The first time that I realized beauty products contain animal products or are tested on animals, happened when I saw Legally Blonde 2 for the first time, well over a decade ago. Elle Woods was looking for Buster’s mom (yes, her tiny Chihuahua) to invite her to the wedding, and found out his mom was in a laboratory for animal testing. I was shocked…for real. Luckily many cosmetics and beauty care brands have completely moved away from animal products and testing, so it’s easy to find personal care products that fit into a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. A lot of these products tend to be organic and allergen free too, which alleviates difficulty in finding products for those with other lifestyle restrictions or allergies as well.
There are an array of logos certifying vegan and cruelty free products by the American Vegetarian Society and PETA, an organization aimed toward ensuring ethical treatment of animals and others. It’s easy to watch out for these logos on product labels, but plenty of beauty products don’t have the certification. Reading the ingredients list is always your fail proof guide for choosing a product. But having a few known favorites and a few common hidden animal-derived ingredients to watch out for is always a helpful start when you’re shopping!
Be on the lookout for these ingredients names!
Guanine – This ingredient is derived from ground up fish scales, and offers the shine and shimmer in products like eyeshadows and highlighters.
Collagen – A substance found naturally in most living animals, this ingredient is derived from animal bone and tissue, and is most used in anti-aging skin care.
Casein – A protein found in milk that is used in face treatments, conditioning products and creams.
Animal hair – Animal hair is often used in makeup brushes and hair brushes.
Beeswax – A popular ingredient in moisturizers and lip balms.
Keratin – made from ground up animal bones and hooves, this common ingredient is rising in popularity in the hair care industry due to its ability to strengthen and tame hair.
Carmine – This is the chemical name for the common red dye, used in lipsticks and blushes. It is made from crushed insects. Yuck!
Gelatin – Animal bone derived ingredient used as a thickener in products like body gels, hair gels, etc.
Cosmetics
Makeup is the biggest culprit for animal derived ingredients. Below are a few of my favorite vegan cosmetic brands, if you need a place to start!
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Urban Decay
Too Faced
Tarte
Elf
NYX
Personal Care
Although switching your cosmetics is important, many other products are just as important. You need to make sure your hair care, skin care, oral care, and soaps are all vegan. This can sometimes be the more important priority in families. Here are a few easy to find vegan personal care brands to try!
Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo & Conditioner
100% Pure
Shea Moisture
Nature’s Gate
Tom of Maine
Let us know if there are any vegetarian or vegan beauty products that your family swears by! And don’t forget to download the Now Find Vegetarian App, so we can keep you up to date on vegetarian and vegan products, recipes and lifestyle tips!
For more information on vegetarian and vegan living, please visit our website.
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