What characterizes vegan cosmetics? Are they always organic and healthy? Does eco always equal vegan? Answering these questions may seem easy at first glance, but in fact, it’s not! Let’s take a closer look at vegan beauty products.
Veganism is not only a diet but also an approach to consumer choices. It often goes in line with zero-waste and pro-ecological views, but that’s not always the case. The core of veganism is to eat, dress up and take care of yourself in a cruelty-free manner.
Thus, vegans try to avoid buying foods, drinks, and goods that caused the suffering of animals. It’s not only about avoiding dairy and meat but also leather and animal substances in cosmetics. Vegans also skip products that were tested on animals.
How to recognize vegan cosmetics?
If you want to be 100% sure that the product is vegan, search for a Vegan Society certificate that is usually placed on the product’s label. It’s a green sign with an illustration of a sunflower and the word “vegan” on it.
Vegan Society grants its certificates to products that:
- were not tested on animals (and neither any of their ingredients)
- were not genetically modified
- don’t contain any ingredients of an animal origin.
Note that even though the rules of granting a Vegan Society certificate are quite strict, you can’t assume that the brand sells only vegan cosmetics. The VS sign can appear on vegan cosmetics of companies that test their formulas on animals and use animal-sourced ingredients. It’s always a matter of a particular product.
Are vegan cosmetics always eco?
Definitely not. It’s quite common that the cosmetics are both vegan and certified as eco & organic, but you cannot expect that every product will be like that. That’s why it’s so important to check the labels and composition to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Are there vegan color cosmetics?
Yes! You can basically have a full makeup done with vegan products. On Roxie Cosmetics, you will find vegan bronzers, foundations, highlighters, mascaras, and much more.
What ingredients of an animal origin can you find in cosmetics?
If you’re aiming for vegan skincare and haircare, avoid cosmetics with collagen, propolis, lanolin, wax, honey, cod liver oil, melatonin, or milk. Note that even in fragrances, you can find animal products such as musk.
The easiest way to avoid these substances is by choosing products certified as vegan instead of looking through their whole composition. There’s always a risk that you overlook some ingredient. Be careful of “vegan-friendly” products – sometimes the producers use this phrase to attract the clients, but it doesn’t mean they usually have a certificate.
