Vegan Beauty

Common cosmetic ingredient names can be really hard to pronounce. Even harder still is to know what they are derived from. For instance did you know that cetyl alcohol (found in almost all cosmetics) is derived from sperm whales and carmine (present in red lipsticks, mascaras, etc.) is extracted from crushed beetles (see my 02.26.09 post "There's a bug in your lipstick")? This can pose a challenge for people that are living strictly vegan lifestyles. What chance do they have to get all glammed up?

The good news is there are more companies now than ever catering to vegan vixens, consumers who do not eat, wear or use anything derived from our furry friends. Below, I've listed out some of the most popular brands in this category.


Urbay Decay - Outlined on their website is a list of product offerings that are vegan ranging from deeply pigmented eye shadows and lipsticks to foundations and powders and even a set of synthetic brushes. Visit www.urbandecay.com/vegan.cfm for more info.


Origins - Most products derived from plant, organic, and essential oil based ingredients except a few that contain cruelty free honey and beeswax. Instituted the Return to Origins program wherein you can return empty product containers to any Origins store to be recycled. No animal testing. Visit http://www.origins.com/ for more info.


Beauty Without Cruelty - Since 1963, Beauty Without Cruelty has specialized in producing affordable color cosmetics that are animal-compassionate. They avoid all animal-derived ingredients and animal testing, making the line suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Check out www.beautywithoutcruelty.com or see my 04.26.09 post, "Company Profile: Beauty Without Cruelty."