Why is Cruelty-Free Makeup Important?

We are all growing increasingly conscious of the way we spend our money, with 2020 really highlighting the extent to which we can vote with our dollar. In the same way that we have adopted a more considered approach to what we put in our body and apply to our skin, we are being more thoughtful with how we shop, looking for brands with values that align with our own.

We believe in clean, kind beauty, so beyond creating products that are good for your skin, the jane iredale range is also good for the planet with each formula being certified cruelty-free. When you purchase a jane iredale product, you can feel confident in the knowledge that your new beauty buy has not been tested on animals.

But what does it mean to be truly “cruelty-free” and is there a way to guarantee that your purchases haven’t been tested on animals?

What does Cruelty-Free beauty really mean?

For products to legitimately be deemed as cruelty-free makeup, it means that the product itself has not been tested on animals nor have any of the individual ingredients been tested on animals.

Where “cruelty-free” can become confusing is when a product is stocked in China. China, among some other markets, actually requires imported brands to test their products on animals as part of the country’s sales registration process. This is why some brands often state that they are cruelty-free and do not test their products on animals “unless required by law”. If a brand sells its products in China, then that brand is not legitimately cruelty-free.

Is there a difference between cruelty-free makeup and vegan beauty products?

Another source of confusion for many consumers is establishing and navigating the difference between cruelty-free makeup and vegan beauty.

Cruelty-free makeup, on its own, means that the product has not been tested on animals, but the product may still contain animal-derived ingredients. For brands, “vegan beauty” often only considers that the product does not contain any animal derivatives within the ingredients, but unless the product is also certified “cruelty-free” it may still have been tested on animals.

The entire jane iredale portfolio is certified cruelty-free, and the vast majority of products are vegan too. jane iredale is a clean and performance-focused beauty range and in some cases, animal-derived ingredients have been used over a chemical alternative to ensure the products are clean and performance-focused. We include the ingredients list on each product listing on our website, as well as include whether it is vegan-friendly. You can also find a list here.

How can you shop cruelty-free makeup and beauty?

To really guarantee that your products are cruelty-free, look for third-party certification.

All jane iredale products have been certified by both Leaping Bunny and PETA to ensure that the entire range is legitimately cruelty-free. The Leaping Bunny certification means that jane iredale has been certified 100% cruelty-free by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, a respected alliance of eight international animal protection groups who together created the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals, a voluntary pledge that companies make against animal testing. PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is the most widely recognised animal welfare organisation in the world. jane iredale has been PETA certified and is also listed in their online cruelty-free shopping guide.

For more information about our cruelty-free certification, click here.