What You Should Know About Vegan Cosmetics

The cosmetics industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that is always changing. Whenever you purchase beauty items, you probably notice that the ingredients list is quite long. However, do you know what each ingredient is? Do you know that's the difference between 'cruelty-free and 'vegan'? In the following article, we will review the world of vegan cosmetics and what you should know about the ingredients that make up your makeup.

What is Cruelty-Free Cosmetics?

As mentioned in the intro, there are two types of animal-related: cruelty-free and vegan. The two are not the same, and now we can set the records straight:

Cruelty-free products are products that have not been tested on animals. However, this does not mean that these products do not contain animal-derived ingredients; they do.

What are Vegan Cosmetics?

Vegan products are plant and other natural-based ingredients that are not tested on animals. Such products do not contain any animal-derived or animal by-products. If you want to use vegan cosmetics, read the labels and ingredient list of the products that you purchase. There are labels that have a line of vegan products and non-vegan products. So, pay close attention to which products your purchase from each company.

What Animal-Based Ingredients are in Your Beauty Products?

It is no secret that the beauty industry uses animal testing and animal-derived products. Each of the ingredients has a commercial or a chemical name, so it is likely that you do not know that most of your cosmetics are non-vegan. Ingredients, such as Albumin, Carminic Acid, Elastin, and more, are just some of the animal by-products that the beauty industry uses. You can find the full list in this LINK by PETA.

Vegan and Non-Vegan Ingredients

There are several ingredients that have the same name but are derived from different sources. Certain ingredients can come from plants or from animals, so you should check the source when purchasing beauty products. Notice the marking and labeling of the products to make sure that you purchase plant-based products if you choose to use vegan cosmetics. Some of the ingredients that can be animal-derived or plant-based are Keratin and Lactose.

Reducing the Use of Animal Products

This article's main purpose is not to convince you to choose one lifestyle or another but to educate you. To use animal-friendly products does not mean that you have to become vegan.

In the past few years, many people have chosen to change their habits to benefit planet earth. The cosmetics industry took notice and became more conscious of the environment and the animals living in it.

Technological and scientific advancements have made it possible to reduce animal testing, which has contributed to the development of vegan and cruelty-free beauty products.

These days, many people choose more natural and organic products not only on the beauty front but in other industries as well. As people evolve in their worldview and habits, so does the beauty industry. If you also want to be a part of this global change, you can do the following:

• Reduce – use fewer animal-derived products. You can read the list we linked above to discover what are the ingredients that are derived from animals.
• Replace – if you have been using animal-based products without knowing about it, and you want to make a change – you can. Use cosmetics that use alternate animal products with plant-based ingredients, and you too can make a difference in the world.
• Educate and refine yourself: aside from replacing and reducing the use of animal-derived ingredients, you can also learn more about vegan cosmetics and cruelty-free products. There are methods that use animal testing, but in a way that reduces animal suffering. Remember – you do not have to be vegan to be aware of animal suffering in the cosmetics industry. If a multi-billion industry can make changes, so can you.

The beauty industry has been under a magnifying glass over the past few decades. Animal rights groups, along with consumers, have put pressure on the cosmetics industry to find alternate ways to produce beauty products without using animals. There are still ways to go in this front, but there have been great strides in making vegan and cruelty-free products. If you want to be part of the change, you first need to know what's what, and that is exactly what you can find here.