Vegan and Beautiful

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the skin is the first attribute that signifies beauty for many people. According to naturopaths, any product applied on the skin is absorbed in small quantities. This means that it is imperative to consider what we apply, and the long-term effects on the skin and body not only for health reasons but also for ethical ones.

If you are inclined to follow a vegan diet, then it only makes sense to apply the same standard toyour makeup and skin care. If your interest in the well-being of animals has motivated your switch to a vegan diet, revamping your cosmetics bag in favour of vegan cosmetics should be part of your lifestyle upgrade. Many traditional and organic cosmetics contain animal products and bi-product ingredients you may want to avoid to remain in integrity with your vegan heart.

Myriads of individuals embrace the vegan lifestyle and are looking for cruelty-free, vegan makeup. There are several misconceptions around vegan cosmetics and cruelty-free cosmetics that you should be aware of before making the switch to vegan cosmetics.

What are vegan cosmetics?

Vegan cosmetics are simply cosmetics that are free from animal products or bi-products. Common animal-based ingredients found in cosmetics that you may want to avoid are:

·       Beeswax

·       Cochineal Dye (Carmine): a red dye made from bugs

·       Guanine: crushed fish scales

·       Tallow: rendered animal fat

·       Gelatin: boiled skin and bones

·       Estradiol: a hormone extracted from pregnant horse urine

·       Retinol: an animal derived anti-aging ingredient

·       Collagen: anti-aging ingredient derived from animal tissue

·       Lanolin: a moisturizing ingredient from sheep’s skin sebum

Vegan Cosmetics do not mean Cruelty-Free

There is a common misconception that a vegan cosmetic product is also, by default, cruelty-free. The only thing a vegan claim means as far as cosmetics are concerned is that none of the ingredients in the product are animal based or animal bi-products. When you think about vegan cosmetics just think about the ingredients not the ethics behind the manufacturing of the product. There are many, many brands currently claiming and marketing their products as vegan while still testing them on animals.

Cruelty-free cosmetics do not mean they are vegan.

Likewise, just because a product claims to be cruelty-free does not mean that it is also vegan and made without animal-based ingredients. There are many PETA and Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free cosmetics that are not vegan.

Natural Cosmetics do not mean they are vegan.

While both living a natural lifestyle and living a vegan lifestyle are choices many people consider healthier ways to live, the word “natural” does not mean, at any level, that a product is vegan.

Here are some useful tips that can help you be keener on your next vegan cosmetics purchase:

Check the Labels

You can start by using the short list above to determine if your products are vegan. Look at the ingredient list even if the company makes vegan cosmetic claims. Often, companies truly believe their products are vegan but are uninformed. It’s common to find a product with a vegan claim and an animal-based ingredient in the list. Always do your own investigation regardless of the claim.

Should I avoid bee products like beeswax?

Bees are living beings and beeswax is a bi-product of the bee’s creation. Per vegan philosophy,bees and anything coming from them including wax and honey is out, and on the vegan ‘no-no’ list.  If you choose to adopt the vegan lifestyle, it’s up to you to decipher where you will draw your personal line in the sand.

Any substitute for traditional makeup brushes?

It would be quite the paradox to avoid animal ingredients in makeup and by “cruelty-free cosmetics” only to apply the products using brushes made of goat or pony hair. Luckily there are replacements to the traditional cosmetics brush set such as vegan makeup brushes that are use super soft synthetic hairs and offers superior product application without the shedding and smell associated with animal hair cosmetic brushes.

Our skin is an outward expression of our health and beauty. One thing is for certain, that going organic and indeed using vegan cosmetics and brushes that are also certified cruelty-free is a step in the right direction.