Vegan Cosmetics

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Need to find the best vegan cosmetics? How do you decide whether a cosmetic is vegan? Using cosmetics that are vegan and/or means having a consciousness not only about what you put in your body, but about what you put on your body.

There are three basic criteria that vegans look for in both their cosmetic and skin care products:

1. The product should be cruelty-free, meaning that nothing in the manufacturing process involves the testing of any ingredient on animals.


2. The product should not contain animal products - common animal ingredients used in cosmetics include carmine (ground up cochineal beetle), beeswax and propolis (bee products), lanolin, lard or tallow (animal fats), milk products, hyaluronic acid and elastin (from the skin and connective tissues of animals), and silk.


3. The product should be free of dangerous chemicals.

The good news is that the vegan and organic cosmetics industry is growing more rapidly than ever thanks to the expanding awareness of consumers about all the dreadful chemicals found in most commercial personal care products.

One important thing to understand is that vegan cosmetics can be organic, and organic cosmetics can be vegan, but they are not always the same thing!

There are vegan cosmetics that contain some chemical ingredients and whose plant-based ingredients are not certified organic. This can mean that there are potentially harmful chemicals and pesticides in the makeup.

Organic cosmetics are by far the best option, but vegans need to know that some organic makeup, particularly eyeshadow and lipstick, can contain ingredients like silk or organic beeswax - mostly to achieve a thicker consistency.

Beeswax is listed as an animal product by the British Vegan Society, the found organization of veganism, and by its counterpart, the American Vegan Society. However, there is a notable group among vegans who question this and there is a continuing debate about it across the Internet.

Although the list is still short, the number of companies whose product lines include chemical free, vegan, and/or organic products is growing all the time.

The Best Organic, Natural, and Vegan Cosmetics

Lavera

Lavera is one of the only companies I can find that carries organic and vegan mascara. This company is now celebrating their 22nd year in business. Their products are popular with many vegan and health-conscious celebrities, and they have been highly recommended in the New York Times Bestseller, Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano. They carry a big line of organic vegan cosmetics and one of the great things about their site is that they have a page that lists all their vegan products with easy access links.

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Green Organics

Based in Australia, Green Organics is dedicated to promoting organic, chemical-free, cruelty-free beauty products with eco-friendly packaging. Green Organics uses manufacturers whose product development processes are nature-friendly - this company is certified by 12 different accreditation organizations for organic and carbon-neutral products. Green Organics has brought together an impressive collection of organic beauty and skin care lines with an array of products to fit every skin type and Green stipulates that the only non-vegan ingredient used in some of its products, is natural beeswax - they further assure their customers that no bees are harmed during the collection process.

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