If you’re participating in Veganuary this year you may have already come to realise that there’s more to veganism than cutting back on the animal products in your weekly food shop.
A truly vegan lifestyle will have you making swap-outs in other areas of your life too. But never fear, as now there are many amazing choices readily available so you don’t need to miss out if you are well prepared.
It may come as a surprise to find out that many of your favourite alcoholic & sweet treats aren't vegan.
In some cases it's obvious — a milk stout is going to have milk in it, and ales brewed with honey will have, well, honey. But in other cases, it's not easy to tell.
Wine, for example, can contain gelatine, animal proteins, fish proteins, milk, or egg, due to the fermentation process. There is a growing selection of vegan wines available so look out for the vegan logo when making your selection.
Sweets can be another big no go as many gummy types also use gelatine to give them that glorious chewy texture. But again, there are more and more vegan options available in the stores. In the office here at Instant Effects, we love candy kittens, which are delicious, vegan and palm oil free.
WHAT DOES BEING VEGAN MEAN TO YOUR SKINCARE?
Skincare is another area that can be a minefield when adopting a vegan lifestyle, as many products use animal by-products to deliver the results they promise.
Here are some of the ingredients to look out for when adopting a vegan skincare regime into your life, whether that's just for Veganuary or something you want to do long term.
Lanolin
Lanolin comes from sheep wool and is often found in cosmetics, skincare, and hair products. It is particularly popular in lip balms due to its waxy, moisturising nature.
Collagen
Collagen is an amazing ingredient when it comes to delaying ageing and is therefore often found in anti-ageing skincare products.
However, most sources of collagen come from animal by-products, and so, are not vegan.
Beeswax
Beeswax, otherwise known as “cera alba”, is another non-vegan ingredient used in many cosmetic & moisturising products. It is also used in foundations & eyeshadows to give them a creamy texture, as well as mascaras, for holding power.
Elastin
Elastin is a protein derived from animal muscles and is often used in anti-ageing products as your reducing natural elastin plays a key part in the firmness and natural spring of your skin as you age. Thankfully there are other ways to increase your skin's elastin, such as eating foods like greens, citrus fruits, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts.
Squalene
Squalene is usually extracted from shark liver oil and is found in some moisturisers. There are vegan sources of squalene, but it isn’t always labelled as such, so you may have to research the product further if you find it in your favourite skincare product.
VEGAN DOES NOT MEAN CRUELTY-FREE
Did you know, a product can be tested on animals and still legally claim to be vegan? Be sure the skincare brands that you’re buying are cruelty-free as well as vegan.
At Instant Effects we think that shopping cruelty-free is important all year round, which is why we are a fully cruelty-free brand.
