You've seen both labels on your favorite products: vegan and cruelty-free. They sound like they mean the same thing — and many shoppers assume they do. But they don't, and understanding the difference could completely change how you shop for clean beauty and wellness products.
Let's break it down clearly.
What Does Vegan Mean?
A vegan product contains no animal-derived ingredients. That means no beeswax, no lanolin (from sheep's wool), no collagen (from animal bones), no carmine (a red dye made from crushed beetles), no keratin (from animal hair or feathers), and no honey.
Vegan is entirely about what's in the product.
Here's the catch: a product can be 100% vegan and still be tested on animals. The formula contains no animal ingredients, but the finished product — or its individual ingredients — may have been tested on rabbits, mice, or other animals at some point in the development process.
What Does Cruelty-Free Mean?
A cruelty-free product has not been tested on animals — by the brand, its suppliers, or any third party on its behalf. That means no animal testing at any stage of production.
Cruelty-free is entirely about how the product was made.
And here's the flip side: a product can be cruelty-free and still contain animal-derived ingredients. A brand might never test on animals but still use beeswax or lanolin in their formula.
So What's the Difference?
- Vegan = no animal ingredients in the formula
- Cruelty-free = no animal testing in the process
- Vegan AND cruelty-free = the gold standard — no animal ingredients AND no animal testing
When you're shopping clean, you want to look for products that are both. A product that's only one or the other is still making a compromise somewhere.
If you're just starting your clean beauty journey, our post on 10 Clean Beauty Swaps You Can Make This Week is a great place to start alongside this guide.
Which Certifications Can You Trust?
Because "vegan" and "cruelty-free" are not regulated terms, any brand can technically put them on a label without verification. That's why third-party certifications matter. Here are the most credible ones:
For Cruelty-Free:
- Leaping Bunny (leapingbunny.org) — The most rigorous cruelty-free certification. Brands must commit to no animal testing at every stage of production, including ingredient suppliers. Internationally recognized.
- PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies (peta.org/living/personal-care-fashion/beauty-without-bunnies) — PETA's cruelty-free database. Brands self-certify, so it's less rigorous than Leaping Bunny, but still a useful starting point.
- Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) — An Australian certification with strict standards, increasingly recognized globally.
For Vegan:
- Vegan Society Trademark (vegansociety.com) — The original and most recognized vegan certification globally. Covers both ingredients and manufacturing processes.
- PETA Vegan — PETA also certifies vegan products separately from cruelty-free. Look for the "PETA-Approved Vegan" logo.
- Certified Vegan Logo (vegan.org) — Run by Vegan Action, this is a widely used US-based vegan certification.
For Both:
- Some brands carry both the Leaping Bunny and Vegan Society certifications — that's the cleanest combination you can find.
How to Look Up Any Product
Not sure if a product you love is truly vegan or cruelty-free? Here are the best free resources to check:
- Leaping Bunny Database — leapingbunny.org/guide/brands — Search any brand to see if they're certified cruelty-free.
- PETA's Beauty Without Bunnies Database — peta.org/beauty-without-bunnies — Searchable database of cruelty-free brands.
- Think Dirty App — Scan product barcodes to see ingredient ratings and whether a product is vegan or cruelty-free.
- EWG Skin Deep Database — ewg.org/skindeep — Search products for ingredient safety scores. Pairs well with vegan/cruelty-free research.
- Cruelty-Free Kitty — crueltyfreekitty.com — An independent resource with detailed brand-by-brand breakdowns, including parent company research.
A Note on Parent Companies
This is where it gets complicated. Many beloved indie clean beauty brands are owned by larger corporations that do test on animals — particularly to sell in mainland China, where animal testing has historically been required by law for imported cosmetics.
If a brand's parent company tests on animals, some consumers consider the brand not truly cruelty-free. Cruelty-Free Kitty is one of the best resources for tracking parent company relationships.
While you're auditing your routine, it's also worth knowing which ingredients to avoid altogether — check out our guide to 10 Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Your Personal Care Products.
What to Look for at BodyWell1
At BodyWell1, we curate products that align with clean, non-toxic, and ethical living. Many of the brands in our collections carry vegan and/or cruelty-free certifications — and we always aim to highlight those credentials in product descriptions so you can shop with confidence.
Browse our Clean Makeup collection and Clean Feminine Care collection — every product is curated with non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free standards in mind.
For a deeper dive into clean beauty resources, databases, and tools we recommend, visit our Clean Living Resources page — it's your one-stop reference for navigating the clean beauty world.
The Bottom Line
Vegan and cruelty-free are not interchangeable — but together, they represent a meaningful commitment to ethical beauty. When you see both on a label (especially backed by a recognized certification), you can shop with real confidence.
When in doubt, check the databases above, look for the Leaping Bunny logo, and remember: the more transparent a brand is about its certifications, the more trustworthy it tends to be.
Have a brand you want us to research? Drop it in the comments below — we love helping our community shop cleaner.