Vegan Products

Finding vegan products can be a challenge, especially when the vegan lifestyle is a new one. It’s more than vegans needing to know what to avoid in the ingredients list when looking for vegan food products. It’s needing to know what’s in the things you would never suspect of containing animal ingredients, like toothpaste! And it’s needing to know what companies test on animals and which ones don’t, especially when it comes to vegan hygiene products, vegan body products, vegan beauty products and vegan hair products.

Most companies that don’t test on animals label their list of vegan products “cruelty-free.” But finding them in a regular store can be tough. That’s why vegan products online is usually the best way to go.

Certainly most health food stores like Whole Foods have an impressive selection of vegan products, but they can be expensive. Trader Joe’s is comparatively affordable, but the selection is limited (though it’s worth mentioning that Trader Joe’s shampoo, lotion and tea tree oil body soap are regulars in The Vegan Pledge household).

As for vegan clothes, they’re vegan products that are easy to find just about anywhere. It’s simply a matter of choosing vegan clothes made from cotton and manmade fabrics instead of fur, wool, silk and other animal-derived materials. Even vegan shoes are relatively easy to find. Just look for “all manmade materials” instead of leather. The biggest challenge in buying vegan shoes is finding fashionable styles, though it’s getting easier with designs like Natalie Portman vegan shoes.

When it comes to vegan food products, everyone eats more “vegan” than they think they do – not just fruits and vegetables, but breads, beans, grains, and canned and frozen goods with no animal ingredients.

Still, it’s essential that vegans always read the ingredients list when looking for new vegan products.

When choosing vegan food products, watch out for:

• Whey (a milk derivative) in breads, potato chips and crackers
• Beef stock in vegetable soup
• Eggs in faux-meat vegan food products

Thankfully, none of these ingredients are necessary, so it’s simply a matter of finding brands that don’t use them.

As for vegan beauty products, vegan hygiene products, vegan body products and vegan hair products, look for trustworthy vegan resources, like PETA. They have some of the best vegan information on the internet about vegan products.