(Hint: probably not!) You stray away from animal products in your kitchen, but look down at your latest manicure. It might surprise you to hear that some conventional nail polishes aren’t vegan. 

Why on earth would there be animal-derived substances in your nail polish? A good question that many people don’t know the answer to.. so we explore what makes a vegan nail polish in this weeks blog.

what to look out for

All cosmetic ingredients are listed in their latin names. This makes ingredients universal across all countries, but it does make it difficult for most consumers to work out what’s actually in their beauty products. Below are the two most commonly used ingredients that make a non-vegan nail polish.

Guanine

Guanine could also be listed as ‘pearl essence’ on your polish bottle, but guanine is really just derived from fish scales and acids that are located in animal tissue. Since it gives nail polish that statement shimmer, you’re most likely to find it in products that have a luminous, pearly effect or in a lot of glitter polishes.

The thing is, this ingredient is completely unnecessary. Many vegan beauty brands have developed their own ways to create stunning effects, without the animal-derived products.

Our ‘Glass Slipper’ nail polish is beautiful and guess what? The shimmer contains NO fish scales! Instead, we’ve used real sterling silver to create a soft silver/gold polish that oozes luxury and sophistication. Who needs fish scales when you can wear real silver on your nails?

Carmine

Red hues of nail polish are a warning- they often contain carmine. By boiling and crushing female cochineal insects, the red colour is created- no thanks!

A shocking fact: anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 cochineals are used to create just 1 kilogram of carmine dye.

Again, this is not needed! We have formulated our own collection of rich and vibrant red hues without the use of beetles. Phew. Check out our favourite shades below!

Our ethos

Livoliv absolutely adore animals and completely abhor cruelty to animals of any kind for any reason. We NEVER test on animals (only husbands!) and ensure non of the ingredients we use are tested on animals either.

It is also a priority to make sure we source  only vegan ingredients for ALL of our products. We believe, not only for the reasons listed above- but that our products should be inclusive to everyone who cares about their skin. Whether you’re vegan or not, we believe you’ll benefit from our healthy, non toxic cruelty free and non animal derived products.

Make sure you keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on our latest products!

Until next week..

The Livoliv team x