7 Hidden Animal Ingredients in Beauty Products

Image via Pexels

You are standing in the store for what seems like hours trying to decipher the list of ingredients on the back of a shampoo bottle. Is this vegan? We know why choosing vegan and cruelty- free products matter. But finding vegan beauty products can get hard and intimidating. We have compiled a list of common hidden animal ingredients (some may be a bit explicit) in beauty products to help you make the most mindful decision for yourself and the planet.

Lanolin

Lanolin is commonly found in various creamy skin care products like moisturizers, conditioners, and lipsticks. It is a wax product produced by glands of wool-bearing animals and extracted from their wool. Sheep are commonly used to get Lanolin for beauty products. Like animals kept for their fur, these sheep are crammed into hot spaces, used and slaughtered. Lanolin is also known as Lanolate, Lanogene, Laneth, Lanolin alcohols, Lanosterols, Aliphatic Alcohol, Cholesterin, wool wax and wool fat.

Cysteine

Cysteine can be found in hair care and cream products. It is an amino acid from various kinds of animal hair. Cysteine can also be found in baked goods and healing ointments.

Estrogen

Commonly found in perfumes, creams and lotions. In beauty products, estrogen is a type of drug from pregnant horse urine. It is also used in birth control pills and for reproductive problems.

Carmine

Cochineal bugs live on cactuses and feed on red berries. Female cochineals and their eggs are collected by the thousands and boiled. Once boiled and dried, they are crushed, producing a bright red pigment. This dye is used in beauty products that require color like lipstick and blush. Carmine is also known as Cochineal, Carminic acid, and Dactylopius Coccus Extract. 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Palette uses fruit and vegetable pigments as an alternative.

Gelatin

Leftover tendons, skin, bones and ligaments of cows and pigs are boiled to make gelatin. Gelatin is not only found in nail products, face masks and shampoos, but also in common sweets like candy, Jell-O and marshmallows.

Tallow

Tallow is created by boiling slaughtered animals until a fat substance arises. It is used in lipsticks, foundations soaps, paint, crayons, etc.… yuck! Tallow is also known as Fatty acids, Sodium salts, and Stearic acid.

Keratin

The protein of grinded up hooves, horns, feathers, and hairs of other animals make up keratin. Keratin is in shampoos, hair and nail treatment products. It is also known as animal protein, Hydrolyzed protein, Cheratina, Detoxin, and Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl. LVX nail polish is Keratin –free.

LOVE GOODLY makes the search for 100% vegan beauty products effortless. From foundations, lipsticks, to face cleansers and moisturizers, LOVE GOODLY provides 100% vegan and cruelty-free products.