With my mess of fine, sometimes dry, sometimes oily, sometimes brittle, sometimes thick, always a problem hair — finding a shampoo that doesn’t leave my hair on the brink of disaster is frequently a challenge.
We all want hair that looks and feels great, but in order for customers to achieve that perfect bounce, curl, or sheen, many personal care companies use animal ingredients in their products.
Looking for labels like these can save time spot-checking ingredients, but they’re not always available.
Obviously, it’s always a great idea to look for vegan-approved branding on your products, but not all shampoos or conditioners are labeled as either vegan or cruelty-free (yet!). Without these handy clues, the ingredient list alone can be a challenge for vegan label readers. Sure, I know what to look for in my bagels and beers — but what in the world is sodium laureth sulfate? Where does it come from?
If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, this is the post for you. Many of the ingredients below may be produced synthetically, but it’s better to be safe than sorry! In other words, if you can’t be sure of these products’ origins, it’s best to avoid them completely.
top 15 non-vegan ingredients to avoid in shampoos & conditioners
1. Albumin: Used in cosmetics and personal care products as a coagulating agent.
– What is it? Dried whites of chicken eggs.
– Also known as: ALBUMEN, DRIED EGG WHITE; EGG ALBUMIN; OVA, WHITE; OVACYTE, WHITE; OVUM, WHITE; WHITE OVA; WHITE OVACYTE; WHITE OVUM; CRYSTALBUMINS; EGG-ALBUMIN; OVALBUMIN
2. Bee Pollen: In nutritional supplements, shampoos, toothpastes, deodorants.
– What is it? Microsporic grains in seed plants gathered by bees and then collected from the legs of bees.
– Also known as: BEE POLLEN EXTRACT
3. Carmine: Used as a colorant or fragrance.
– What is it? Pigments from animal, plant, and synthetic sources. The variation cochineal comes from insects. Widely used FD&C and D&C colors are coaltar (bituminous coal) derivatives that are regularly tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties. Suspected to be an environmental toxin.
– Also known as: COCHINEAL; CARMINE (COCCUS CACTI L.) ; CARMINE 5297; CARMINE ULTRA-FINE; CARMINIC ACID; CARMINIC ACID LAKE; NATURAL RED 4; B ROSE LIQUID.
4. Cholesterol: Used as an emulsion stabilizer; skin-conditioner; viscosity increasing agent.
– What is it? A steroid alcohol in all animal fats and oils, nervous tissue, egg yolk, and blood.
– Also known as: CHOLEST-5-EN-3-OL (3.BETA.) -; CHOLEST-5-EN-3-OL (3B) -; CHOLEST5EN3OL (3 ) ; CHOLESTERIN; CHOLESTERYL ALCOHOL; PROVITAMIN D; (-) -CHOLESTEROL; 3-BETA-HYDROXYCHOLEST-5-ENE; 5-CHOLESTEN-3-BETA-OL; 5:6-CHOLESTEN-3-BETA-OL; 5:6-CHOLESTEN-3-OL.
This little guy doesn’t want to be in your shampoo!
5. Cysteine: Used as a fragrance ingredient; hair conditioning agent; hair-waving or straightening agent; reducing static, and as a component in many masks.
– What is it? Most often derived from human hair or duck feathers, and to a lesser extent from pigs’ bristles and hooves.
– Also known as: CYSTEINE, DL-; DL- CYSTEINE; L-CYSTEINE; (+-) -CYSTEINE; DL-CYSTEINA (POLISH) ; DL-CYSTEINE (9CI).
6. Hydrolyzed Collagen: Used as a conditioning agent for hair, nails, and skin. Also as an anti-static agent, emollient, and humectant.
– What is it? A hydrolysate of animal or fish collagen derived by acid, enzyme or other method of hydrolysis.
– Also known as: COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE; COLLAGEN HYDROLYSATE PROTEINS; COLLAGENS, HYDROLYZATES; HYDROLYSATE PROTEINS, COLLAGEN; HYDROLYZED ANIMAL PROTEIN; HYDROLYZED ANIMAL PROTEIN POWDER; HYDROLYZED ANIMAL PROTEIN SOLUTION; PROTEINS, COLLAGEN, HYDROLYSATE; COLATRON; COLLAGENS, HYDROLYZATES; CROTEIN SPO.
7. Hydrolyzed Milk Protein: Used as a conditioning agent for hair and skin.
– What is it? Milk proteins derived by acid, enzyme or other method of hydrolysis.
– Also known as: HYDROLYSATES PROTEINS, MILK; MILK HYDROLYSATES PROTEINS; PROTEINS, MILK, HYDROLYSATES.
8. Keratin: Used as a conditioning agent for hair and skin.
– What is it? A protein derived from hair, feathers, wool, horn, nails or other similar tissues in animals.
– Also known as: ANIMAL KERATIN; KERATINS; CHERATINA (ITALIAN) ; DETOXIN.
9. Lecithin: Used as a conditioning agent for hair and skin, as well as an anti-static. Lecithin can be found in eye creams, lipsticks, liquid powders, hand creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, other cosmetics, and some medicines.
– What is it? Lecithin is a naturally occurring lipid found in both plants and animals. According to the PETA’s Caring Consumer guide, lecithin for commercial purposes is most commonly obtained from eggs or soybeans. Also from nerve tissue, blood, milk, and corn. Choline bitartrate, the basic constituent of lecithin, is in many animal and plant tissues and prepared synthetically.
– Also known as: EGG YOLK LECITHIN; EGG YOLK LECITHINS; GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) LECITHIN; GLYCINE SOJA LECITHIN; LECITHIN, SOYBEAN; LECITHINS; LECITHINS, EGG YOLK; SOYBEAN LECITHIN; SOYBEAN PHOSPHOLIPID; ACTI-FLOW 68SB; AF 1.
10. Myristic Acid: Used as a fragrance Ingredient; cleansing Agent, emulsifier, and in many soaps.
– What is it? Organic acid in most animal and vegetable fats.
– Also known as: N-TETRADECANOIC ACID; TETRADECANOIC ACID; 1-TRIDECANECARBOXYLIC ACID; CRODACID; EMERY 655; HYDROFOL ACID 1495; HYSTRENE 9014; N-TETRADECANOIC ACID; N-TETRADECOIC ACID; NEO-FAT 14; TETRADECANOIC ACID.
11. Palmitic Acid: Used as a fragrance ingredient; opacifying agent; cleansing agent; emulsifying agent, and emollient.
– What is it? From fats and oils. Mixed with stearic acid. Found in many animal fats and plant oils. Often used in shampoos, shaving soaps, and creams.
– Also known as: CETYLIC ACID; HEXADECANOIC ACID; N-HEXADECANOIC ACID; 1-PENTADECANECARBOXYLIC ACID; CETYLIC ACID; EMERSOL 140; EMERSOL 143; HEXADECANOIC ACID; HEXADECYLIC ACID; HYDROFOL; HYSTRENE 8016; PALMITATE; PALMITAMINE; PALMITAMIDE.
12. Propolis: Used as a moisturizer and smoothing agent.
– What is it? From tree sap gathered by bees and used as a sealant in beehives. Found in toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, supplements, and more.
– Also known as: BEE GLUE; BEE PROPOLIS; BEESWAX ACID; HIVE DROSS; RUSSIAN PENECILLIN.
Thank you for choosing piglet-friendly care products!
13. Stearic Acid: Used as a fragrance ingredient; cleansing agent; emulsifying agent, and in stabilizing.
– What is it? Fat from cows and sheep and from dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters, etc. Most often refers to a fatty substance taken from the stomachs of pigs.
– Also known as: N-OCTADECANOIC ACID; OCTADECANOIC ACID; 1-HEPTADECANECARBOXYLIC ACID; CENTURY 1240; CETYLACETIC ACID; DAR-CHEM 14; EMERSOL 120; EMERSOL 132; EMERSOL 150; FORMULA 300; GLYCON DP; STEARAMIDE; STEARAMINE; STEARATES; STEARIC HYDRAZIDE; STEARONE; STEAROXYTRIMETHYLSILANE; STEAROYL LACTYLIC ACID; STEARYL BETAINE; STEARYL IMIDAZOLINE.
14. Stearyl Alcohol: Used as a stabilizer; fragrance ingredient; foam booster; viscosity increasing agent, emollient, and masking agent.
– What is it? Can be prepared from sperm whale oil. In medicines, creams, rinses, shampoos, and more.
– Also known as: 1-OCTADECANOL; OCTADECAN-1-OL; ADOL 68; ALFOL 18; ATALCO S; CO-1895; CO-1897; CRODACOL-S; DECYL OCTYL ALCOHOL; DYTOL E-46; LOROL 28; STERAMINE OXIDE; STEARYL ACETATE; STEARYL CAPRYLATE; STEARYL CITRATE; STEARYLDIMETHYL AMINE; STEARYL GLYCYRRHENTINATE; STEARYL HEPTANOATE; STEARYL STEARATE.
15. Vitamin D (Especially D3): Used as conditioner. All the D vitamins can be in creams, lotions, other cosmetics, vitamin tablets, and more.
– What is it? Vitamin D can come from fish liver oil, milk, egg yolk, etc. Vitamin D-2 can come from animal fats or plant sterols. Vitamin D-3 is always from an animal source.
– Also known as: (3B ,5Z,7E) – 9,10-SECOCHOLESTRA-5,7,10 (19) -TRIEN-3-OL; 9,10-SECOCHOLESTA-5,7,10 (19) -TRIEN-3-OL, (3.BETA.,5Z,7E) -; 9,10-SECOCHOLESTRA-5,7,10 (19) -TRIEN-3-OL, (3B ,5Z,7E) -; 9,10SECOCHOLESTA5,7,10 (19) TRIEN3OL, (3 ,5Z,7E) ; ARACHITOL; COLECALCIFEROL; VITAMIN D3; 7-DEHYDROCHOLESTROL, ACTIVATED; ARACHITOL; CALCIOL; CHOLECALCIFEROL, D3.
Obviously, this isn’t a complete list of all the non-vegan products hidden in shampoos and conditioners, but they are some of the greatest offenders. What are you watching for in your bath and body products? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for next weeks’ blog on the top 15 vegan-friendly shampoos and conditioners!
à la prochaine, keep living well!
BV
bon vegant 