Monday, March 9, 2015

Organic Vegan Soap Is A Good Choice For Animal Lovers

By Leslie Ball


A growing awareness of the unnecessary cruelties many domesticated animals endure on their way to becoming packaged supermarket products has caused a surge of interest in following vegetarian principles. Although soap is not food, is usually contains fats rendered from animals, in addition to some form of lye. Organic vegan soap contains no animal byproducts, and safety testing does not involve living creatures.

Fat derived from non-vegetable sources has long been used to make soaps and related personal products. Unless the label says otherwise, there are usually additional chemical ingredients used to enhance cleaning characteristics and make the product smell and look better, as well as traces of the antibiotics or hormones originally administered to maximize growth. Certified pesticide-free vegetable-based soaps contain none of those substances.

Beef fat together with coconut oils are commonly found in many commercially sold brands, which may also contain formulas or mixtures derived from other sources, including palm oils. These substances are abundant and easily accessed, and soaps can be made from any form of fat when combined with ash or alkali-based ingredients. Animal fat is not really necessary, but is inexpensive and plentiful.

A product advertised as organic does not necessarily qualify as vegan. Ingredients such as beeswax, lanolin, fish, mink, and emu oil, honey, royal jelly, and even urea are produced by creatures that may have been raised in the most accommodating, humane manner without any exposure to additional pesticides or chemicals. Because they are still animal products, they are considered non-vegetarian.

Rather than searching for retail products that contain no hint of beef tallow or lard, many people are learning to make their own. Virtually any vegetable-based fat will work, and there are a wide variety of recipes available on line. Cocoa butter is widely featured, and has a good reputation for moisturizing. If a firmer bar is needed, coconut oil produces good lather while maintaining a solid shape.

Gentle Castile-type soaps use olive oil as the main ingredient, widely known to produce fewer skin irritations or allergic responses. Shea butter is growing in popularity once again, and this product of an African tree has excellent moisture-retaining characteristics. It is often sold separately for personal-care use. Sweet almond oil feels light while gently conditioning skin, and several combination oil formulas have also proven beneficial.

Palm oils are a vegetarian product by definition, but are increasingly produced on massive plantations in South Asian nations. They displace natural vegetation, destroy the irreplaceable habitats of many endangered species, and generate a host of environmental problems common to deforested regions. Small amounts are produced using sound, sustainable practices, and the label usually states that fact.

Organic does not mean vegan, and the avoidance of animal products does not necessary make a brand superior. People interested in opting out of animal cruelty by buying, using and eating vegan products must become aware of the real meaning behind labeling. Simply calling a product natural does not guarantee that it is made humanely, or does not contain unnecessary chemicals.




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