You might not immediately think about it when you spray on such a nice fragrance, but perfume is not always vegan. In the past, animal ingredients were often used, such as secretions from beavers, sperm whales and deer. Now that is thankfully less, but animal ingredients in perfume still occur. So yes, if you are a staunch vegan, that is something to watch out for. And by the way, even if you are not: why does a perfume contain animal ingredients? It's not necessary at all! And the tricky thing is that perfume brands don't have to reveal their secret recipe. So you often can't just check whether a fragrance is completely vegan. So we asked ourselves: how do you recognise vegan perfume?
Animal ingredients in perfume
OK, so what exactly about those animal ingredients in perfume? Anyone with a weak stomach may skip this paragraph and read straight on to the next one, because this is going to be an unpalatable story. Musk, for example, used to be a popular ingredient in perfume. Musk comes from the scent glands in the belly of the male musk deer, and to obtain it, the animals had to be killed. Fortunately, animal musk has now been banned and replaced by synthetic variants. But there are still other animal ingredients that may be used in perfumes and which - we think - are just as animal-unfriendly and unpalatable. One example is castoreum, a substance extracted from glands near the genitals of beavers, for which they are also killed. Pathetic, right! So Vegan perfume is no luxury.
How do you find vegan perfume?
So it used to be quite normal to use animal ingredients in perfume. Fortunately, more and more brands are showing that this is not necessary at all. But how do you recognise a vegan perfume? Much of the ingredients are often kept secret, but we can look at labels. Think of the well-known PETA-Approved Vegan-logo, the green-and-white sunflower of The Vegan Society, the yellow-green V-Label or the black heart of vegan.org. That way, you can be sure you have a vegan fragrance on your hands.
More and more perfume brands are proving that you can smell great even without animal ingredients. They make perfumes from plants and flowers. Note: a vegan perfume is not necessarily automatically better for the environment. It depends on how the plants are grown, for example. Was it done organically, without artificial fertilisers and pesticides? Or maybe extracts from waste streams have been used. If so, you're in the right place!
Why there is a difference between vegan and cruelty-free
Now you may be thinking: ‘If I choose a vegan perfume, I have also made a choice that is completely free of animal suffering’. Unfortunately, this is not always true. After all, there is a difference between vegan and cruelty-free. If you really want to make an animal-friendly choice, then you should pay attention to both and choose a perfume with a vegan or cruelty-free label. Coming up next!
- Vegan means that a product contains no animal ingredients and that no animals were used in its production. It says nothing about whether it is animal-free.
- Cruelty-free means a product is animal-free, but it may still contain animal ingredients.
In Europe, it is fortunately forbidden to sell cosmetics or personal care products tested on animals. Unfortunately, there are some exceptions to the European regulations, which means that not all cosmetics sold in Europe are completely animal-tested after all. There may be ingredients in perfume that are also used in other products - such as detergents. For those products, animal testing is still allowed and sometimes even mandatory. It is also possible that a beauty brand sells products that are not tested on animals in Europe, but does so outside Europe, for instance because it is required by law there. So a brand is actually still participating. We have previously written extensively about that exception with animal testing. Want to make sure your perfume is cruelty-free? The good vegan labels we mentioned earlier guarantee that a product is both vegan and animal-free. In addition, there are animal-free labels such as PETA-Approved or Leaping Bunny. If so, a product may not be vegan, but it is cruelty-free. You can also look up whether a brand is cruelty-free yourself on PETA's website. Don't be alarmed: there are some great, very well-known brands on this list that might be on your make-up table.
Why a vegan perfume is not necessarily sustainable
Finally, a vegan or cruelty-free perfume does not necessarily have to be sustainable. If a perfume is vegan, it only means that it does not contain animal ingredients. But it may still contain, for example, synthetic or natural ingredients that are not good for the planet. Take musk, for example. When the use of the natural variety from deer was banned, it was replaced by synthetic musk. Unfortunately, it was later found that synthetic musk does not biodegrade well and can cause allergic reactions. Not ideal either. On the other hand, a perfume with only natural, plant-based ingredients is not always sustainable either, as it just depends on how those ingredients were obtained. Yes, it's a tricky file. Curious about what can be wrong with perfume and want examples of sustainable perfumes that are vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable? Then read this article, in which we look for sustainable perfume.
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Vegan bread? Why bread isn't always vegan.
- Vegan potting soil and garden soil? Why is not all potting soil animal-friendly?
- Vegan cooking and baking: Tap a vegan egg.
Sources: Elle, V-Mark, The Green Guide. Photo credits: main image left: Jay R Alvarez (Pexels), centre: Retha Ferguson (Pexels), right: Mart Production (Pexels), lavender: Palocech (Pexels), perfume mirror: Cottonbro (Pexels).
