Skincare

Lotions, serums, creams. Vegan, cruelty-free and organic are three separate standards.

Three standards, not one

In skincare, vegan (no animal-derived ingredients), cruelty-free (no animal testing) and organic (certified organic material) are independent. Meeting one says nothing about the others.

Japan requires full ingredient disclosure on cosmetics, so an ingredient list will get you some of the way on animal-derived materials. Some entries remain ambiguous — lanolin, squalane (which comes from both animal and plant sources), collagen.

What to check

The full ingredient list
Ingredients with two possible origins, squalane in particular
Certification marks: vegan schemes, Leaping Bunny, COSMOS
Whether it is a cosmetic or a quasi-drug