What does veganism and vegan cosmetics mean?

It’s November again, which has been known as the vegan month since 1994, and November 1 is also International Vegan Day! This month is dedicated to veganism, and in the framework of it we will talk more about what a vegan lifestyle is, why it could be applied in one’s own life, what is vegan cosmetics and how Nurme is related to veganism.

What is veganism?

vegan kosmeetikaVeganism is a worldview and lifestyle that avoids the exploitation, unfair treatment and killing of animals for food, cosmetics, clothing and more. Veganism aims to promote the use of plant alternatives to improve animal welfare, human health and the well-being of our environment.

In the diet, veganism means not consuming any foods of animal origin. The vegan diet excludes meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, honey and other products of animal origin. In addition, vegans avoid household chemicals and cosmetics that have been tested on animals or contain raw materials of animal origin. In addition, vegans do not buy clothes and shoes made of leather or fur, and they try to avoid silk fabrics, wool, and beeswax.

There are several reasons to become a vegan. It often starts with compassion for animals and becomes an ethical belief over time. Knowing how resource-intensive and devastating it is to keep farm animals on our planet is also a major concern for the environment and global warming. Some people choose veganism because they want to avoid the diseases associated with excessive consumption of meat and dairy products, to experience some of the healing effects of whole foods on the body, to feel lighter, or just to try something new.

What is the focus of the vegan month and vegan day?

vegan kosmeetikaNovember 1 became Vegan Day in 1994, 50 years after the term “vegan” was created. Namely, in 1944, the world’s first vegan society was founded in Great Britain, which defined veganism. This is how the social justice movement began, with the aim of ending the use, unfair treatment and killing of animals by humans and guaranteeing their fundamental rights.

The goal of Vegan month is to promote veganism, spread a non-violent worldview, raise awareness and inform them about the benefits and necessities of a vegan diet and lifestyle, provide support and guidance on how to implement veganism, share tricks and delicious recipes, introduce herbal alternatives and other exciting vegans. November is for celebrating and recognizing veganism and vegans!

If you are interested in learning more about veganism and testing yourself, this month is also a great time to join the vegan challenge.

What are vegan cosmetics?

vegan kosmeetikaVegan cosmetics are those beauty products that do not contain raw materials of animal origin or by-products derived from live or slaughtered animals. When choosing Vegan cosmetics, care must be taken to ensure that the product is also cruelty-free, ie these products or ingredients have not been tested on animals. A separate “100% cruelty-free” certificate has been created for this purpose.

It is important to know that vegan cosmetics do not always equate to cruelty-free, as some manufacturers use raw materials of animal origin in their products but do not test them on animals. In contrast, some beauty products may be free of animal raw materials and vegan but have been tested on animals.

90% of Nurme’s products are vegan and we have a large selection of soaps, shampoos, body creams and much more that are 100% of plant origin and cruelty-free. However, some products also contain animal ingredients – for example, Nurme deodorants and lip balms contain beeswax and our face soap contains a small amount of goat’s milk powder, as it would not be possible to produce an equally good product without these specific raw materials.

The most common ingredients of animal origin are:

  • Beeswax (cera alba), honey (mel), propolis (bee glue), Royal Jelly – obtained from bees.
  • Lanolin (lanolin, wool wax), C10-30 Cholesterol / Lanosterol Esters – derived from sheep sebaceous glands.
  • Carmine (carmine, CI 75470), shellac (shellac, E 904, Gum Lac) – derived from insects.
  • Keratin (keratin), hydrolyzed keratin, collagen, elastin, biotin – mostly proteins and vitamins of animal origin.
  • Silk amino acids, sericin (silk glue), hydrolyzed silk protein, silk powder (Serica powder) – obtained from silkworms.
  • Pearl, hydrolyzed pearl, pearl powder, hydrolyzed conchiolin protein – obtained from oysters.
  • Snail mucin – obtained from snails.
  • Lactoferrin, lactose, hydrolyzed milk protein – milk products.
  • Squalene, guanine (CI 75170), glucosamine, chondroitin – derived from fish and other marine animals.

How to recognize vegan cosmetics and what logos to follow?

The lists of ingredients in cosmetic products, with their specific terms and Latin names, confuse the average person and make choosing skincare products quite difficult. In order to recognize Vegan cosmetics, it is worth saving or memorizing the above-mentioned animal ingredients and when selecting the product, go over the ingredient list and make sure that some of them are not included in the product.

Fortunately, a number of certificates and logos have been created to make navigating the world of vegan cosmetics clearer and easier. In the case of vegan beauty products, the most important thing is to make sure that the product has a vegan and cruelty-free label, which means that the product does not contain animal raw materials and has not been tested on animals.

Some of the best known vegan and cruelty-free logos are:

vegan kosmeetika vegan kosmeetika vegan kosmeetika vegan kosmeetika

Keep in mind that obtaining different certifications is a time-consuming and costly process, and many small businesses can’t afford it. So always read the ingredients too, because that way you will also find good natural and vegan products!

Are vegan beauty products better for the skin?

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By preferring vegan cosmetics you’re making an ethical choice and reducing the use of animals to make beauty products, but it is important to know that vegan cosmetics may not always be better for the skin. Unfortunately, the Vegan logo does not automatically mean that a skincare product is higher quality, more effective, or more natural.

The vegan label is always used in the marketing of cosmetics because it is very trendy right now, it is important to people and makes them buy more. When buying cosmetics, it is always worth doing the research yourself, asking your friends for opinions, finding recommendations on the Internet and reading the lists of ingredients to make sure that the product is high-quality, effective and natural.

Does vegan cosmetics = natural cosmetics?

It is often thought that vegan products are automatically natural, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. Animal ingredients are not used in Vegan cosmetics, but the use of ingredients that are synthetic and artificially produced in the laboratory, such as synthetic oils, preservatives, and various colors and fragrances, is not prohibited. Many large cosmetics companies use synthetic ingredients, some of which are incidentally vegan, because they are often cheaper than natural and herbal ingredients.

Natural cosmetics = Nurme Cosmetics. By this we mean, skin-friendly products made entirely or largely of plant origin raw materials, thus being more easily acceptable to humans, without causing dependence or allergic reactions.

It is very important to know that, like in the food industry, natural compounds are used as preservatives instead of chemicals.

vegan kosmeetikaThe list of ingredients in natural products certainly does not include synthetic substances such as parabens, mineral and silicone oils, or fragrances, dyes or preservatives. The surest way to find out how natural a product is is to check the ingredients. The list of ingredients is based on the principle that at the beginning of the list is the ingredient that is most present in the product and at the end of the list is the ingredient that is used the least.

We hope you found some exciting new information in this article, got inspired to get started with veganism, and are now able to navigate the world of vegan cosmetics better. Choose vegan cosmetics today and order 100% natural Nurme skincare products!

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