Vegan Beauty
Finding fully vegan beauty products can be challenging in mainstream shops.
Here is a list of non-vegan ingredients, to help you know what to avoid:
(i) lanolin (derived from sheep wool); (ii) shellac (obtained from lac bugs); (iii) glycerine (often derived from animal fats); (iv) casein (usually derived from cow’s milk); (v) squalene (extracted from shark liver oil); (vi) guanine (scraped from fish scales); (vii) oleic acid / oleic stearate / oleic oleate / tallow (historically derived from animal fat); (viii) stearic acid (often derived from animal stomachs); (ix) carmine / cochineal / natural red 4 / E120 / CI 75470 (a red colorant derived from insects); (x) collagen (derived from animal tissue); (xi) elastin (similar to collagen); (xii) keratin (derived from animal hair or horns); (xiii) beeswax / cera alba (produced by bees); (xiv) animal hair (found in many brushes, even some marked ‘cruelty-free’).
There are plant-based alternatives to at least some of these ingredients, but unfortunately products are often not clearly labelled when these are used or not used.
Here are some fully vegan, cruelty-free beauty and wellness businesses:
