Makeup is one of the oldest forms of self-expression. It's a handy 'weapon' that helps women enhance their beauty and appearance, which results in improving their confidence. While in the past the choice of makeup was limited, nowadays, women can enjoy a large selection of makeup products ranging in type, purpose, quality and price. Speaking of quality, more and more people are relying on the use of vegan makeup, especially eye shadows since they're natural and gentle to the skin without compromising their quality and appearance. But how to know that you're dealing with vegan makeup?! How to be sure that you're buying vegan eye shadows?
Vegan Signs and Symbols
One of the most common symbols you can see on vegan products is the 'V' signs and symbols, but what do they mean exactly?!
Certified Vegan
The 'Certified Vegan' logo is a black and white circle with a 'V' inside a heart. This is basically a registered trademark for products that don't contain any animal products or byproducts of animal origin. These products also aren't tested on animals which is great knowing that no animals are hurt during the production process.
Vegan Society
The 'Vegan Society' logo is a green symbol with a flower and the word 'vegan'. This is a vegan makeup trademark that states that the product is free from any animal product or byproduct, and doesn't involve any animal testing during the production.
Vegetarian Society
The 'Vegetarian Society' has two different logos – 'Vegetarian' and 'Vegan' which are trademarks accreditation that contain independent ingredients. The logo of these trademarks contains a symbol of dark and light green circles with “V” or “Vegan” on them whereas “V” stands for vegetarian approved and 'Vegan' means that the products are GMO–free and free from any animal-derived ingredients.
What Makes Natural Eye Shadows Different from Regular Ones?
Being made of natural and organic ingredients means that the chosen vegan eye shadow is perfect for sensitive skin and eyes in particular. Whether mono or not, the chosen vegan eye shadow contains no synthetic ingredients like petroleum-based preservatives which are the main culprits for irritated and itchy eyes. Knowing this means that these eye shadows are also less harsh to the environment since no harsh chemicals and toxins are being released into the environment during their production process.
The greatest thing about these organic, vegan and natural eye shadows is that they are as long-lasting as the regular ones. Whether coming dry or in a creamy formula, these eye shadows are rich in pigments and many other goodies that'll make your makeup pop and last all day. Said in simple words, these makeup products are designed to enhance your beauty and also to improve the look and condition of your skin. Containing no chemicals, toxins and artificial substances means that these makeup products are also safe for your health since they won't absorb into your skin.
Ingredients to Avoid
If you're vegan and you want to avoid animal-derived ingredients in your eye shadows, then you should certainly be cautious and read the label before buying anything. You should certainly stay away from ingredients like”
Lanolin
Lanolin is an emollient derived from sheep wool and is mainly used in hair and lip products, mainly in balms and glosses. This ingredient is mainly used to soften and moisturise the skin, however, if you're after vegan products then ones containing lanolin aren't the best option for you. Instead, look for ones that contain coconut oil, olive oil, coconut butter and Shea butter.
Glycerine
Generally speaking, glycerine comes from animal fats and is commonly used in many other products than just makeup. It's used in soaps, moisturisers and hair care products. The good news is that aside from glycerine obtained from animal fat, the market can also provide you with glycerine that comes from plants like coconut, palm and soy oil.
Guanine
This ingredient is obtained by scraping the scales of dead fish and is mainly used for adding sparkle to eye shadows, nail polishes, highlighters, bronzes and blushes.
Squalene
This ingredient is extracted from shark liver oil and is mainly used in moisturisers, lip balms, deodorants and many other products. Squalene is considered to have powerful anti-ageing properties which explains its use. However, there's also a vegan version of squalene that is derived from olives and wheat germ.
Honey
Last but not least product that you should avoid in vegan makeup is honey. Honey isn't considered a vegan product because it's produced by bees, so if you're vegan, you certainly don't want honey to be part of your makeup, skin and hair care products. The vegan alternatives to honey are sweet almond oil and avocado.
You should also stay away from products containing talc, triclosan, paraben, formaldehyde, mercury, lead and hydroquinone since they can cause harm to your health mainly when used for a long time.
