Finding Vegan Cosmetics!

Finding vegan cosmetics can be tricky business. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

1. Find out if the company tests on animals. Don't just assume they don't - guilty until proven innocent, I say! Look for the name of the manufacturer - the company that owns the brand. It will usually be on the back of the packaging at the bottom. If you find the product is made by any of the following companies -then back away slowly! These companies test on animals. (This list goes for household products and food items too)

3M
Bic
Church and Dwight
Colgate-Palmolive
Coty
Johnson and Johnson
L'oreal
Proctor and Gamble
Reckitt Benckiser
S.C. Johnson
Shiseido
Unilever

(for more in-depth list that includes what these companies own, visit http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/search.aspx?Testing=1&PageIndex=2)

2. The product isn't made by these companies? Good. Now, if we're lucky, the product might just have the word 'Vegan' printed on it. Some companies like Lush and Superdrug do this, and it makes life SO much easier! We can just drop it in our basket without worrying!

3. If it doesn't say 'vegan', we have two options.

a. Try to decipher the ingredients
Can be tricky, as some ingredients can be of plant or animal origin. Main offenders to look out for are:
Beeswax, carmine, Lanolin, words ending in 'stearate' (may come from animal fat), collagen, elastane/elastin, silk, pearl, shellac, tallow, castoreum, keratin...

b. Consult an online 'Vegan list'. This is a list of companies, plus a list of the vegan products they make. Basically, someone else has done the arduous task of emailing companies, and compiling a list for you. The list I have been using (total lifesaver) was compiled by Melisser Elliott of http://www.crueltyfreeface.com. Another vegan make-up artist (yay!) You can find the list here;  http://www.crueltyfreeface.com/?page_id=27

Notable inclusions on the list are a number of products from Mac, Bobbi Brown, Barry M, Stila, Avon, Gosh, Smashbox and Urban Decay. I'd say those companies are not too hard to get hold of, and many people would not associate them with vegan products.

Good luck hunting for vegan items! And check out Melisser's tutorials at http://www.youtube.com/user/crueltyfreeface

Emma
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