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a.) containing no animal ingredients or by-products,
b.) using no animal ingredients or by-products in the manufacturing process,
c.) and not tested on animals by any company or independent contractor.
b.) using no animal ingredients or by-products in the manufacturing process,
c.) and not tested on animals by any company or independent contractor.
This same definition applies to the skincare products we use everyday. Not only do Vegans want to avoid wearing animals or ingesting animal material, they don't want to apply skincare containing animal derivatives (or those which have been tested on animals) to their bodies.
Seems simple enough, doesn't it? It's pretty easy to determine that cod liver oil and beeswax come from living creatures, right? I mean, it says so right in the name.
Less likely additives like lecithin, which is used in eye creams, lipsticks, liquid powders, hand creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, foods and medicines can be derived from both eggs (animal) and soybeans (vegetable). Do we know which type of lecithin is used in our lip balm? We should. Especially if we're marketing it as Vegan.
Seems simple enough, doesn't it? It's pretty easy to determine that cod liver oil and beeswax come from living creatures, right? I mean, it says so right in the name.
Less likely additives like lecithin, which is used in eye creams, lipsticks, liquid powders, hand creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, foods and medicines can be derived from both eggs (animal) and soybeans (vegetable). Do we know which type of lecithin is used in our lip balm? We should. Especially if we're marketing it as Vegan.
Makeup brushes and sponges create another host of issues. Bristles of makeup brushes can be made from either synthetic polymers (vegan) or animal hair like sable, badger or boar hair. Popular, "all-natural" sea sponges used to be animals that lived in the sea and are becoming scarce. Vegans want to avoid these items.
Surely, vitamin and silk enriched hair conditioner will pass as vegan, right? Wrong. Biotin, a B-Vitamin often used in hair care is commonly derived from milk (it can also be derived from yeast, a plant source). And silk comes from silkworms (a living creature killed during the silk-harvesting process).
Cool, autumn weather brings out the exfoliating sugar scrubs. Sugar itself comes from sugarcane (a plant). But bone charcoal (bone char), made by roasting bones in an airtight container, is sometimes used to refine cane sugar. Bone Char is also used to make black pigment for eye makeup as well as to refine crude oil in the production of petroleum jelly.
These products, derivatives and processes create a veritable nightmare for someone who is looking to avoid the consumption of any and all animal material. This is why it is so imperative to educate ourselves about a label before we use it to define our product.
Vegans take their lifestyle choices very seriously. When buying a product labeled as "Vegan", the expectation is that it be completely free of animal products, animal derived products and to not be tested on animals. We do not expect to find Red Lipstick containing Carmine or Cochineal Extract (derived from beetles) labeled as Vegan. Nor do we expect to see exotic perfumes containing musk (a perfume fixative derived from the musk deer) labeled as Vegan. However, it does happen and often not intentionally.
Vegans have taken the time to learn what comes from a plant and what comes from an animal and as manufacturers of Vegan products, we must take the time to learn it too if we intend to successfully sell Vegan Skincare Products.
There are a plethora of chemicals, additives, colorants and accessories that are either derived from animal sources, processed via animal sources or tested on animals. You can view a listing of several hundred of these ingredients here. Although this is not a comprehensive list, it is an excellent source which will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. If you currently market your skincare as Vegan, this list is an indispensable resource.
Vegans have taken the time to learn what comes from a plant and what comes from an animal and as manufacturers of Vegan products, we must take the time to learn it too if we intend to successfully sell Vegan Skincare Products.
There are a plethora of chemicals, additives, colorants and accessories that are either derived from animal sources, processed via animal sources or tested on animals. You can view a listing of several hundred of these ingredients here. Although this is not a comprehensive list, it is an excellent source which will continue to be updated as new information becomes available. If you currently market your skincare as Vegan, this list is an indispensable resource.
This information is solely intended to define Vegan Skincare and to educate you regarding the expectation of Vegan Shoppers. Stay tuned for the conclusion in Part 3 where we will discuss Certified Vegan Products as well as the difference between Audited and Non-Audited Certification Programs and why you need to know the difference.
Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com
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