Ingredients derived from Animals in your bathroom cabinet & makeup bag

Unfortunately in this modern age of farming things are done by farmers to ensure ‘their’ crop of honey and beeswax. This includes but is not limited to: ⁠

• Clipping the queen bees wings so that she doesn’t move to a new hive where her loyal colony would follow. ⁠
• The queen is sometimes artificially inseminated.⁠
• Bee keepers have been known to remove all the beeswax and honey leaving the colony little to survive the winter. Some have been known to add a cheap sugar substitute in place of the honey but these do not have the same nutritional value as honey. ⁠
• Bee keepers smoke the bees when opening the hive which makes the bees more docile. Many bees are killed or have their wings and legs torn off because of haphazard handling during the removal of the beeswax and honey.⁠
• Finally the queen bee is often moved to a new colony. When this happens she is moved with a few ‘bodyguard’ bees. Once in the new hive these bodyguard bees are attacked and killed by the bees in the new colony. ⁠
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Now, I am sure we are in agreement that the use of Cholesterol from an animal makes a product not vegan friendly. I have seen brands proudly stating that this is there only animal ingredient and in the same sentence saying that there products are suitable for vegans. ⁠

COCHINEAL DYE

Also known as Carmine.

Cochineal dye is a dye that is collected from a crushed Dactylopius Coccus, more commonly known as cochineal beetles. These insects feed on the cactus plants found in Central and South American. The female beetles eat the red cactus berries and when they are crushed an intense red dye is found.

This dye is frequently added to lipsticks and blushers to create a vivid red colour.

There is a vegan friendly version of collagen available which does obviously not come from these sources, so when you see it as an ingredient be sure to check where it comes from! ⁠

As we age our production of Estrogen decreases. Estrogen / Estradiol is frequently given to older women in menopause treatments in tablet form. It is also given to trans women to help with the development of breasts and change in body shape. And because of its anti aging properties Estrogen can be applied topically through creams and lotions. ⁠
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While as humans we only produce three different types of Estrogen, in horses this number is around 10! And these are increased when a horse is pregnant.. Can you see where I am going with this… ⁠
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In most cases when Estrogen / Estradiol is listed as an ingredient it is typically collected from pregnant horses urine. They are kept in small stalls and impregnated each year with the sole purpose of having their urine collected. They don’t have any space to move and are frequently kept thirsty so that they produce better quality urine! ⁠
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Luckily as with everything there are plant based alternatives made from soy and yams. ⁠

GELATIN

Also known as hide glue, gelatine, isinglass, kosher and halal gelatin.

Gelatin is very similar to Tallow. It is made from the boiled skin, tendons, ligaments and bones of animals. It is frequently used in face creams, body lotions, shampoos, hair sprays, sunscreens, bath salts and bubble bath. Gelatin is regarded as an ingredient that helps your skin to build more collagen due to the protein and amino acids.

Gelatin is also available as a plant based derived ingredient.

Glycerin is frequently used in soaps, skincare, toothpastes, mouthwashes, body lotions, perfumes, shaving products, hair products, water based lubricants and lip products. ⁠
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It is used in products like soaps because of its ability to hold in moisture, which applies when someone is using the product. So it makes a soap have a moisturising quality. It is also thought to leave the skin feeling soft and smooth and due to these qualities its often used in products that treat skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. ⁠
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However its not all bad, it is possible to get glycerin/glycerol in a vegetable based form. Typically this is made from soybean, coconut or palm oils. ⁠

There are lots of brands that claim to be cruelty free while selling brushes made from animal hair. What do you think? Would you consider this to be cruelty free?

As someone who has an affinity and love for the ocean I would not even dream of using one of these sponges for a number of reasons. ⁠
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? Did you know that approx. 25% of the worlds ocean species depend on Coral reefs, despite reefs only taking up approx. 1% of the sea bed? ⁠
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? Coral reefs form a very delicate eco system where life depends on each other. These sponges provide shelter for smaller fish who also find food, reproduce & rear young here.⁠
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? The sea sponges that are deemed good enough to be harvested take approx. two years to grow to this size in just the right conditions including light, pH and temperature. ⁠
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? Do you remember years ago some controversy regarding a ‘dolphin friendly’ tuna company who claimed to use line caught tuna that were actually using long lines to catch tuna and decimating many other species in the process including dolphins? The oceans are so wide and vast and many of the coral reefs are in areas on the world where the oceans aren’t monitored and managed. How do we really know that these ‘sustainable caught sea sponges’ aren’t just harvested by dredging destroying whole coral reefs and killing other species at the same time? ⁠
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? The oceans are having a tough time, between climate change, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, diseases, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, raising ocean temperatures and many more issues, do we really need to add harvesting sea sponges to this list? Especially when we can use plant based sponges that are just as affective and cause no harm? ⁠

But where does it come from? ⁠
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Keratin can be made from a variety of sources. Generally Keratin is found in all vertebrates and can be found in hair (including some wools), the outer layer of skin, horns, nails, claws and hooves of mammals. ⁠
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And yes you guessed it, its also found in the horns of impalas! ⁠

But what is it? ⁠ Traditional Lactic acid is derived from dairy milk. ⁠⁠However it can also be made from cane sugar or beet sugar.⁠

However despite being made from latex they can still have a common animal ingredient. ⁠
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A lot of condoms contain casein, a milk protein, which is added to give the condom a soft, silky smooth feeling. ⁠
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Like most things where animals are involved there is a lot of dishonesty around how these animals are treated. ⁠
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Lots of brands that make mink eyelashes talk about how the hair is humanely collected through brushing the mink or how they are 100% cruelty free. ⁠
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Well of course this is what they want you to believe through some clever marketing and use of words. ⁠
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These mink are kept in small wire cages without much space to move around. They endure immense fear, stress, disease including parasites and other hardships. There is certainly nothing cruelty free about this life. And when these mink are no longer of use they are disposed of. ⁠
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RETINOL

Retinol is a potent source of Vitamin A and lots of brands are talking about this ingredient at this time.

Retinol is only naturally found in foods derived from animals. Milk, cheese, butter, fish, cod liver oil, liver and meat are all regarded as containing a good source of retinol. It is regarded as having many functions when it comes to skincare including being anti ageing, helping to treat acne and scarring.

Retinol works by changing the skin cells in the dermis and epidermis, increasing the rate at which these skin cells divide to make new cells.

Now obviously this isn’t vegan friendly. Silk is made from the fibres spun by these gorgeous worms. ⁠
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The most common process used is that silk worms are bred and raised on farms. Typically these worms are fed mulberry leaves (hence mulberry silk). Once they are ready to metamorphosis into a moth they secrete a liquid version of silk to form a cocoon around their body. In nature after time these moths would eat through the cocoon and emerge transformed. However in the silk industry the farmers drop the cocoons containing the silk worms into boiling water where the worms die and the cocoon unravels into silk threads. ⁠
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According to PETA around 3,000 silk worms are killed just to make one pound of silk. ⁠
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Its also worth noting that there is an alternative silk called Peace Silk where the moths naturally emerge from the cocoons and fly away before the farmers collect the abandoned cocoons. This is the type of silk that Stella McCartney uses but it is not the common silk. ⁠

So of course it will do the same for humans? I know right, its a bit gross! ⁠
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Apparently it also contains a high level of antioxidants which calm inflammation in the skin and promote healthy collagen production.⁠
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This might sound like something that is only sold in a far away place where it has been used for century’s. But sadly this is not the case. A quick google and I found that a UK high street brand that have a large no of vegan products also have a range featuring this oozzy ingredient.

This oil is added to a wide variety of products from lip balms and lipsticks to foundations, body lotions, deodorants, hair conditioners, sunscreen and anti aging creams. This list could go on! ⁠
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Studies carried out suggests that around 90% of all shark based squalene is being used in the cosmetics industry and this equates to around 3 million sharks a year. ⁠
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But… ⁠Don’t go and rush to check all the ingredients of your skincare just yet as there is a plant based version of stearic acid which are derived from various vegetable oils including cocoa butter and shea butter. ⁠

TALLOW

Tallow is a animal fat that is rendered from cows and sheep. It is typically made using the fat the surrounds organs. The process involved to retrieve the Tallow involves boiling the carcasses of the slaughtered animal until a fatty substance is produced.

Tallow is seen as being really nourishing and high in vitamins A, D, E and K and is frequently added in skincare for its anti ageing and antioxidant properties.

SUMMARY

So now you have read our blog on Ingredients derived from Animals in your bathroom cabinet & makeup bag. Please be aware that a number of these ingredients are available in plant based versions and its not always easy to know which one is in the skincare in front of you.

To be sure to avoid these ingredients when they are from an animal source you can easily do one of the following: ⁠
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? Only purchase items with the vegan society logo on. ⁠
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? Ingredients don’t always state where it has been derived from and whether its plant based. So if you aren’t sure contact the brand to ask or google to see if someone has already asked the brand. ⁠
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? Finally shop with a vegan business that you trust.. such as Greener Beauty.

As a vegan run and vegan friendly business, any of these ingredients found at Greener Beauty will be from a vegan friendly source.

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