The majority of us are aware that many of the over-the-counter products have also been tested on animals, but many customers are concerned about whether the everyday skin and beauty care brands they use contain animal components. You might be startled to learn that if your soap or other body care product’s label doesn’t specify whether it’s vegan or vegetarian, it probably contains animal products.
What distinguishes vegan products from cruelty-free products?
When looking for body care products, there are two important factors to take into account regarding animal welfare:
- Do the product’s ingredients come from animals if it is vegan?
No animal products are used in vegan products. This indicates that it doesn’t contain any egg or milk products and is free of components derived from animal hair, skin, bones, or meat. For instance, stearic acid, which can be produced from animal fatty acids, is present in many skin cleansers. Additionally, a common element in cosmetics is beeswax, which is produced by our bee companions.
- Animal-free product: Are the company’s products subjected to animal testing?
A cruelty-free item has never undergone animal testing. To evaluate its safety for humans, it has never been fed to, applied to, or inhaled by an animal. Alternative techniques are used by cruelty-free products to determine a product’s safety. They may be produced with components that are known to be safe for people, or better yet, tested on human tissue that has been dissected.
What is animal testing?
It’s a common misperception that until a product has been tested on animals, it cannot be used by humans. We suggest that animal testing is never essential. Alternatives to animal experimentation, including theoretical models or plant-based cellular technologies, are always available to businesses. Despite this, producers worldwide continue to test their goods (and the components in them) on canines and felines, as well as mice, rabbits, and rats. On occasion, the substance is continuously administered to an animal’s skin. The animal is then put to death and dissected to see if any of its organs were harmed. Additionally, laboratories feed chemical substances to animals and spray chemicals into their eyes and respiratory systems.
Are animal tests necessary?
Not at all. Cosmetic producers are not required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test their components or finished goods on animals to demonstrate their safety. Similarly to this, the Food and Drug Act of Canada declares that animal testing for cosmetics is not required. At the moment, only China mandates that all cosmetics sold in retail outlets there be put through animal testing.
The European Union, India, Israel, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom have all made it illegal to test cosmetics on animals. However, in both Canada and the US, testing cosmetics and personal care items on animals are still permissible. Despite the fact that both Canada and the United States have laws in place to protect the welfare of testing animals, cosmetic testing is nevertheless done there.
What do the various seals and logos mean?
Your body care items likely bear a dozen distinct eco- and socially-conscious logos and emblems. It’s challenging to understand what they all mean at a glance. Do some seals have greater significance than others? Which ones need to be avoided? Let’s have a look-
- PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Animal rights group PETA is committed to defending animals from abuse, exploitation, and consumption. The organization’s programme, known as Beauty without Bunnies, has developed its own cruelty-free cosmetics certification. This seal comes in two varieties: One denotes that products are not subjected to animal testing, and the other denotes vegan goods that are not subjected to such testing.
2. Cruelty Free International
A global organisation called Cruelty Free International campaigns to ban animal testing and experimentation. Cosmetics, personal care, and cleaning products that satisfy their stringent requirements for being cruelty-free are certified by their Leaping Bunny programme.
3. The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECAEA)
The ECAEA is a coalition of 20 European organisations dedicated to protecting animals from experimentation. They work with Cruelty Free International and other groups to identify personal care goods made without using animal experimentation by using the Leaping Bunny seal.
4. Choose Cruelty-Free
An Australian non-profit organization called Choose Cruelty Free is committed to assisting consumers in making ethical judgments. They certify cosmetics, body care, and cleaning goods whose contents have not been subjected to animal testing by using the Not Tested on Animals bunny emblem.
5. One Voice
An Australian non-profit organization called Choose Cruelty Free is committed to assisting consumers in making ethical judgments. They certify cosmetics, body care, and cleaning goods whose contents have not been subjected to animal testing by using the Not Tested on Animals bunny emblem.
6. The Vegan Society
The Vegan Society is a group with a presence in the United Kingdom that works to promote and advance veganism. They developed the Vegan Trademark to designate goods and services devoid of animal products in the food, beverage, health and beauty, cleaning, and other categories.
How to ensure you are purchasing only vegan goods
- learn to recognise less evident or concealed animal products;
- Be cautious of personal care items that contain gelatin, honey, eggs, or beeswax.
- Keep an eye out for ingredients made from animal products, such as lanolin, tallow, collagen, oestrogen, guanine, and ambergris.
How to ensure you purchase cruelty-free goods
Keep a watchful eye on your labels. It’s possible that the phrase “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals,” or even a picture of a bunny, only applies to the finished item and not to its constituent parts. The majority of animal testing involves ingredients. Even if a business states, “We do not test on animals,” it may nonetheless contract with other businesses to test its components. The only way to be certain that a product is cruelty-free is to:
- look for products that have received certification from international organizations like PETA
- be on the lookout for deceptive claims and logos that are self-made or depict bunnies
- actively look for companies that adhere to this policy
- and be wary of cruelty-free claims that omit crucial information.
Choose baby skin and bath care products from TRULY BLESSED – a proudly Vegan and Cruelty-free, clean-natural brand.
