Though some brands are still making the transition to being “cruelty-free,” the concept is nothing new to Fièra Cosmetics.
To us, being an all-natural beauty brand not only means being all-natural with our ingredients, but all-natural with our methods as well.
That’s why in addition to being cruelty-free, we’re also paraben-free, BHA & BHT free, and fragrance-free.
In this article, we’ll explain why that first one is so important to us.
What Does Cruelty-Free Mean?
Most people might assume that being cruelty-free means that a company doesn’t test its products on animals. But many companies, especially vegan companies, will take that a step further. For some, in addition to not testing on animals, cruelty-free means:
- Products aren’t made with anything animal-derived
- The company has cruelty-free verification from a trusted source
Of course, some companies perhaps tested products on animals in the past, but are trying to make changes now. For them, cruelty-free can mean:
- In the past 5 years, no products have been tested on animals
- They do not test on animals but do use ingredients that are animal-derived
And then, there are some companies that claim to be cruelty-free, but seem to find a few loopholes:
- The testing on animals occurs in a different country
- The testing on animals occurs via a 3rd party source
- The company doesn’t test on animals themselves but uses the findings of other brands that are not cruelty-free to inform their development process
However, at Fièra Cosmetics, our transparency in both our products and our methods is a source of pride for us. Our products are made in the United States, no animal testing involved, and no hidden agenda.
Here’s Why…
In 2015, Cruelty-Free International estimated that 192.1 million animals were used for scientific testing globally. You might imagine that to only include mice and bunnies, but we’re talking about dogs and monkeys as well.
Specifically, because of beauty-brand related testing, 500,000 animals die per year. The International Humane Society is working hard to bring light to that reality, along with a few other organizations.
PETA is one of those fellow organizations that denounce animal testing and makes it quite clear what a company must do to achieve “cruelty-free” status, via PETA.
In addition to never conducting animal testing, PETA requires their verified beauty brands to never commission, allow, or finance animal testing in the products, or in the ingredients.
What’s An Animal Ingredient?
Animal ingredients can be difficult to spot if you don’t know the verbiage brands use to list them. These animal-derived ingredients can include, but are not limited to:
- Lanolin: Sheep wool secretion used in moisturizers
- Tallow: Animal fat excess found in foundations, eye makeup, and lipsticks
- Gelatin: Pig or cow hooves, and pig or cow bones used in shampoos and face masks
- Silk: Silkworms derived products used in powders
- Cochineal: Female lac beetle secretion used for red-dye additive
- Oils: Emu oil, musk oil, and mink oil are often used in moisturizers and serums
- Bee-related: Propolis, pollen, honey, and royal jelly are used in lip plumpers and other skin products
- Carmine: Crushed beetles used in chapsticks and lipsticks
- Ambergris: Sperm whale intestine oil used in perfumes
- Squalene: Shark liver oil used for moisturizers
Without prior knowledge about these ingredients, this information can be pretty alarming to learn about. Across the board, animal-derived ingredients are far more common than the average consumer realizes.
Regardless of whether a brand is vegan or not, transparency about the ingredients of its products is the most important way to ensure that you are getting exactly what you want, and what you need.
The more you know, the better.
Cruelty-Free in History
Fièra Cosmetics is a proud leader in the charge for cruelty-free cosmetics. Many beauty brands are also well on their way, thanks in part to important legislation.
In 2017, according to the International Humane Society, the United States announced legislation to ban animal testing within the world of cosmetics. The following year, California also decided to ban the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.
That said, the fight is not over, despite its pretty long-lasting battle. Cruelty-Free International, as previously mentioned, was actually founded in 1898, and has continued to carry out cruelty-free motions ever since.
More From Fièra
At Fièra, our practices are as good as our products.
For some of the best all-natural skincare and beauty products on the market for mature skin, find more information here.