Cruelty-free cosmetics are cosmetic products that are neither extracted from animals nor tested on them. Since the introduction of cosmetics, they have tested most products on certain animals to ensure they are okay for human use.
The primary reason is that decades ago, when cosmetic companies first introduced cosmetic products, they needed their consumers to trust them. This led to cosmetic chemists testing the commodities on animals such as rabbits, rats, and others.
Difference between vegan and cruelty-free
Most people think that vegan and cruelty-free are the same. Well, this is not the case because they have different meanings. Vegan cosmetics mean that the product does not have any animal-derived ingredients, while cruelty-free means that while developing a product, there was no animal testing.
A product can be vegan but still tested on an animal which means that the product is not cruelty-free. Also, a product such as 2HOBA skin healing cream can be cruelty-free but contain animal-based ingredients.
Cruelty-free products regulations
There are no specific regulations about animal experimentation when manufacturing cosmetic products. But in regions where there is massive manufacturing and use of these products, there are some laws and regulations in place.
These regions are areas with substantial markets for cosmetic products. The three major markets for cosmetic products are Europe, the United States, and China.
In Europe, there are strict regulations on cruelty-free cosmetics. The regulation states there is a prohibition against marketing cosmetic products that have been subjected to animal experimentation. In addition, animal testing is prohibited in Europe.
In China, testing all imported cosmetic products on animals is mandatory before selling them in the Chinese market. However, products manufactured in China don’t need to be tested on animals. Do not consider firms that sell their products in China cruelty-free since they require animal testing.
In the US, there are no obligatory regulations on the issue of cruelty-free cosmetics. Some bills have been presented, but until now, none have passed. Although some states have laws concerning animal testing, there are no standard regulations.
Understanding the ingredients
If you love animals, you should consider cruelty-free skincare, which means you should know the ingredients in your products. In some parts of the United States and Europe, experimentation with ingredients intended for cosmetic products is prohibited. This, however, does not mean that the ingredients used are cruelty-free. To better understand this, there are several things to consider.
Firstly, some ingredients have been used for many years. This means there is no current testing, but they could have carried out tests when they first developed the ingredients. In this case, it is okay to consider these ingredients cruelty free because there is no testing on animals currently.
Another consideration is how the ingredients in cosmetic products are obtained. When cosmetic manufacturers need to buy ingredients, they contact suppliers. It is the responsibility of a manufacturer to know if the ingredients are indeed cruelty-free. The integrity of suppliers and manufacturers is vital when considering if a product is cruelty-free.
Experimenting on animals is wrong and cruel. If you are a consumer of cosmetic products, you should consider using cruelty-free cosmetics.