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What is vegan in makeup?-All you need to know!

You might be here for many reasons, maybe you are wondering if vegan makeup does exist and if it does then you are questioning what is vegan in makeup?

Or you are deciding to make the switch so need a handy little guide, whatever the reason, if you want to gain an insight into veganism in beauty then sit tight and let’s get going!

So what is vegan in makeup?

So you know what vegan in diet is, it’s basically when you don’t eat products extracted from animals whether pain is involved or not.

You see beauty products around with the usual ‘v’ logo or ‘vegan’, ‘vegan-friendly’, or ‘100% vegan’, which by the way all mean the same thing, means exactly the same thing, these products do not contain any and I mean any (well at least they shouldn’t) animal by products or animal derived ingredients, that’s including beeswax, honey etc.

Many people are in the thought that a vegan friendly product automatically means cruelty-free but the truth is it doesn’t, as you are about to read up ahead.

If you want to view the most commonly used animal ingredients hidden in our beauty products then click here! (Prepare to be shocked)

Are vegan and cruelty-free the same thing?

So you know what vegan is in the beauty kingdom but does that mean it’s automatically cruelty-free?

People would assume that something with the vegan label sticked on it would mean that no animals have subjected cruelty but that is far from correct.
Vegan product

If you see a vegan product but no cruelty-free labels to it, it means that the product has gone through some form of tests on poor animals. Whether that be the individual ingredient or the product as a whole even if it doesn’t contain animal matter.

Cruelty free is when a product hasn’t been through tests on animals but this doesn’t mean there isn’t animal derived ingredients used, these produce can still have animal by products inside them.

To summarize vegan and cruelty-free don’t mean the same thing! A product can be vegan and not cruelty-free and vice versa.

If you would like some more information on the differences between vegan and cruelty-free then tap here!

How to be 100% sure it’s vegan

This leads me to answer how can one be 100% sure that what they are holding is definitely vegan.

Luckily there are a few easy ways to be certain the product is actually vegan, these include:

# looking out for the vegan certified logo which are as follows:

– the vegan society

– peta

– the vegetarian society

– vegan action

# Directly contact the brand/company

# Head to the brand’s website and check

# Read the ingredients and see if you can identify animal ingredients, you can use the internet to help you!

Great brand’s!

Now that we have a better understanding about vegan makeup let’s see some awesome brand’s that cater to our needs!

First up it’s inika, this brand is not only vegan but cruelty-free as well as natural. They offer a wide variety of products for the face, eyes, lips, and even skin care.

Elf a 100% vegan, budget friendly brand that sells products for the eyes, face, lips, skincare and guess what? brushes and tools such as sponges and applicators too!

What is vegan in makeup
Charlotte Tilbury as you may know, isn’t a totally vegan brand however they do sell quite a wide range of vegan makeup products, this includes items on the face, lips and eyes categories.


For more vegan and cruelty-free brand’s click here!

Why vegan?

Just like a vegan diet has its pros and cons, vegan makeup does to, but we are here for the benefits so let’s begin!

# No dead animal matter or by products such as crushed beetles, animal fat and much more.

# Better for the environment!

# Tend to be more natural

# Great for sensitive skin due to fewer chemicals being present.

# And much more!

Want more, I suggest you tap here!

Vegan brushes too?!

Yes that’s right! If you didn’t know, there is such a thing as vegan and cruelty-free brushes.

There are two main types of brushes, natural and synthetic.

Natural brushes are commonly made from animal hair and fur whereas synthetic brushes are man made and typically created from fibres such as nylon and polyester.

Synthetic brushes are the ones with the vegan and cruelty-free option.


For vegan brushes click here!

Or if you want more detail on what your make-up brush are made of then click here!

So peeps hope that answered some of your questions and you have learned what is vegan in makeup, if not then comment down below and I’ll get back to them!

Have a great day!?

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33 Comments

  • Misael H

    Ah yes, my vegan girlfriend will love this article so much because I constantly hear her complain about how she wished she could wear makeup more often because she doesn’t like to buy all the common stuff that other girls buy because it is not vegan. She tells me that if there were such thing as vegan make up she’d be rocking it. She will love me for sharing this article with her

  • Cynthia

    Although I’m not a vegan, makeup went out the door for me when I learned that it was made from animal products and often involved crushing them to extract the color.  I would have assumed that vegan makeup is cruelty-free since it doesn’t use animal products so imagine my surprise when you pointed out that it could be tested on animals.  It’s nice to know that there are logos I can check for to make sure they are free from ALL types of animal cruelty!  I am going to definitely check out the 3 brands you list here…maybe I can wear lipstick after all!  Thank you for the information!

    • Sariyah

      Hi Cynthia, you are welcome! It’s so much easier with logos right? Many people do automatically assume vegan items are also cruetly free but that’s not true, they have different meanings.

      I’d love to know what you think of the brands if you do decide to purchase anything!

  • lioness98

    This kind of content is very interesting to me for two reasons. The first reason is because my site is also about makeup but also about beauty in general, so it’s important to me to always hear something new. Another reason is that I privately love to put on makeup and I always like to hear new techniques. Vegan makeup is a great choice for everyone!

  • Crypto Dave

    Wow I had no idea vegan makeup was even a thing, my girlfriend will love this. She will be very impressed with this post and will love the cruelty free options, and she is an animal lover.

    If you live a true vegan life, it is important to have these products, good on you for making us aware, thanks.

  • LineCowley

    This is a great post on vegan make-up and beauty products and I will certainly share it with my two nieces that are vegan. I wrongly assumed that vegan friendly would also mean cruelty free, as no animal products have been used. But I never considered the testing on animals, so thanks for highlighting that. 

    I love the fact that vegan beauty products are better for the environment so will be looking out for the brands that you mention.

    • Sariyah

      Hey line, many get confused with what vegan makeup is and what cruelty free products are, you can take a look at my post, stating the difference between the two 

      Keep an eye out for the many other vegan products out there too!

  • Cogito

    What an interesting article. To be fair I was using “normal makeup” for whole my life and just recently I started to think about change. It was mostly driven by ecology but I also hope it will work better for my skin. Thank you for detailed review, looking forward to test some of your vegan recommendations.

    • Sariyah

      Hey you are welcome!🙂 Oh that’s great! I was just looking into ecology the other day and all how it’s linked, pretty interesting stuff!

  • NoBossExperience

    I am looking for a gift for my sister. That’s why I have heard about vegan makeup. I was first very surprised, then I start to read about it. It’s interesting that you say that vegan doesn’t mean cruelty-free.  You can have a cruelty-free merchandise and  still use honey as an ingredient of your product, for instance. But I never thought that a vegan product could be tested on an animal in a way or another. So the 2 labels should be present. Interesting.

    • Sariyah

      Exactly that! It’s important many people are aware of the these two phrases which often get confused!

      Thanks for the comment!

  • Nina

    I also thought vegan makeup was cruelty-free. And now I’ve read in your article that it’s not necessarily cruelty-free. I’m a little disappointed about this, but I hope that the future development of cosmetics will progress in the direction that all vegan makeup will also be cruelty-free.
    I agree with all the reasons why choosing vegan makeup is better. I clicked on the link and also read the article on why we should switch to vegan makeup. Thanks for raising awareness, and thanks for presenting brands, I am now going to read this article Animal cruelty-free makeup brands.
    Friendly greeting,
    Nina

    • Sariyah

      Hey Nina, thanks for the comment!

      I too certainly have hope that vegan and cruelty-free are going to play a major part in cosmetics in the future!

      Thanks again!

  • Sheen

    HI

    what a great idea to give information on vegan makeup! 

    I am presently trying to transform my diet and eat more and more vegan meals.

    I had not considered vegan makeup and certainly did not know that it existed and so I learnt something today.

    That is also an important tip that just because it is a vegan product that does not necessarily mean it is cruelty against animal free.

    I live in South Africa and I will hunt around and look to see if we have any vegan makeup here for me to try.

    All the best with your continued endeavors.

    Best wishes 

    Sheen

    • Sariyah

      Hiya sheen thanks for stopping by!

      The phrase Vegan and cruelty-free products are often found to be confusing to people as they are used interchangeably often, therefore making many think they mean the same thing when in actual fact they have different meanings.

      Fingers crossed, you find plenty of vegan brands!

  • Brian

    Interesting, I had absolutely no idea vegan makeup was a thing! I honestly never even thought of what goes into makeup or how those companies might test their products. I know some animal lovers that will be happy to know your site exists and I will be sending them your way!

    This does make me wonder though, what are the worst makeup brands out their in relation to cruelty to animals?

    • Sariyah

      It’s true vegan makeup thankfully does exist! Thanks for the comment!

      Answering your question about any makeup brand which is worst compared to another, I personally don’t think theirs one worse than the other, if any brand uses animals cruelly, they’re all just the same. Brands which test on animals include at the moment NARS, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal and many more!

  • Jude

    I must confess that I was very inquisitive about vegan makeup and so I decided to read the post and I was not disappointed. Thanks for writing how to identify if a product is vegan free as I’ve seen some of vegan certified logo’s in the past without knowing it’s meaning especially Peta. I always thought it was another type of ingredient. LOL.

    • Sariyah

      Don’t worry many confuse these phrases, at least now you’ve learnt!

      You thinking it being another ingredient is totally understandable! Thanks for stopping by!

  • Alblue

    Thanks for this great explanation about vegan makeup. I and my sister have been vegetarian for a long time in terms of diet, but recently we start to use vegan products too. I always thought that animal byproducts is alright for vegan, but I was wrong. Well, I should tell my sister to stop using that honey-coated skincare for good. Also, I’m thankful that you mentioning about cruelty-free labels because I also thought it’s the same with vegan! Thank you very much, your article here really give me a lot of new knowledge.

    • Sariyah

      You are totally welcome! Glad to spread the knowledge as I know many often confuse the two phrases, thinking they both mean the same thing. I remember when I thought they ment the same thing so I only used to look out for one of the terms and automatically assume they were same.

  • Kwidzin

    Thanks for sharing this ver interesting and informative article with us all here. I have to say that make up isnt exactly my thing, but its good to see awareness towards the issue of its ethics and great to see more people are maing an effort in stopping animal testing, because otheriwsise theyre equally complicit.

  • JJ

    This is the first time I am hearing about and reading about vegan make up. I have friends who are vegan and I couldn’t grasp their stance on not eating meat at first. Years ago I wondered what was all the fuss about when i heard people refusing products that involved cruelty to animals. Things have changed a lot for me and I am beginning to become more aware of processes that involve testing on animals and subjecting them to abuse. I love to wear make up and my cosmetics are just the regular brands in the stores, but now that I have read about this, opting for vegan make up might not be impossible in the future. Thank you for an eye opener.

    • Sariyah

      Hey JJ I’m glad you are open to learning more, sometimes a few educational posts are all you need to make a change for the better!

      Your welcome! Thanks for visiting!

  • Dr. Angela Gala (Angie)

    I’m glad the cosmetic industry has changed to include vegan options. The ingredients from the silver are as or more effective than those extracted from animals. I think that there is still much that can contribute to the reconstructive function of our bodies in the plant world. Plants have an incredible capacity for regeneration. I appreciate your article to raise awareness about the quality of vegan products. The public can understand that veganism is not cruelty-free since vegan products may also have been tested on animals.

    • Sariyah

      Hi Dr Angela, Every word you have said is true! Plants are quite incredible we can learn so much off them!

      Some many people misinterpret vegan and cruelty-free products, I mean I used to be one of them! It’s always best to raise awareness, we can learn off each other!

      Thanks for stopping by!

  • Diana

    I appreciate that you are a supporter of animal protection. Welcome to the club. I am one of them and I apply this when it comes to the use of cosmetics. I’m glad that you clarified in your article the differences between vegan and cruelty-free beauty products, and also that you specified the existence of logos to confirm that the animals were not involved.

    Unfortunately, the direction in which science is heading today, and the marketing techniques used by the big brands, greatly reduce my confidence in them. I am left only with the hope, that every time I use a cosmetic product, no animal was involved.

    Thank you for sharing this information. Keep up the good work.👍

    • Sariyah

      Hey Diana , a fellow animal protection supporter!

      Sometimes it can be a bit confusing when you think they could be just slapping the labels on, but if that is the case you could try contacting the company or see of the logo is actually certified!

      Your welcome and thanks for stopping by!

  • only1hugh

    You are quite right I had no idea that their Vegan makeup was a thing. I now feel much more knowledgeable after reading your article to appreciate the difference also between vegan and cruelty-free. I did originally assume that vegan-free was cruelty-free but fully now understand the whole use of animals as test subjects. Unfortunately however in markets outside the US, it is a little harder to identify vegan-free as Peta and vegetarian labels are not a thing outside the boutique markets.I am certainly going to turn my girlfriend on to this as this type of makeup marries with her personal dietary habits. Thanks

    • Sariyah

      Hey Hugh thank you for your comment and I’m glad you found this post helpful!

      Peta does operate worldwide however like you’ve mentioned mainly deals with beauty and fashion products as opposed to foods. Many people assume vegan automatically means cruelty free too and vice versa so it’s important to know the differences!

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