products are created or produced without the use of any animal ingredients, including zero use of animal substances as well as zero use of substances made by animals. However, unlike the popular assumption, not all “Vegan” products are “Cruelty Free.” Despite the fact that some brands do not utilize any animal ingredients in their products, if a brand is not labeled as “Cruelty Free,” there remains a possibility that the final product has been tested on animals in lab experiments. 

With brands that are verified Vegan but not labeled as “Cruelty Free,” consumers also run the risk of purchasing from a brand that uses ingredients that may have been tested on animals, even if this experimentation is from third party organizations. When studying the terminology, it is more common to see the word “Vegan” being used to refer to the ingredients and materials used to create a product, while “Cruelty Free” more so references the production process behind the specific commercial item. Although the term “vegan” most often applies to food products, it can apply to many different facets of consumerism, including clothing and beauty. 

When shopping with a conscious mindset, it is crucial to look for any sort of reliable vegan or cruelty free third party certifications, such as a certificate from PETA, before trusting a company’s word on their vegan commitments. If the brand in consideration does not present any vegan certifications on the website, and employs ambiguous wording that fails to specify which specific ingredients or materials they utilize, then the brand is considered to lack transparency, and should be steered clear of when shopping through the lense of conscious consumerism. 

LEARN MORE: ​​Vegan Certification