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Becoming a vegan means realizing that many beauty products out there are not animal friendly. A lot of these contain animal by-products that individuals may not know of; from make-up to nail polish. The big question is: is shellac vegan?
Shellac is made from the resin formed by the excretion of the female lac bug, therefore shellac is not vegan. For something to be vegan, it must be completely free from animal by-products. The lac bug is a living creature and therefore using it for shellac goes against the grain of veganism.
In this article, I’ll start by explaining the essence of veganism, what shellac is and what it is used for. I will then discuss how shellac is made from bugs, why many nail polishes contain bugs, and why vegans should avoid these products. I’ll end off by discussing nail products that are safe for vegans to use.
Table of Contents
What Is Veganism?
It is important to define veganism here. It helps individuals to have a better understanding of why certain products should be avoided. This is especially true for products that seem vegan-friendly at first glance.
What Products Do Vegans Avoid?
Vegans have a firm stance on rejecting the use of certain products. I will discuss the big no-nos here. It is important to note that the term animals is used to define any living thing.
Products That Promote Animal Testing
Veganism opposes the use of products that have been tested on animals. These include cosmetics, medical and food testing, and more.
According to PETA (People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals), each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in the U.S laboratories for testing.
Veganism is a virtue that exempts any product that has caused harm to animals. Therefore, vegans strictly use products that are free from animal testing.
Products That Cause Physical Harm to Animals
This is what most people attribute to veganism – the avoidance of consuming any product that causes physical harm to animals. In obvious cases, this means meat products where animals are slaughtered.
If a product is made by harming or killing an animal, vegans will reject it. Whether the product is food-based, cosmetics, clothing – any product really.
Products That Affect Animals’ Psychological State
Vegans are seriously opposed to factory farming. One might wonder why vegans won’t eat eggs when the hens are not killed for them. The fact of the matter is the conditions these animals are kept in. This is the idea that vegans reject.
Products Containing Animal by-Product
Animal by-products are parts of the animal used indirectly. Many products on the market contain animal by-products that we may have never suspected.
Common things that contain these are leather and other textiles, pet food, animal feed, soap, personal care products, industrial lubricants, bio diesel fuel, and medicines. There are many more, however, which is why vegans conduct tons of research on the products they consume.
What Is Shellac?
Shellac is a resin-like substance that comes from the excretion of the female Laccifer lacca bug, also known as the lac bug. The lac bug excretes this substance on the trees in India and Indonesia.