Is It Vegan? Common Bathroom Items

SOAP Look for: Vegan label, plant logo, Leaping Bunny logo Avoid: tallow, animal fats, beeswax, lanolin, lard, gelatin, musk, shellac, and non-vegetable glycerin Though you may not think so, some soap does include ingredients that are derived from animals. Keep an eye out for ingredients such as tallow, animal fats, beeswax, lanolin, lard, gelatin, musk, and shellac, which all should be avoided. But don’t worry, there are many brands of soap that you can easily find in various markets. Just read through the ingredients list or simply look for the word vegan on the package.

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS Look for: Vegan label, plant logo, Leaping Bunny logo, Cruelty-free label Avoid: carmine, estrogen, lanolin, beeswax, shellac, non-vegetable glycerin, casein, animal hair, colla- gen To be sure that your cosmetics have never done any harm to animals, be sure they are both vegan AND cruelty-free. Vegan doesn’t auto- matically mean “cruelty-free” and as ironic as this fact may be, vegan cosmetics can be tested on animals. Vegan refers specifically to the ingredients contained within the product so look for products that claim both, otherwise, it’s practically certain that an animal was in some way harmed during the product’s creation. Some of the more common animal products found in beauty products that you should avoid include carmine, estrogen, lanolin, beeswax, shellac, non-vegetable glycerin, casein, animal hair, and collagen. Keep an eye out for the Leaping Bunny logo, or download their app, to easily confirm the cruelty-free status of a product and always look for the word vegan on the packaging. SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER, AND HAIR PRODUCTS Look for: Vegan label, plant logo, Leaping Bunny logo, Cruelty-free label Avoid: keratin, stearic acid, biotin, gelatin, non-vegetable glycerin To be sure that your hair products have never done any harm to animals, be sure they are both vegan AND cruelty-free. Keep an eye out for the Leaping Bunny logo, or download their app, to easily confirm the cruelty-free status of a product and always look for the word vegan on the packaging. The most common animal derived-product found in hair products is keratin, which is made from hooves, animal hair, horns, and scales. Other ingredients to avoid include stearic acid, biotin, gelatin, and non-vegetable glycerin.

TOOTHPASTE Look for: vegetable glycerin, Vegan label, plant logo, Leaping Bunny logo Avoid: Non-vegetable glycerin Glycerin is a common ingredient in many toothpastes that gives the paste-like quality to it. Vegetable glycerin (sometimes called glycerine) is derived from plants but if there is no “vegetable” before the word glycerin, it’s most likely made from fat taken out of animal bones. As usual, be sure that your toothpaste is both vegan AND cruelty-free by looking for the Leaping Bunny logo as well as the word vegan on the label.

SHAVING CREAM, RAZORS, AND BRUSHES Look for: vegetable glycerin, synthetic fibers, Vegan label, plant logo, Leaping Bunny logo Avoid: fatty alcohol, gelatin, non-vegetable glycerin, collagen, keratin, tallow, allantoin, pig bristle, ani- mal hair Hair removal products are often overlooked when making the switch to a cruelty-free life- style but razor blades, shaving cream, and other products may be owned by companies that test on animals—or may contain animal-derived ingredients. For creams, avoid ingredients like fatty alcohol, gelatin, non-vegetable glycerin, collagen, keratin, and tallow. The lubricat- ing strip on many razors contain animal-derived ingredients like allantoin and non-vegetable glycerin. Back in the day, all shaving brushes were made from pig bristle or badger hairs and although some shaving brushes today still use animal hair, you can easily find many made with synthetic fibers. For all shaving supplies, be sure to check that they are not only vegan but also not tested on animals.

VITAMINS Look for: Vegan label, plant logo, Leaping Bunny logo, Cruelty-free label Avoid: gelatin, magnesium stearate, lanolin, bee pollen, lipase These days there are so many vitamin and mineral supplements designed specifically for vegans, so there’s no need to take in animal-derived ingredients with your daily dose. Be sure to read the label on vitamins and supplements carefully to see exactly what you’re buying. Unless you’re buying exclusively vegan vitamins, you may see one of the following animal ingredients, which should be avoided: gelatin, magnesium stearate, lanolin, bee pol- len, or lipase.