Learn About These Non-Vegan Ingredients Commonly Found in Your Bathroom

If you are embarking on a new lifestyle choice by going vegan or just want to switch out to using less animal products, it's not just your food choices you should be looking at. 

Animal products are often used in the everyday products we put onto our skin. It's not always easy to spot which ingredients are vegan and which aren't.

Luckily, we've put together a simple list of which animal-derived ingredients to look out for and what alternatives you can use that are both vegan and eco-friendly.

Glycerine

Soaps, moisturisers, shampoos and makeup products often contain glycerin, used as the ingredient helps skin retain moisture.

Where does it come from?
The ingredient is primarily sourced from animal fats, though there are some vegetable glycerin alternatives.

Vegan alternative?
There are lots of different options for natural soaps, moisturisers, haircare and makeup that don't use glycerin. These instead often use a natural moisturiser such as coconut oil. 

Carmine

Carmine is used in makeup as it is a bright red dye, primarily used as a pigment to give makeup like lipsticks, blush and nail polishes a red shade.

Where does it come from?
Carmine is a dye from insects called cochineals who are crushed to form the red colourant.

Vegan alternative?
Lots of vegan brands use iron oxides or aluminium as a red dye instead in natural lipsticks, blushers and red nail polishes.

Squalene

As a cosmetic ingredient, squalene is used in moisturisers, deodorants and even lip balms, and purportedly has anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties.

Where does it come from?
Squalene is an oil taken from shark livers.

Vegan alternative?
Squalene can be sourced from olives and wheat too but it's also possible to purchase a whole variety of natural moisturisers, deodorants and lip balms without this ingredient. 

Lanolin

Lanolin is used in hair products, lip balms, lipsticks and healing balms to treat dry and itchy skin.

Where does it come from?
Lanolin is derived from wax in sheep's wool. 

Vegan alternative?
Olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter and coconut butter can be used as a vegan alternatives, with lots of natural lip balms, healing balms and conditioners already using these ingredients instead.

Casein

Casein is used in hair conditioners, face masks and other skin products for softer hair and skin. 

Where does it come from?
Casein is a protein from cow's milk.

Vegan alternative?
Some vegan beauty products use a plant based milk protein instead. Alternatively, you can look for highly moisturising ingredients like shea butter and cocoa butter in conditioners, moisturisers and face masks.

Guanine

Guanine is used in beauty products for a sparkle effect. It's often found in sparkly eyeshadows, blushers and nail polishes. 

Where does it come from?
Fish scales are ground up to form the crystallised guanine ingredient. 

Vegan alternative?
Alternative ingredients that still create a shimmer, include mica, silver and synthetic pearl. ZAO makeup and Love the Planet both use an alternative for shimmer. 

Stearic Acid

You'll find stearic acid in many deodorants, moisturisers, soaps and shampoo as an emulsifier that also softens skin. 

Where does it come from?
The animal-derived variant comes from animal's stomachs, traditionally pigs. 

Vegan alternative?
Happily, Stearic acid can also be derived from some plant fats. It's always worth checking if a product has a vegan certification to be sure. 

Now you know which ingredients to look out for when trying to go vegan in your beauty regime. Remember some have a vegan alternative with the same name (confusing, we know!). It's best to double check the brand or product has a vegan or vegan-friendly certification before purchasing. 

Are there any ingredients we haven't mentioned? Let us know in the comments.