Many times, we hear news that certain beauty and health brands we are using are unsafe or unethical — but what does that really mean? In many cases, we see a bunny sticker or labels such as “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” as indicators that the brand is using ethical protocols in the production of health and beauty products. However, there are actually many different types of categorizations for the different types of ethical types of beauty brands. Here are just a few of the differentiations.
Clean beauty
Clean beauty refers to beauty products that are used for any type of product that avoids certain ingredients in their finished products. These ingredients tend to be controversial, harmful or are known to be synthetic and bad for you. These ingredients may include things like parabens or silicones.
There are many different certifications you may find on products claiming to be clean — be sure to research the ones on your products to find out if they’re up to standard.
Vegan
Vegan makeup, plain and simple, is made only of ingredients that have not been taken in any part from animals. Many people do not consider anything that was tested on animals as vegan, either. This has actually been proven to be better for people with sensitive skin as it has less harsh ingredients and irritants.
For more information on certified vegan products, visit Certified Vegan.
Cruelty free
Cruelty free makeup indicates that the products were not tested on animals. Most beauty brands test their products on animals as a way to test for any dangerous reactions, but cruelty free makeup does not use animals as a way to test these products and instead uses other testing methods.
For more information on certified cruelty free products, visit Cruelty Free International.
Beware of false labels
Sadly, sometimes, these labels may not be true. In some cases, these labels that they use are actually completely useless. Some makeup companies may create loopholes or lie about their ingredients because of the poor FDA regulations surrounding some of these labels. Although this is disappointing to find out, there are still many companies, like Lush, Barry M Cosmetics, The Green Beaver Cosmetics and many more, that use not only ethical, but also sustainable practices within their business.
