Your Complete Guide to Differentiating Between Vegan and Cruelty-Free with Vegan Pro Life

As the awareness rises, compassion among many people and companies rises as well. There is an increase in demand for “vegan” and “cruelty-free” products. People from all around the world are raising their voices for these mute animals. Though the terms are interchangeable, they can’t be any more different.

Difference Between Vegan and Cruelty-Free:

“vegan” refers to the ingredients of the product, whereas “cruelty-free” refers to whom the product is tested on. In a more elaborated way, vegan means that the product doesn’t have any animal-derived ingredient in it, like gelatine, carmine, lanolin, etc. Cruelty-free means that the product has never been tested on any animal at any point in its production. Even the ingredients weren’t tested on animals.

Can A Product Be Cruelty-Free and Not Vegan?

When a product affirms that it is “cruelty-free” and “vegan”, it means it has not been tested on animals and doesn’t contain any animal-derived ingredient. Though it is not necessary that a product that is cruelty-free also be vegan. When a product is affirmed to be “cruelty-free” but not “vegan”, it means it wasn’t tested on animals but has animal-derived ingredients.

Can A Product Be Vegan and Not Cruelty-Free?

Similarly, products that are labelled "vegan" and not "cruelty-free" means it does not consist of any animal-derived ingredient, be it beeswax, honey, gelatine, etc., but were tested on animals during the process of production. It is a bit confusing, but it is real. That's why it is really important to check the label properly.

Recognizing Cruelty-Free and Vegan Products:

Recognizing cruelty-free products isn’t much difficult. Just look for its certification. There are 2 major certifications around the world:

• Leaping Bunny (An Internationally Recognized)
• PETA (US-Based, But Recognized Worldwide)

Recognizing a vegan product might be a bit tricky. There aren’t any strong vegan certifications, but there are a few trusted bodies that provide their stamp of approval, such as vegan.org. However, many companies affirm to be “vegan” and still be using milk, honey, and other animal-derived products. To avoid any such situations, it is important to check the ingredients in the product. Read the label properly.