Going vegan and avoiding all animal by-products, especially with your skincare and cosmetics, is not an easy proposition. A lot of products out there present themselves as vegan simply because they do not believe in animal testing, but what they don’t realise is that the composite ingredients in fact come from animals.
So, how do you, as a consumer, look out for whether the products you’re using contain zero extracts from animals and are 100% vegan?
The following are the products that should not be used along with vegan in the same sentence:
Lanolin: This is what one would call an emollient, which is grease or fat extracted from the wool of sheep. It’s a very common ingredient in lip and hair products.
Glycerin: This is a highly common ingredient, extracted from animal fats, in most of the soaps, face washes, and cosmetics sold in the market.
Keratin: This is found in most hair products and treatments as a ‘strengthening agent’, but is in fact derived from an animal’s hair and horns.
Collagen and Elastin: These two ingredients, which feature prominently in a lot of anti-ageing products, are extracted from the ligaments, muscles, and tissues of animals.
Beeswax: The name itself gives it away! Although you may not realise it, beeswax is a prime component of most cosmetic products, especially ones that do not explicitly state their ingredients.
Here are the plant-based skincare ingredients and indicators for a happy and satisfying vegan life:
Plant-Based Oils and Butters: These oils, including almond, coconut, olive, and butters, including coconut and shea, are good replacements for lanolin, collagen, beeswax and keratin. They can also be used to extract glycerine.
Soya Protein: This wonderful protein, which is also quite inexpensive, is an alternative to collagen and keratin. It can also be used to extract soya wax, an excellent replacement for beeswax.
Plant and Nut-Based Milks: These milks, including almond and coconut, are rich in protein and act wonderfully as ingredients for skincare products and cosmetics.
Proudly Vegan
These natural skincare ingredients are gentle on the skin and very effective. There are various benefits of plant-based skincare. Plant-based skincare is not only good for your skin but also for the environment. Most importantly, make sure that your products are proud to be 100% vegan (just like Vedaearth!).
