Becoming a "Beauty Vegan": The first step to veganism

I want to explain the importance of using cruelty free makeup in this post.  Some may have heard me talk about this before in the blog "The Kind Life", Alicia Silverstone's Vegan blog (see the blog HERE).  It's a subject that I'm very passionate about.....

I own a cruelty free/vegan line of makeup (www.christopherdrummond.com), and have had it for five years.  I like to call myself a "beauty vegan".  This means that I do not use any skincare or products that have any animal products in them at all.
Being a beauty vegan takes due diligence.  You need to not only read your labels but know the ingredients you are reading.  For instance, Lanolin is a common ingredient in cosmetics, and is usually animal-derived.  I've found that most animal derived ingredients are "hidden" and sound like any other ingredient ("carmine" is a colorant that is literally made from crushed bugs).  I just think it's the right thing to do.....after all, using animal ingredients so we can look prettier is just ridiculous.  Especially when there are plenty of plant-derived ingredients we can use....
In owning a vegan makeup line, Ive noticed that many vegans don't think about vegan cosmetic brushes.  the majority of makeup brushes on the market are made in China and are animal hair!  The reason I bring up "Made in China" is because they have no animal cruelty laws, so they can handle animals in any way they want, and many times, they do.  Be sure to check and see if your brushes are cruelty free.  Email your favorite cosmetic company and request that they use only vegan approved brushes, like Christopher Drummond Beauty does!
So, whether you are a vegan, or are considering becoming one, don't forget your cosmetics!  It's one of the simplest ways to become a vegan and to be cruelty free, but many people don't think about it.
Be sure all cosmetics state they are Cruelty Free, or have the "bunny" symbol on it.  This is the only way to be sure....
Thanks for reading my post, and I look forward to hearing back from everyone!
Chris

To see our full line of cruelty free makeup, click HERE