If you’re planning to go vegan, you may be wondering: What exactly is a vegan hair dye? You may be wondering what animal products are used in the dyes.
Or perhaps you are asking yourself “Is vegan hair dye safe to use?” and “Is there even such a thing as a vegan hair dye?” These are valid questions that you should know the answers to before buying any kind of product.
What exactly is a vegan hair dye? Find out in this article!
What exactly is a vegan hair dye?
A vegan hair dye is a hair dye that does not contain any animal ingredients and is thus suitable for vegans to use. An animal-friendly or vegan hair dye won’t contain any compounds from animals and will be free from all sorts of substances that can harm the body.
How do you know if a hair dye is vegan?
Are you looking for a vegan hair dye? You should be aware that there are a large number of animal-derived ingredients used in the production of hair dye.
If you purchase hair dye from an average store, you have no guarantee that the ingredients are vegan. However, many brands of natural hair dyes are vegan, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally coloring your hair with animal products.
How to know if a hair dye is vegan:
1) Check the bottle
Do not buy any product that contains beeswax or carmine if you want to be sure that the product is vegan. Carmine comes from crushed beetles and beeswax comes from honeycombs, which means that both of these ingredients contain animal fat. Some companies try to substitute carmine with cochineal extract, but this ingredient also comes from insect bodies.
2) Look at the label
Ingredients are listed by weight and most hair dyes contain some amount of animal products, even if they’re hidden under a different name (like Carmine).
3) Avoid Parabens
Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic and personal care products because they prevent bacterial growth and extend shelf life by preventing the growth of mold and mildew.
Ingredients to avoid in your vegan hair dye
Hair dyes are not all vegan. Some are labeled as such but some contain ingredients that come from animals.
These ingredients can include:
Carmine (cochineal): A red pigment made from crushed female cochineal insects, which are boiled in ammonia or sulfuric acid to produce the dye.
TALC: Often used in hair products as a thickener and powder, this mineral can be derived from either plant or animal sources, so it is not always vegan-friendly.
Lanolin: An oily secretion found on sheep’s skin, lanolin is sometimes used to soften and condition the hair, though many products now use synthetic substitutes due to the controversy surrounding this ingredient’s source.
Elastin: This protein is found in ligaments, tendons, and muscles. It can be used to help hair retain its shape and hold a style for longer after styling.
Gelatin: This protein obtained from boiling animal connective tissue produces a clear solution that can be used as a stabilizer and thickening agent in many beauty products. Gelatin is most commonly found in shampoos and hair gels.Honey: