Beauty and the Vegan

Posted on by Ashley Fruno

creulty-free cosmetics

Meat is murder. Leather and fur kill. Animal experimentation is evil. We all know these things, but we need to beware of cruel animal ingredients even in our beauty and body-care products. We don’t want to hurt animals for our taste buds, so why would we want to put dead animals on our skin and hair?

Vegan beauty and body care is easy—you just have to do a little investigating. You can find some popular all-vegan brands, such as Beauty Without Cruelty, Emani, and Nature’s Gate, that manufacture excellent, high-quality vegan products. Other companies that have huge vegan selections include Smashbox, Alba, Urban Decay, Lush, and Ecco Bella.

As a committed animal lover and an almost equally committed beauty lover, I’ve spent years exploring vegan beauty and body products. I’ve made a list of some of my favorites here, to help you find some of the finest vegan products on the planet:

Nature’s Gate Lavender & Aloe Nourishing Shampoo: I have super-long hair and so need a seriously good shampoo—and I’ve found it! Packed with vitamins and nourishing aloe, this shampoo really gets the job done. All of Nature’s Gate’s shampoos are great, and there are plenty of options for you to choose from.

Ecco Bella Mascara: My personal favorite mascara ever, I’ve been using it for years and won’t use anything else! Long and dark lashes without clumping are the results you want from a perfect mascara.

Lush Sexy Peel: This is an outstanding soap that smells refreshing and exfoliates while you wash with real pieces of orange peel. Lush offers a huge assortment of soaps and other bath-and-beauty products. Not all of them are vegan, though, so make sure you check ingredients and look for Lush’s “V” for vegan on the packaging.

100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer: You will fall in love with these all-natural, fruit-pigmented moisturizers. They offer a great sheer coverage that hydrates without leaving your skin feeling greasy. I’ve also tried the company’s foundation, body lotion, and pressed powder—all stellar products.

Remember always to check ingredients when you’re buying, as products change formulations frequently. Here are some not-so-well-known animal ingredients to look out for:

Carmine: Used to make red and pink colors of lipstick, blush, and other products, it is made from smashed bugs.

Elastin: Sometimes used in mascara, it comes from cows.

Lanolin: Often found in lotions, lip balms, lipsticks, and other products, it is a wax from sheep’s wool.

Collagen: Often used in skin lotions and anti-aging products, it comes either from animals or a human placenta.

For a full list of animal ingredients, check out PETA US’ Animal Ingredients List.

Posted by Edwina Baier