We are seeing it more and more in the world of nutrition: vegan. But did you know that this is also a growing trend in the world of cosmetics? More and more people are switching to vegan cosmetics and diets. There are also more and more 'vegan' hair products available in the world of hair care. And that is a wonderful development, because more and more new 'plant-based' alternatives are being added.
We also have a number of vegan brands in our range. But what exactly does this mean? What exactly is vegan and what does cruelty-free have to do with this topic?
What is vegan?
In a nutshell, vegans do not eat animals or use anything derived from animals or tested on animals. For nutrition, this means avoiding certain dairy products and meat. But leather shoes or cosmetics with animal ingredients are also not used by a vegan.
How do you recognize vegan products?
You often recognize vegan products by the label. The most common (and reliable) is the following:
When are hair products vegan?
There are a number of conditions that a hair product must meet to qualify as a 'vegan' product. This mainly depends on the ingredients, the packaging and everything involved in the entire process. In addition, it is sometimes thought that ingredients that come from animals that have been cared for in an 'animal-friendly' way can also be labeled as vegan. But that is not true. No animals are killed or used for vegan products.
So, vegan products contain (1) no ingredients derived from animals and (2) are not tested on animals!
How do you recognize animal ingredients in cosmetics?
Sometimes animal ingredients are difficult to distinguish. Because did you know that, for example, certain amino acids and vitamin B can be processed in hair products, but in some cases also come from animals? Here is a list of animal ingredients:
- Carmine: Often used as a coloring agent in products.
- Lanolin: Often low in the ingredients list, this is fat from sheep's wool.
- Beeswax: You often see this, but we avoid beeswax in the CG Method .
- Honey: Has an antibacterial effect. Relatives are: propolis and Royal jelly.
- Squalane: This is extracted from shark liver oil. Although this ingredient is hardly used in the haircare world, it is a new up-coming ingredient.
- Collagen: A substance that decreases as you get older, this is often also used in skincare.
- Gelatin: A well-known DIY option: Gelatin Mask.
- Silk protein, silk powder: This one is sometimes overlooked! But this is also an animal ingredient.
NB! Sometimes certain brands put a little note under their ingredient lists. They may sometimes use look-alike ingredients from the above, in which cases they are often plant-based. Always check the brand, your label or ask us if you have any doubts about an ingredient.
Cruelty Free
This term is often confused with vegan. But they are indeed different terms with different meanings. You may have seen the term 'Cruelty-Free' on a product before. This means that the products are not tested on animals (i.e. not tested on animals). But watch out! It is possible that animal substances have been used for the product.
You can recognize animal-free items by certain labels. NB! There are also sometimes brands that use labels similar to the ones below. It really needs to match the logos below:
Why vegan products?
The choice of whether or not to use vegan products is of course very personal. However, vegan products do have a number of additional benefits. For example, they can be good for people who have sensitive skin. The ingredients of vegan products are usually milder in nature. Furthermore, vegan hair products are more often packaged in recyclable packaging material.
A disadvantage of vegan products is often that they are relatively more expensive than non-vegan products. But fortunately we are also seeing more and more new trends in this as there are more and more new natural options.
Vegan brands for curly hair
As we have already mentioned, there are more and more brands that are developing vegan hair products. The list below shows a number of vegan brands that you can get from us. Enough to create a completely vegan routine!
The most popular brands that are vegan:
- Umberto Giannini
- Holy Curls
- Noughty
- Curlsmith
- Curly Secret
- Giovanni Cosmetics
- Boucleme (partly) -> use the filter!
This article is purely informational and not intended to make you feel bad. It is new information that will help you learn more about your hair products. It's fun and good to be well informed about your hair products. Because if we pay attention to what we eat, why not what we put on our hair?
Are you switching to a vegan curly girl routine ? Let us know in the comments! Or shop all vegan CG hair products directly.
