Vegan and Cruelty Free

 

What is the difference between cruelty-free and vegan? It can be confusing trying to navigate cruelty-free and vegan beauty. The two certifications are often used interchangeably by companies and consumers, but they do not mean the same. 

 Cruelty-Free products imply no animal testing occurred.

 Vegan products do not use any animal ingredients or animal by-products.

 A product can be both, and just one but not the other. While vegan means the absence of animal ingredients, cruelty-free refers to products and components that have not been tested on animals. 

 At Bekoherent, we think vegan products are better for our hair and skin (depending on each one's needs). Vegan products are commonly far more abundant in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with ample vitamins and minerals, making them a potentially more thoughtful and more beneficial option than the usual non-vegan products. 

 Want to switch to a vegan and cruelty-free personal care products? You are in the right place. 

 When dealing with personal care products, it means that popular animal ingredients like lanolin, beeswax, collagen, gelatin, and honey are never included in the formulations. To ensure that a product you are interested in using is vegan, begin by analyzing the label for these other popular animal-derived ingredients. Thankfully, today shopping for vegan products is now easier than ever! There is generally a safe, animal-friendly alternative that is just as effective for every animal-derived component available.

Unfortunately, animal testing is still very standard for many beauty companies. But why? Though animal testing is banned in many countries worldwide, including Colombia and the United States, China (not including Hong Kong) still performed a required test on all cosmetic products imported into the country. So, even if a personal care company does not test their products or ingredients on animals in the U.S., they are not considered cruelty-free if they sell their products in China.

 How can I tell if a product is vegan and cruelty-free?

 If you want to be sure about vegan and cruelty-free care products, thankfully, several organizations have created specific logos and certifications to help determine if a product is vegan and cruelty-free. The Leaping Bunny Program grants certification to personal care and household product companies (Bekoherent is part of those) that ensure no animal testing is performed at any stage of the production process. PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies Program is another excellent resource that lists every registered company that is either cruelty-free or vegan and cruelty-free. It has corresponding logos to help you easily identify them.