Pucker Up: It’s Time For A Vegan-Friendly Makeup Routine

When I first went vegan, I was surprised to find how many strange and sinister ingredients there were lurking in my makeup products, particularly those derived from animals. Common animal-based ingredients that you might find in makeup products include shellac (small insects), glycerine (animal fats), beeswax, and lanolin (grease from sheep’s wool). Using products that contain these ingredients is not only cruel, but it’s also not that good for your skin either! As vegan makeup ingredients are most likely to be plant-derived, they contain lots of nourishing vitamins and therefore will be less harsh on your skin. 

Vegan and cruelty-free are terms that are often confused. If an item of makeup is vegan (e.g. does not contain animal-derived ingredients) that does not mean that it’s cruelty-free (e.g. has not been tested on animals), and vice versa. So be on the lookout for products that are advertised with both vegan and cruelty-free labels!

This confusion can also be applied to other buzzwords in the beauty industry; for example, natural and organic beauty may sometimes be mistaken for vegan and cruelty-free. However, these terms are not synonymous. Organic beauty means that there were no pesticides used in the process of growing the ingredients. Natural (AKA clean) beauty is a slightly more elusive term as the definition can vary from brand to brand; this is why it is always best to research individual brands before buying. However, natural or clean beauty often means that there are no toxic ingredients involved.

Vegan makeup brands include Pacifica and Kat Von D Cosmetics, and these are companies that do not carry any products containing animal-derived ingredients. However, there are brands such as Urban Decay and Becca that carry some vegan-friendly products, but others will contain animal-derived ingredients. Fortunately, most of these companies that aren’t fully vegan will clearly outline which products are plant-based to make it easier for customers when shopping.

Did you know that your makeup tools might contain animal products, too? Makeup brushes can be made of the hair from animals such as mink, horse, goat, and even squirrels. Other downsides of natural brushes are that they can trigger allergic reactions, are more expensive, and trickier to clean. So if you wouldn’t wear fur, look out for the many synthetic, vegan makeup brush options out there instead. Brands such as Spectrum Collections have an amazing range of vegan-friendly makeup brushes that are affordable, sustainable, and definitely more ethical!