Is Vegan Beauty Attainable?
We look for the best for both our body and soul in cosmetic products that have become a part of our daily rituals. In this search for an endless variety of products, we started to question raw materials and production processes more. Now, when using a product, we want to make sure that it is not harmful to the environment, animals and human health.
So how can we be sure? Vegan and cruelty free (cruelty-free) by reading product labels. What we need most at this stage is to understand the difference between the two terms. Because neither every cruelty free product is vegan; nor any vegan product, cruelty free. We, on the other hand, buy products that we do not actually want to use, without being aware of the situation.
If a product and any of its ingredients have been placed on the shelves without being tested on animals, these products cruelty-free / we call it cruelty free. However, we cannot deduce that the product has no animal content. A blush pack may include a logo that the product is cruelty-free or the phrase 'Not tested on animals.' On the other hand, this product is 'carmine'; It may also contain a special substance obtained from the cochlea beetles. Similarly, a cruelty free shampoo may contain 'biotin' taken from living cells. So if it's a vegan product we're looking for, it's not a staple.
We classify cosmetic products that do not contain any animal ingredients as vegan. Unfortunately, the world of cosmetics; It is full of many animal raw materials whose origin we cannot believe when we hear about it. Some of the most common are; honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, keratin, biotin, albumen, carmine, cholesterol and gelatin. While it's not possible to memorize the entire list, there are some logos we can follow:
V-Label Logo:
This logo of the European Vegetarian Union; A letter V with a green tip on a yellow background. The right to use the logo is granted after the inspection.
Certified Vegan Logo:
This logo by Vegan.org consists of a white letter V inside a black heart. Although it is given in return for a paid application without an audit, promises are generally kept in terms of brand value and user loyalty.
Vegan Society logo:
This logo, which is represented by a green sunflower, is used unsupervised like the Certified Vegan logo.
At this point; Although we tend to think that vegan products should be against animal cruelty, the reality is different. There are many vegan products known to have been tested on animals, either by itself or by any ingredient in it.
So, shall we lose hope? No! Both cruelty free and vegan options are also available. With the increasing awareness and developing biotechnology, brands are increasing this type of production and making statements on the subject. In our quick shopping, there is a logo that we can check again. PETA's special logo features a rabbit with pink heart-shaped ears and the phrase 'cruelty free and vegan'.
There are also products that are vegan, cruelty free, or both vegan and cruelty free, even though they don't have these logos due to the amount of payment or long processes. Therefore, after researching conscious brands or reading the contents of the products in detail, we can eliminate the ones we are not sure about and perform our beauty routines in the most comfortable way. Because, this is the secret of the 'best beauty' we want to achieve.
More for the curious:
1. https://bepeople.co/blogs/beauty/beyaz-tavsani-follow-et
2. https://ethicalelephant.com/crueltyfree-vs-vegan
3. https://www.faithinnature.co.uk/article/vegan-vs-cruelty-free-whats-the-difference.asp
4. https://logicalharmony.net/cruelty-free-vs-vegan/
5. https://www.veganlifemag.com/cruelty-free-vs-vegan/
6. http://vgntr.com/vegankozmetikler/
The views expressed in this article aim to shed light on alternative studies and encourage conversation. These views of the author do not necessarily reflect the views of Be People and are for informational purposes only, even if they contain to some extent the advice of physicians and physicians (medical doctors). This article; It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment, and the information herein should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.
About the author:
Aygen Ecevit – Be People Editor
Aygen Ecevit completed her undergraduate education with Bilkent University Philosophy Major and Communication Design Minor Programs. Ecevit, who started his career as a culture and art unit writer for the school newspaper and then as the editor of the culture and art unit, has prepared articles and interviews for many different online channels. After graduating from Bilkent University Media and Visual Studies Master's Program, she worked as a content editor, PR assistant and freelance editor. Ecevit, a member of the AICA International Association of Art Critics, has been working in the field of strategic content production and copywriting as one of the editors of Mağaza Creative since November 2019.