Unfortunately, the cosmetics industry relies heavily on animal resources. Bone meal is found in every conventional soap. Anti-wrinkle creams advertise with collagen which is obtained from the connective tissue of calves. Fish scales are often used for mica eyeshadows. Most mascaras contain beeswax. Body lotions promise to nourish the skin thanks to cow’s milk. The keratin trend in hair care products is also at the expense of the animals. The protein is made from ground horns, hooves, feathers, quills and hair from various animals.
So do vegans have to give up make-up and body care rituals? No, fortunately not! There are more and more alternatives. If the vegan flower of the Vegan Society is to be found on the packaging, this guarantees that both the product and its manufacture are free from animal ingredients and animal testing. However, products without this logo may also be produced without animal ingredients. If you want to be on the safe side and check labels, you can find a list of the most common animal ingredients on the website of the animal rights organization PeTA:
http://www.peta.de/web/inhaltsstoffe.73.html
The handy lexicon by Heinz Knieriemen is another way to get an overview of the jungle of Latin and English technical terms. This critical guide also provides the best information about questionable, potentially allergic and harmful ingredients.
