Why fans are questioning Kylie Skin’s vegan claims

Kylie Jenner‘s Kylie Skin launch has brought out the internet sleuths.

A critic recently took to social media to question whether the skincare line from the youngest Kardashian-Jenner family member is actually vegan and cruelty-free, as it claims to be.

The controversy is centered on two ingredients found in the line’s Vanilla Milk Toner ($22) and Foaming Face Wash ($24): squalane and hydroxyacetophenone, respectively.

The first is a popular ingredient that claims to clean skin without stripping moisture, but it seems some are confusing it for the similarly-named squalene, which is derived from shark liver oil.

On its website, Kylie Skin states that its plant-based squalane is “a highly refined moisturizing oil derived from olives that helps to strengthen and restore skin’s moisture barrier.”

Nicola Kilner, CEO of Deciem, whose brand, The Ordinary, offers a popular squalane cleanser ($7.90), explained the difference between the vegan compound and its shark-derived counterpart to Page Six Style.

“Squalane is a saturated and stable hydrocarbon that is found naturally in the skin. Our vegan squalane The Ordinary uses is 100% pure plant-derived and sourced from sugarcane,” she said. “Although squalane and squalene sound very similar and have their benefits on the skin, they differ in their origin and composition.”

“Squalene is a natural compound found in certain plants and commercially obtained from fish oils, specifically shark-liver oil,” she added, “whereas squalane is a hydrocarbon that is sustainably sourced from sugarcane.”

Hydroxyacetophenone is listed as the fourth ingredient in Jenner’s face wash; the product uses 4-hydroxyacetophenone, which is derived from berries.

But 3-hydroxyacetophenone, a different version of the product, is a component of castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of the mature beaver.

According to Mia Saini Duchnowski, the co-founder and CEO of vegan and cruelty-free brand Oars + Alps, the synthetic variation is common in skin products.

“It’s mostly used in cosmetics for a variety of reasons such as boosting the efficacy of preservatives, as a soothing agent and for antioxidant inclusion,” she told Page Six Style.

Certified Vegan issues an official certification for food and beauty companies; although Kylie Skin is not yet listed as a recipient, the application and vetting period takes weeks, and Jenner just launched her skincare line on May 22.

Jenner previously came under fire for including a walnut scrub in her Kylie Skin range, and was mocked for the makeup residue left on her face after washing with her cleanser.

But controversy clearly hasn’t swayed Jenner’s fans; the first round of six products, including a $125 bundle, all sold out almost immediately and bundles that were restocked on Wednesday similarly sold out in two hours.

The rest of the products will be available again on Monday.