Reconsider cruelty-free products and vegan skincare to help cease animal cruelty associated with the products on your face
If you care about the environment and animal welfare, you should have tried vegan and cruelty-free products. Cruelty-free products involve no animal testing or exploitation in the production process while vegan skincare products contain no animal ingredients. Korean skincare, of course, involves the identification of cruelty-free products.
Different countries adopt different laws on animal cruelty, with most of them outlawing it. Because we are talking about Korean skincare, you might care about how the law in South Korea is. In 2018, the South Korean government passed a law that barred animal testing on cosmetics. This came after a 2015 Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s intervention that recommended non-animal alternative tests.
Therefore, Korean skincare manufacturers should be bound to abide by the non-cruelty law. However, their products might still be subjected to animal testing when they wish to export to countries that require post-market animal testing. For example, the Chinese authorities require tests on all imported skincare products regardless of the country of production.
Luckily, there are many countries where animal testing on cosmetics is forbidden. European countries banned animal testing in 2013, and so did New Zealand, India, Turkey, and Israel. Consumers in the said countries can enjoy their favorite K-beauty products with the surety of no animal exploitation in post-production testing.
Cruelty-free and Vegan-friendly. Who is Who?
Being cruelty-free is an entirely different thing from being vegan-friendly. Vegans live a lifestyle that’s founded on non-consumption of products that are made by or from animals. From food, clothing, kitchen essentials, and animal by-products; there are no loose ends. On the other hand, animal-cruelty advocates’ main agenda is to avoid using products that involve testing and exploitation of animals in the production process.
So, a cruelty-free product isn’t necessarily vegan-friendly. More so, there are different certification websites for either type. So, differentiate between the two and choose the products(s) that meet your needs and desires. The K-beauty cosmetics world has;
Cruelty-free and Vegan K-beauty products
Cruelty-free and Non-Vegan K-beauty products
Non-Vegan and Cruel K-beauty products
Cruelty-free Certification
Animal non-cruelty certification is usually costly and mostly involves employees having constant checks on products. Moreover, most of these certification bodies require yearly renewals and location restrictions that disqualify most, if not all K-beauty brands. However, with the 2018 5 Year Plan for Animal Welfare, all Korean brands are prohibited from testing products on animals. So, not unless a South Korean brand sets up a production firm or imports their products to locations where animal cruelty is allowed, K-beauty products are non-cruelty.
(You don’t want to hurt it, do you?)
Leaping Bunny is a popular non-cruelty organization that lists all certified brands and issues a logo to match the course. Other organizations that employ a similar approach include;
Choose Cruelty-Free
Cruelty-Free
Note: Unbeknownst to many, South Korea has legislation that outlaw animal testing on cosmetics. Also, countries in the European Union and others like Turkey, New Zealand, and India have since banned animal cruelty. This means that K-beauty products produced or exported to these countries are cruelty-free. However, brands that choose to import to regions like mainland China, where post-market testing is mandatory, are an exception.
Vegan Certification
Korean skincare products are popular across the globe for the use of ingredients like Horse Oil, Beeswax, Snail Secretion, Pig Collagen, among others. This, in itself, means that most of the brands are not worth of the vegan label. However, there are a few that practice veganism, mostly sourcing ingredients from plants. In fact, while vegan cosmetics are not very popular in Korea, the steps taken by the government to ban animal cruelty are a clear indication of the major strides the county is taking towards responsible skincare.
Why Vegan?
There are numerous reasons why vegan skincare is worthwhile. Firstly, vegan products use natural ingredients that are more refined and undisturbed as compared to processed synthetic ingredients. More so, vegan products are produced without causing harm to any animals for ingredients. So, if you prefer cruelty-free products, why not go for the vegan options as well?
Lastly, considering that the skin absorbs 60% of the products we apply, vegan products are certainly better. You don’t want your skin to be absorbing synthetic ingredients when there’s a natural option. Do you?
Vegan products can be a soothing alternative to pore-clogging serums and oils, especially for people with sensitive, acne-prone skin. Plant-derived ingredients contain higher percentages of vitamins and minerals that repair and revive the skin. Remember, you feel far healthier when you stick to a vegan diet. Don’t you? Well, the same logic applies to skincare.
To sum it up, if you wish to adopt a vegan skincare routine, we recommend that you look into the ingredients before buying a product. Ingredients like Squalene, Bee products, hyaluronic acid, lanolin, and collagen are an indicator of a non-vegan product. So, now that you have the information on K-beauty cruelty-free and vegan products, here are some of our recommendations. What’s more, they’re available at Tofusecret.
COSRX
This incredible Korean cosmetics brand has a full catalog of cruelty-free skincare products. And while not all products are vegan, the brand has an excellent selection of vegan options like;
While it might not be completely vegan, Innisfree has a lot of vegan-friendly skincare products in its collection. Products in the catalog do not use animal-based ingredients, parabens, fragrances, synthetic colors, among other potential irritants.
Use Code: SK2FEVER 
