FAQ Vegan

What about cosmetics can’t be vegan and what does that even mean?

Cosmetics labelled as vegan do not contain ingredients produced by or from animals. For example, many cosmetics use the red dye carmine, which is made of pregnant lice. Raw materials from dead vertebrates, including emu oil, mink oil and collagen, are also often used in cosmetics, and sometimes even in natural cosmetics. However, the term vegan is not protected and can in principle be used by any manufacturer. Our products are therefore all certified as guaranteed vegan by the Vegan Society.

Why are FAIR SQUARED products vegan, even without milk and honey?

We at FAIR SQUARED want to be fair not only to our producers and the environment, but also to the beings living with us on this planet. For us, this means of course not to see them as “ingredients” or to use them for that purpose. This includes not using honey and milk in our products, even though some cosmetics manufacturers are in favour of them. For milk, female cows must regularly give birth to calves – just as all mammals produce breast milk for their offspring – which are then usually taken away from them shortly after birth, as they are seen as “waste products” by the dairy industry. We take a clear position against this. And honey also has the problem that it is actually intended as food for the bee larvae. Taking honey away requires feeding a sugar substitute, which makes the bee colony generally more susceptible to diseases. Sometimes, the queens’ wings are even cut off to prevent the colony from flying away. In addition, many animals die during each honey harvest, as they are simply crushed by the mechanical processes.

Does vegan automatically mean without animal testing?

Here, too, unfortunately not per se. Although animal testing for cosmetic purposes has been officially banned in the EU since 2013, there are still legal loopholes that allow testing on animals through detours. In addition to our cooperation with the Vegan Society, we have also contacted the animal rights organisation PeTA and assured them that we do not conduct or commission any animal testing, neither at present nor in the future. This is also checked and verified through the NATRUE seal. All FAIR SQUARED products are cruelty-free!