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At its core, a vegan beauty product is one that contains no ingredients or byproducts derived from animal folks. However, the term “vegan” is not legally regulated in the beauty industry. This means brands can label their products as vegan without facing strict scrutiny or adherence to universal standards. Let’s Understand the Words on Labels. One of the challenges of shopping for vegan beauty is that labels can be misleading. Terms like “natural,” “organic,” and “clean” are often conflated with vegan, even though they have no direct correlation. A product can be 100% natural and still contain animal-folk-derived ingredients; similarly, a product can be organic but tested on animal-people. To navigate the murky waters of vegan beauty, certifications are your best friend. Unless a product has been certified as vegan or cruelty-free by a reputable third party, shopping for vegan beauty products often means becoming an ingredient detective. Many animal-folk-derived ingredients, including obvious culprits like honey, whey, eggs, beeswax, lanolin, and carmine, as well as less obvious ones, are hidden behind scientific names that make them difficult to identify. Here’s a list of some common ones: Ambergris; beeswax, which is also called cera alba and is very common; carmine, which is a common red dye also known as Red 5; cochineal or carminic acid; and casein, caseinate, and sodium caseinate; cholesterol; collagen; estrogen or estradiol; keratin; lanolin; lecithin; glycerides; monoglycerides; musk; oleic acid; placenta; polypeptides; polysorbates; progestrone and retinol; and lactic acid. And glyceride or glycerol can both be derived from animals, but companies have started to use plant sources. So you might need to contact the company if you’re unsure. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the brand’s company directly. To communicate with brand producers, we suggest asking the following questions to cover all aspects of the brand, from the ingredients to the finished product: - “Does the product contain animal-people-derived ingredients?” - “Do you test on animal folks at any point during the production of your products?” - “Are the ingredients tested on animal-persons by your supplier?” - “Does any third-party test on animal folks on your behalf?” It’s always good to ask for a list of vegan products from the company to save time, especially if the company carries only certain vegan brands. From an environmental perspective, another challenge of vegan beauty shopping is that not all vegan products are environmentally friendly. Besides, to make truly eco-conscious choices, look beyond the vegan label and consider the product’s overall environmental impact, opt for brands that use sustainable ingredients, biodegradable packaging, and ethical sourcing practices. Remember, the power lies with us, the consumer. Every purchase we make is a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. With the right knowledge and a little effort, we can ensure that our beauty routine is as kind to animal-citizens and the planet as it is to ourselves.
