Veganism isn’t just about what you eat, but how you live.

It’s often said that vegan isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle. That means vegans make animal-friendly choices in all sorts of areas, such as wearing non-leather shoes and avoiding wool, as well as seeking out cruelty-free skincare.

But unfortunately, it can be really quite confusing trying to work out which cosmetics and toiletries hit the sweet spot of being both vegan (i.e. contain no animal products) and cruelty-free (i.e. don’t contain ingredients that have been tested on animals).

Here’s the low-down on finding vegan-friendly skincare:

1. No Kitemark Doesn’t Mean Not Suitable For Vegans

Not every product that is vegan-friendly has a cruelty-free kitemark - such as the famous leaping bunny - but that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t suitable for vegans; it just means that the company who made the shampoo or the face cream hasn’t paid for certification.

2. No Products Sold In The EU Are Tested On Animals - But Some Ingredients Might Have Been

It’s no longer permitted in the UK to advertise the fact that your product hasn’t been tested on animals, as EU regulations mean that no product sold here is allowed to be tested like this anymore.

But some skincare ingredients (especially synthetic additives) might have been tested in the past, and some brands do comply with compulsory animal testing in other countries - if they’re exported to China, for example.

3. Some Products Are Labelled As Natural But Contain Ingredients That Have Been Derived From Animals.

It’s also possible to market a product as ‘natural’ but still be using animal-derived ingredients such as lanolin or keratin, or colours, preservatives and emulsifiers made from animals, rather than plant-based alternatives.

"Here at Balmonds, we’re happy to say that - except for the local beeswax we use in our ointments - all our oils and creams are free from animal-based ingredients and do not use any ingredients tested on animals."

We don’t use any ingredients made from cow’s milk; we don’t add fragrances processed from living creatures; we chose alternatives to dairy-derived fatty acids, animal-derived glycerin, keratin, lanolin, tallow, ingredients made from fish or shellfish, or ingredients made from egg protein.

In fact, all our creams and oils, as well as our haircare, are perfectly safe for vegans, as well as for anyone wanting to make sure that the toiletries they use are genuinely cruelty-free.

You can rest assured that we also use plant-based alternatives rather than synthetics when such a choice exists.

Vegan-friendly products

You can find all our vegan-friendly products on our dedicated page. Below is just a few favourites.

Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream
with shea butter and calendula

Bath & Body Oil
with lavender, hemp and olive