When choosing beauty and wellness products, you may come across terms such as vegan, cruelty-free, natural, clean and waterless. Certification logos and ingredient lists can offer more information, but it is not always clear what each claim means.

These terms describe different aspects of a product. Vegan refers to its ingredients, while cruelty-free relates to animal testing. Waterless describes a formulation approach, while natural and clean can mean different things depending on the brand and market.

Understanding these differences can help you assess product claims more carefully. In this guide, we explain what these terms mean, what to look for when checking them, and how third-party certifications can help you make informed choices.

Vegan: What It Actually Means

Vegan beauty means a product contains no animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products. That includes some ingredients you might not immediately recognise as animal-derived.

When you see a vegan beauty claim, here’s what to know:

•  No animal-derived ingredients: This can include beeswax, lanolin, collagen and carmine.

•  Ingredient names can be misleading: Beeswax may appear as Cera Alba, while carmine can be listed as CI 75470. Ingredient transparency matters because you cannot always identify an ingredient’s origin at a glance.

•  Being vegan does not automatically mean cruelty-free; vegan refers to the ingredients used in a product. Cruelty-free refers to animal testing. They are separate claims.

• Certification adds another layer of confidence: Look for recognised third-party verification, such as The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark, which assesses products against standards covering animal-derived ingredients and animal testing.

•  Look beyond the label: If a product does not carry a recognised certification, check whether the brand clearly explains its ingredients, formulation and approach to animal testing.

Checking the ingredient list and the brand's explanation of its vegan claim can help you understand what the claim covers.

Cruelty-Free: What It Actually Means

Cruelty-free focuses on animal testing rather than animal-derived ingredients.

In simple terms, a cruelty-free claim means a product has not been tested on animals. But the important question is how far that commitment extends. Does it cover only the finished product? What about the ingredients? What about suppliers?

This is where cruelty-free certification becomes useful.

The Leaping Bunny programme, operated by Cruelty Free International, applies standards that extend to products, ingredients and supply chains, with independent audits and supplier checks built into its approval process. PETA’s Ultimate Cruelty-Free List similarly requires companies to verify that they and their ingredient suppliers do not test on animals.

That distinction matters because simply saying “we don’t test on animals” does not tell you everything about how a product was developed.

When assessing a brand’s cruelty-free credentials, look for:

• A clear animal-testing policy
• Information about ingredient suppliers
• Recognised third-party verification
• A certification or programme you can independently check

Remember that cruelty-free does not automatically mean vegan. A cruelty-free product may still contain ingredients such as beeswax or lanolin.

If you care about both animal welfare and avoiding animal-derived ingredients, you need to look for both claims.

What Does Waterless Beauty Mean?

Waterless beauty sounds straightforward, but there is more to the term than simply removing water from a formula.

A waterless, or anhydrous, formula does not use water as a primary ingredient. Instead, it relies on other ingredients to make up the formulation. When you are assessing a waterless product, these are the points worth keeping in mind:

•  It can reduce reliance on water as a raw material: Instead of using water as the base of a formula, a waterless product can use other purposeful ingredients.

• It does not automatically mean that a product is more potent: a formula’s performance depends on its full composition and how its ingredients work together.

•  It does not mean the product cannot hydrate your skin: Water in a formula and skin hydration are two different things. Ingredients can help attract, retain, or replenish moisture without water being the main ingredient.

• Formulation choices still matter: A waterless formula uses other ingredients in place of water, so it is worth understanding their purpose and how they contribute to the product.

ANOTHER LAND uses ZeroDilute™ technology to replace water with organic aloe extract in its self-care products.

When assessing a waterless product, it is worth looking at which ingredients replace the water and what role they serve in the formula. The absence of water alone does not determine a product’s performance or suitability. Understanding the ingredients and their purpose provides a clearer picture of the formulation.

Why ‘Natural’ and ‘Clean’ Are Not Certifiable Claims

Natural and clean sound reassuring, but neither term tells you exactly what a product contains or how it was made.

Natural Is Not One Fixed Standard

There is no single universal legal definition of natural for cosmetics. In the US, for example, the FDA does not define the term for cosmetic labelling. So when a brand uses natural, check what it actually means and how it supports the claim.

Clean Means Different Things

Clean is even less specific. Brands may use it to describe certain ingredients they avoid, their formulation philosophy, or their manufacturing standards. One brand’s definition may look very different from another’s.

Transparency Tells You More

This is where ingredient transparency matters. A brand that clearly explains its choices gives you context instead of asking you to take a marketing claim at face value.

The same principle applies to sustainability claims. Consider the information a brand provides about its ingredients, manufacturing processes and packaging. Where available, independent third-party verification can help you assess these claims.

ANOTHER LAND's Approach to Self-Care

ANOTHER LAND's self-care range reflects our approach to ingredient selection and formulation.

Vegan and Cruelty-Free by Design

Our self-care range is vegan and cruelty-free. We do not use animal-derived ingredients, including honey, which can be obtained without killing animals.

Our Waterless Formulation Approach

Our ZeroDilute™ technology replaces water with organic aloe extract in our self-care products. This formulation approach reflects our consideration of water use and the role of ingredients in product development.

Research and Independent Standards

Our formulas are developed in collaboration with scientists and researchers at Jolab in Taiwan.

JOLA International, which operates Jolab, became a certified B Corporation in September 2025.  B Lab assesses areas including governance, workers, community, environment and customers. This provides additional context about the wider organisation and its business practices.

Final Thoughts

Understanding beauty and wellness claims can help you make choices that reflect your priorities. Vegan, cruelty-free and waterless describe different aspects of a product, while terms such as natural and clean may need further explanation.

At ANOTHER LAND, we consider the ingredients and formulation choices behind our self-care products. We believe that clear information helps you understand those choices and decide what works for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a product be vegan but not cruelty-free?

Yes. Vegan refers to products that avoid animal-derived ingredients, while cruelty-free refers to products that avoid animal testing. The two claims are separate, so check for both if they matter to you.

Are waterless products safe for sensitive skin?

Waterless doesn't automatically mean it's better for sensitive skin. Check the full ingredient list and choose products that suit your skin’s needs.

What’s the single most important certification to look for in wellness products?

There is no single certification that covers everything. Choose one based on what matters most to you, whether that is vegan ingredients, cruelty-free practices, or wider environmental and social standards.

Shop with clarity. ANOTHER LAND brings together vegan, cruelty-free and waterless self-care, with thoughtful formulation at the heart of every product. Explore our face care, body care and home range.