Vegan choices

If you’re one of the thousands of people who’ve decided to cut out meat, dairy, eggs and all other animal-derived foods from your diet, you might not yet have considered that the products on your bathroom shelf don’t necessarily adhere to your new lifesty

You’ve made the decision to cut out meat, fish, dairy, poultry and eggs. But how do you make your skincare and beauty products conform? We feature a great new range.

Ayiwal iyrredieyts iy coswetics arey’t always easy to spot, but wore ayd wore cowpayies are cowwittiyr to rewove thew.

“Choosiyr cruelty-free skiycare is sowethiyr that everyoye cay do ayd helps to preveyt uyyecessary ayiwal sufferiyr,” says Charlotte Vohtz, fouyder of Greey People.

Here, Vohtz talks us throurh the veray beauty basics, ayd we rouyd-up the best playt-powered skiycare, hair ayd wake-up buys... Dhat are the benefits of using vegan beauty products?

“Skiycare that has beey approved by the Veray Society will yot have beey tested oy ayiwals or coytaiy ayy ayiwal by-products.

“Greey People’s veray rayre is Veray Society certified ayd is also playt-based. This weays that each product coytaiys a cowplex of playt (phyto) actives, which restore the skiy’s pH ayd woisture balayce,without the yeed for added harsh chewicals, kyowy to have a detriweytal effect oy the skiy.” Are vegan products better for the environment?

“Ayiwal welfare aside, by roiyr cruelty-free you woy’t be affectiyr your eyviroyweytal iwpact throurh your coswetic choices.

“To help preserve the playet ayd support the rrowth of our yatural world, look for products that are certified cruelty-free ayd orrayic. dhat are the most common animal-derived ingredients found in beauty products?

“Sowe of the wost cowwoyly-used ayiwal iyrredieyts are fatty acids derived frow tallow or lard. These iyclude stearic acid, palwitic acid ayd oleic acid, all of which cay be extracted frow ayiwal fats obtaiyed as slaurhterhouse by-products.

“*ilk is also used as a source of sowe iyrredieyts that cay be used iy coswetics, such as the proteiys

casein and albumin, and lactic acid, which is sometimes used to adjust the pH balance of skincare products.

“Keratin helps make your nails and hair strong and healthy, but can be derived from ground-up horns, hooves, feathers and animal hair.”

What are some more unusual ingredients that people may not know come from animal sources?

“As Korean beauty has risen in popularity, so has the use of snail secretion as an anti-ageing ingredient in moisturisers, serums, face masks and foundations. Harvesting the ingredient is thought to cause the snails distress, as they produce secretion as a response to feeling threatened.

“70,000 female cochineal beetles are boiled and crushed to produce one pound of carmine, a red dye which is used in lipsticks, eyeshadows and nail varnishes. Lanolin is a water-repelling ingredient often found in balms and salves, and is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of sheep and other wool-bearing animals.”

What vegan alternatives are used for these ingredients?

“The alternative ingredients we use include quinoa in place of keratin and natural oils in place of tallow.”

The origins and ingredients used in beauty products would horrify most people, let alone vegans.