Everything you need to know about vegan cosmetics and their labels
Animals in my beauty products?
Surprisingly, most conventional products use animal-derived ingredients to achieve a better texture or result at a lower cost . Aside from the well-known honey, propolis, and donkey milk, you'll find many other animal-derived ingredients in your favorite shampoo and lipstick .Here are some examples:
- Carmine : Used in lipsticks, blushes and nail polishes, the red pigment is obtained by crushing cochineal insects.
- Lanolin : This is a fat derived from sheep's wool used in particular in moisturizing creams.
- Guanine : derived from fish scales, it is used to give a pretty iridescent color to cosmetics.
- Collagen : When it is of animal origin, it comes from skin or bones and is used to provide a temporary plumping or firming effect.
- Pork or beef fat : used for its moisturizing properties.
- Keratin : taken from horns, hooves, tendons and even animal hair, it is found in shampoos and other hair care products.
Cruelty-free: what is it?
A “ Cruelty free ” product is a cosmetic not tested on animals .
These tests have been banned for cosmetics sold in Europe since September 21, 2016 .
"Before the testing ban, nearly 9,000 animals, including rats, mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits, were used by the cosmetics industry in Europe in 2004, according to European Commission figures. This number fell to just 1,510 after the first ban in 2004* and to 344 in 2009**. But outside Europe, it is estimated that another 15,000 to 27,000 animals are still undergoing laboratory tests." (Source: 20 minutes – 03/11/2013 )
While legislation prohibits testing for European cosmetics, there are, however, exemptions granted to companies that manufacture more than one tonne of chemical ingredients per year in Europe... It is therefore important to check that the cosmetic has not been tested on animals .
The difference between organic, cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics
An organic cosmetic is made from natural ingredients and from organic farming , but organic cosmetic labels allow the presence of ingredients derived from animals such as milk or honey for example.As seen previously, a Vegan cosmetic does not contain any animal material and no testing is carried out on animals .
“ Cruelty Free ” indicates that the product has not been tested on animals .
In short, if a cosmetic is Cruelty free , it is not necessarily Vegan . On the other hand, Vegan products are necessarily Cruelty free . You should therefore favor products labeled Vegan , which guarantee you products without ingredients of animal origin and without testing on animals.
How can you be sure that a cosmetic is truly vegan?
Unfortunately, there is no framework for the "vegan" claim . Faced with this, some brands take advantage of it to display it with impunity, even though no checks are carried out.
Only the presence of a vegan label strictly guarantees the absence of animal components . There are 12 international labels that you can trust. For France, these most common labels are: The pink-eared rabbit "Cruelty Free & VEGAN" and the green Vegan flower , by the Vegan Society. 
Vegan Label
Awarded by the NGO Vegan Society, this logo ensures that the product is vegan and not tested on animals.
Cruelty-free & Vegan label
Originating from the PETA association, this logo is available in cruelty-free (not tested on animals) and cruelty-free and vegan (not tested and without material of animal origin).
Because animal welfare is a value that is dear to us, at LÉONIA we have chosen to design 100% Vegan cosmetics and all have been labeled VEGAN by the Vegan Society.
