vegan-cosmeticsA lot of brands of cosmetics claim to be cruelty free and not test on animals, but that doesn’t mean animals weren’t consumed in the process of their manufacturing. Many makeup brands, even some of the natural and organic selections, contain products made from animals, either through animal fat that’s applied to your skin, or animal byproducts such as milk or other secretions that are added to the makeup.

The only way to really know if a vegan makeup brand is for real is to read its label. Even some of the vegan brands may make some non-vegan products, and they might not say so on the label. Vegan makeup explicitly indicates its nature.

Further confusing the dilemma of living a healthy lifestyle that has minimal impact on animals, some vegan cosmetic brands simply don’t work very well. On top of being more expensive, the makeup may be less effective. You are literally throwing your money away on a product that doesn’t work as well.

But fortunately for the discerning makeup consumer, a vegan lifestyle can still include makeup brands just as effective as those that contain animal products. Products like Jason Natural Cosmetics, Kiss My Face, and Beauty Without Cruelty successfully practice the vegan lifestyle, using no animal products whatsoever. ABBA and Giovanni both make both quality vegan conditioners and shampoos. Nature’s Gate makes a quality vegan moisturizer, perfect for dry skin in the cold weather.

Beauty Without Cruelty also specializes in a quality line of lip glosses, concealors, power, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara. Yves Rocher also produces a waterproof mascara, so you don’t have to worry about getting caught in the rain. It’s very inexpensive, so your wallet doesn’t have to suffer for the makeup either.

Getting to know the variety of quality vegan products out there is easy with the right website, and is helpful at discerning real vegan products from products that may merely just be cruelty free. There are many available on the web, often including reviews from consumers themselves.

A vegan lifestyle and a passion for cosmetics don’t have to contradict each other. There are plenty of healthy products out there that contain no animal products whatsoever. There’s no need to compromise your ideals just to look ideal. Be beautiful, live a beautiful life, and continue to contribute to the beauty in the world. Live vegan and look great with a quality selection of vegan cosmetics.