Comparing Vegan and Cruelty-Free Labels

and updated on 10/09/2024
vegan and cruelty free labels

An increasing number of people are concerned about animal welfare. This growing interest in animal rights has led to a rise in "vegan" and "cruelty-free" labels on our health and beauty products. However, much like organic certifications, these labels vary in their standards and methods of certification. That’s why we’re providing you with a comparison of some of the principal labels you may come across on cosmetic product packaging.

 

Reminder : cosmetic testing on animals is banned in Europe

 

It’s worth repeating: animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in Europe since 2013. Because of this, it’s against regulatory standards to label a cosmetic product as “not tested on animals.”

Brands are not allowed to promote their compliance with a legal requirement as an ethical commitment : Read more here ➡️

So why are there still so many labels in France? French companies that sell their cosmetic products abroad, like in the United States, use these labels to reassure consumers outside of Europe when exporting.

 

Be careful not to confuse vegan, cruelty-free, and organic!

 

As you’ll see in our comparison, vegan or cruelty-free labels focus on animal welfare. They verify the absence of animal testing, the absence of animal-derived ingredients, and the exclusion of markets where animal testing is still practiced.

However, they do not guarantee that the product is natural, organic, or free from undesirable ingredients. For example, it’s possible to find vegan or cruelty-free products that contain silicones.

So, always check that vegan or cruelty-free labels are paired with an organic label, like the Cosmébio label. 😉

 

 

Comparing Vegan Labels

 

Some Varying Vegan Labels : Vegan Society, Vegan Approved, Vegan Awareness Foundation, VeganOK et Vegecert Vegan

 

 

 

They guarantee :

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal product or by-product in the product
✅ No animal product or by-product in the packaging

They don't guarantee:

❌ No animal testing in foreign markets
❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming
❌ Control audits (these labels are usually obtained through an application form and supporting documents, along with payment of a license)

 

Expertise Végane Europe Label (EVE)

 

logo-eve-vegan

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal product or by-product in the product
✅ No animal product or by-product in the packaging
✅ No animal testing in foreign markets
✅ Ingredients from vegan organic farming (for EVE VEGAN 02 level)
✅ Control audits (certification process: compliance audit with the EVE VEGAN standard)

 

Vegancert Label (Bioagricert)

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal product or by-product in the product
✅ No animal product or by-product in the packaging
✅ Control audits (Obtaining this label requires a compliance audit with the Vegancert standard.)

They don't guarantee:

❌ No animal testing in foreign markets
❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming

 

Comparing Cruelty-free Labels

 

Peta's Cruelty-Free Label

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal product or by-product in the product (for the "cruelty-free and vegan" logo)
✅ No animal product or by-product in the packaging (for the "cruelty-free and vegan" logo)
✅ No animal testing in foreign markets

Ne vous garantit pas :

❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming
❌ Control audits (these labels are usually obtained through an application form and supporting documents, along with payment of a license)

 

Cruelty Free International (Leaping Bunny) Label

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal testing in foreign markets
✅ Control audits (conducted by independent organizations chosen by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics)

They don't guarantee:

❌ No animal product or by-product in the product
❌ No animal product or by-product in the packaging
❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming

 

Choose Cruelty Free Label

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal testing in foreign markets

They don't guarantee:

❌ No animal product or by-product in the product
❌ No animal product or by-product in the packaging
❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming
❌ Control audits

 

Cruelty Free Cosmetics (IHTK) Label 

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing

They don't guarantee:

❌ No animal product or by-product in the product
❌ No animal product or by-product in the packaging
❌ No animal testing in foreign markets
❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming
❌ Control audits

 

One Voice Label

 

They guarantee:

✅ No animal testing
✅ No animal testing in foreign markets (Tiger logo with "T")
✅ No exploitation of monkeys for coconut harvesting (Tiger logo with "C")
✅ Control audits

They don't guarantee:

❌ No animal product or by-product in the product
❌ No animal product or by-product in the packaging
❌ Ingredients from vegan organic farming

 

 

Nous espérons que cet article vous sera utile pour mieux décrypter les emballages des cosmétiques. Si vous constatez une mise à jour des exigences des labels qui ne serait pas retranscrite ici, merci de nous le signaler.

 

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Written by
Marine  Marine