Look at a lunch menu, and it's relatively easy to decide what's vegan. But vegan options are much more difficult when you're walking down the beauty aisle.
Some common animal-derived ingredients found in skincare and cosmetics include honey, beeswax, lanolin (wool grease), squalene (shark liver oil), carmine (crushed-up beetles), gelatin (cow or pig bones, tendons or ligaments), allantoin (cow urine), ambergris (whale vomit) and placenta (sheep organs). OH MY!
They may not be harmful to you, but the idea of using these ingredients on your skin may not be the most appealing (at the very least.) And may go against your beliefs at most. Plus, they aren't proven to be any more effective than their plant-based alternatives.
So, why are they used?
Many companies just don't make the decision to seek out vegan ingredients. Animal-derived ingredients are easily available and if it's not part of a company's ethos to NOT use them, they can easily become part of any formulation.
More and more, consumers have made it clear that they prefer animal-conscious brands. And many companies, even large ones, are starting to understand the consumer demand for vegan products.
But largely, it falls on the independent beauty brands who make it part of their mission to be transparent about their values and their ingredients.
Vegan vs Cruelty-Free
There seems to be a bit of confusion between the two. Cruelty-free refers to the unethical practice of testing ingredients on animals. Vegan means the ingredient itself is not derived from animals or animal by-products.
Testing on animals is often done because it is the faster, easier solution. Many large companies who have extensive product lines don't want non animal testing costs to encroach on their profits.
Avoila decided from inception that our products would include only cruelty-free and vegan ingredients. It's part of our value system to provide a product that feels good to use everyday. To us, that means vegan and always cruelty-free. In fact, every ingredient in our Nourishing Face Oil is recognizable as a plant-based ingredient. We encourage you to take a look for yourself!
