Products labeled vegan does not necessarily signify cruelty-free

By Gloria Stovall

Did you know that products labeled ‘vegan’ does not always symbolize ‘cruelty-free?’  I know this may come as a surprise and be quite unsettling; but truth be told, one should not assume cruelty-free products are vegan and vice-versa.  I personally have been buying cruelty-free products for years and always assumed ‘cruelty-free’ meant vegan; but after extensive investigating, research and plain old curiosity, I shockingly discovered cruelty-free is not vegan, in some cases.   For example, Seventh Generation products are vegan, green, certified sustainable, high quality, widely known, popular and the go-to-product for many vegans, including myself up until I found out Seventh Generation is not exactly cruelty-free.  While the ingredients in Seventh Generation products are vegan, the company itself is supporting federal legislation to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act that will require thousands and thousands of new chemical tests on animals.   Why would a company advertising themselves as vegan and cruelty-free be in such enthusiastic support of animal testing is beyond me; but I immediately ceased buying Seventh Generation products when I was enlightened with this dreadful news.   

The ‘cruelty-free’ label is for products and or activities that do not harm or kill animals; and a vegan is one who does not eat food that is derived from animals or use products containing animal cells.   So one would think they signify the same meaning but technically speaking, they are not one in the same as cruelty-free is basically referring to not test on animals and vegan is referring to products not containing animal-derived ingredients.  Now that I am more aware of the differences between products labeled cruelty-free and vegan, I make sure I have done adequate research about the brand to guarantee I will not feel guilty for contributing to animal cruelty. 

Another popular brand among vegans is Method, which is widely known for its 100% vegan products and affordability; but did you know that S.C. Johnson who is notoriously known to conduct and fund extremely cruel tests on animals owns Method.  In other words Method products are indeed vegan; but in a whole are not cruelty-free.  Up until a couple of years ago, I was buying Method products; but as soon as I learned the parent company was S.C. Johnson, I discontinued buying Method products. 

What is all comes down to is learning how to read the labels clearly and not be fooled by the label ‘cruelty-free’ or ‘vegan’ as more often than not, these products are not both cruelty-free and vegan.  Educating yourself about vegan and cruelty-free brands is one of necessary solutions to reducing animal suffering, especially knowing whether or not the parent company funds, supports and conducts animal testing, so you do not inadvertently contribute to animal cruelty.  I realize finding products that are both vegan and cruelty-free can be daunting, so in one of my upcoming blogs, I am going to provide a list of products that are truly both vegan and cruelty-free. 

Thank you so much for reading my blog and I wish you a fantastic day!