make sure that it only sources ingredients from suppliers that don’t test on animals either.

Are vegan and cruelty free the same thing?

No! Though they go hand in hand, a brand could be vegan without being cruelty free and vice versa. Here’s how vegan and cruelty free are defined:

• Vegan: The product contains no animal by-products or animal-derived ingredients. It may still test on animals.
• Cruelty free: The product is not tested on animals (and ideally has no ingredients that are tested on animals). It may still contain animal-derived ingredients like honey and lanolin.

Benefits of cruelty-free beauty products

There is only one benefit to using cruelty-free beauty products—but it’s a big one: the protection of animals like mice, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs. These small creatures are the ones typically used in traditional ingredient- and product-testing facilities. Contrary to popular belief, products do not need to be tested on animals to be safe for human use.

Of course, a brand that cares about the safety of animals may also take steps to protect the environment and your skin, but the only thing that “cruelty free” applies to is animal welfare.