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What vegan actually means on a beauty label

by Lyta in News

Vegan is one of the most used words in beauty and one of the least explained. It is worth knowing exactly what it does and does not tell you, because two of the things people assume it means are simply not true.

What vegan actually means

A vegan formula contains no animal derived ingredients. That is the whole definition. In practice it rules out a specific and fairly short list:

  • Carmine, a red pigment made from crushed cochineal insects, which is extremely common in red lipstick and blush
  • Beeswax, in balms, mascaras and cream products
  • Lanolin, from sheep wool, in lip and hand products
  • Collagen and keratin, when they come from animal sources
  • Squalene with an e, historically from shark liver, as opposed to squalane with an a, which is usually olive or sugarcane derived

What it does not mean

Vegan does not mean cruelty free. These are two entirely separate claims. A formula can contain zero animal ingredients and still have been tested on animals somewhere in the supply chain. Conversely a cruelty free brand can happily use beeswax. If both matter to you, both need to be stated, and on our product pages they are.

Vegan does not mean natural or organic. Petroleum is vegan. So are silicones and synthetic preservatives. A vegan label tells you what a formula avoids, not what it is made of.

Vegan does not mean gentler. Plenty of plant extracts are more sensitising than the synthetic ingredients they replace. Essential oils are the obvious example.

Why red lipstick is the hard one

Carmine has been the beauty industry's default red for centuries because it is genuinely brilliant. It is vivid, stable and does not stain the way synthetic reds can. Making a red that performs as well without it takes real formulation work, which is why plenty of otherwise vegan ranges quietly have a gap where the reds should be.

How to check anything, anywhere

Read the ingredient list and look for four words: carmine or CI 75470, cera alba or beeswax, lanolin, and shellac. If none of them are there, you are almost certainly fine. That is a thirty second check that works on any brand, not just ours.

The full ingredient list is printed on every one of our product pages for exactly this reason.

Browse the vegan range or see everything that is cruelty free.

Tags: guide
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