What does vegan nail polish actually mean?
This is a question we are asked a lot😁 Vegan nail polish simply means that there are no animal-derived ingredients present in the formulation of that nail polish.
Hang on, (I hear you shout) does that mean nail polish that isn’t vegan contains animal-derived ingredients? Yes, they can do, the key is to look at the ingredients.
Below are top three giveaways that the nail polish contains animal-derived ingredients:
*Carmine - used in nail polish and lipsticks to get the red pigment. Red pigment being a prime colour can be used in many colours not just red! It is derived from shells of female Cochineal insects (yes that’s right beetles and other bugs!!)
*Guanine - a crystalline material obtained from fish scales, is commonly used in nail polish for its shimmery effect
* Nail Perfumes – These are used to mask the chemical smell of nail polish. The exact ingredients in perfumes are not required to be disclosed in most countries. Animal-derived ingredients that are likely to be used to make nail perfumes include Musk oil (dried secretion painfully obtained from musk deer, beaver, muskrat, civet cat, and otter genitals), shark liver oil and Ambergris (derived from whale intestines).
When you look at potential non-vegan ingredients in general cosmetics, the list goes on with chemicals such as Lanolin, Squalene, Beeswax, Keratin, Tallow and Retinol.
#nailture is proudly vegan and cruelty free💚