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Non-Vegan Beauty Ingredients

May 12, 2015 By Michelle 8 Comments

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links.

non-vegan-beauty-ingredients

I’m not a vegan myself, but I have a lot of friends who are, and since I’m an ingredients geek I decided to make a list of ingredients that vegans should watch out for if you decide to branch away from certified vegan products. This list isn’t completely comprehensive, but I intend to keep adding to it!

IngredientRelatedFunctionFound InComes From
BeeswaxWaxy hardening agent,
moisturiser
Lip products, mascara,
moisturiser, eye shadow
Beehives. Bees are
(theoretically) not killed
during the harvesting of
beeswax.
CarmineCochineal, Carminic
Acid
Red dyeRed lipstick, pink and red
beauty products
Crushed cochineal beetles,
which feed on red cactuses.
This is the most vivid
commonly available red
pigment, vegan alternatives
tend to be less intense.
CollagenMoisturising proteinMoisturisers, lip plumpersAnimal tissue
GelatinThickenerMoisturisers, face masksAnimal skin and tendons
GlycerinGlycerol, GlyceridesHumectant moisturiserEverywhere - moisturiser,
soap, shampoo, make-up
bases
Fats and oils from animals
or plants - a by-product of
soap making. Animal glycerin
tends to be cheaper, plant
glycerin is usually labelled
"Glycerin (Vegetable)".
Contact the company if in
doubt.
Hyaluronic AcidSodium HyaluronateHumectant moisturiser, fillerMoisturisers, plumping
injections
Can be plant or animal
derived (from animal tissue)
KeratinStrengthening protein for hairHair products, nail productsGround hooves, horns,
feathers, hair of animals.
Lactic AcidAlpha hydroxy acid - chemical
exfoliant and humectant
Chemical exfoliants,
moisturisers
Can be derived from animal
blood and tissue, or milk, or
plants (e.g. beets).
LanolinWool Fat, Wool
Wax
Occlusive moisturiserMoisturisers, make-upSheep oil glands
Pearl EssencePearlesence,
Guanine
ShimmerShimmery cosmeticsFish scales
RetinolRetinyl EstersAnti-ageing ingredient
(derivative of Vitamin A)
Anti-ageing moisturisersMostly animal-derived -
sources include liver, dairy
and eggs
Squalene SqualaneEmollientMoisturisersShark liver, or plant oils
(olive, palm)
Snail SecretionEmollient and humectant MoisturisersCollected from snails - snails
are usually not killed

 


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Filed Under: Science Tagged With: controversial ingredients, science

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Comments

  1. LittleMonsterx14 says

    May 12, 2015 at 11:47 am

    There’s some weird shit in beauty products! Snail secretion?? Gross.
    LittleMonsterx14 recently posted…Makeup Looks: Double EyelinerMy Profile

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      May 20, 2015 at 5:33 pm

      Haha! I’m actually roadtesting a snail secretion product right now 🙂
      Michelle recently posted…Blogger Spotlight: Musical HousesMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Alinta says

    May 12, 2015 at 5:21 pm

    This is great but just thought I would let you know that it’s not mobile friendly 🙂
    Alinta recently posted…Lyme Disease Awareness Nail Polish GiveawayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      May 13, 2015 at 12:05 am

      Hey Alinta! Thanks for letting me know, I think I fixed it 🙂

      Reply
      • Das says

        May 14, 2015 at 3:49 pm

        Works on iPhone 6! I can scroll left-right to see the whole chart.
        Thanks for creating this. I’m not vegan but I like to know my sources.

        Reply
  3. Emma says

    May 13, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    If they are plant derived, they are vegan though?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      May 16, 2015 at 11:42 pm

      Usually yes!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sunday Random Ramblings, Vol.185 | beautifulwithbrains.com says:
    June 1, 2015 at 12:15 am

    […] Non-vegan beauty ingredients – Lab Muffin […]

    Reply

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Michelle
Hi! I'm Michelle, chemistry PhD and science educator, and I'm here to help you figure out which beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren't using science!

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