Most of us remember having Vaseline in our household when we were young.
Vaseline was the first and the fastest solution for dry skin, cracked feet, and chapped lips. However, with the spread of awareness related to animals’ lives and the environment, people started looking at products differently.
Currently, there’s a debate about whether Vaseline is vegan or not. Especially, with it being one of the most used skin products. As it’s well known, Vaseline is a Unilever product and Unilever produces around 400 different brands with some that are considered vegan and others that aren’t.
In this article, we’re going to explore what a vegan-friendly product is, what Vaseline is made of, and ultimately, is Vaseline vegan?
What Is a Vegan-Friendly Product?
It’s known that the word vegan refers to the exclusion of animal products and by-products. The definition includes food, cosmetics, and hygiene products. Yet, vegan people may differ when it comes to not-so-direct animal product inclusion or environmental factors.
The widest definition of vegan implies that no animal products are included. This includes meat, dairy, eggs, and sometimes honey. In addition to a stipulation that no testing on animals is done to make a product. And naturally, the making of the product doesn’t harm the environment where animals live.
Companies that produce vegan products usually show the vegan certificate by putting the word Vegan or the letter V on them. If that’s not the case, you often find yourself checking the ingredients list carefully and researching to find out what is vegan and what’s not.
Therefore, the lack of the vegan-marking and the very short list of ingredients on Vaseline, which is only one ingredient the Petroleum Jelly, is what made the issue debatable.
What Is Vaseline Made of?
The only ingredient Vaseline is made of, as indicated on the product, is Petroleum jelly. It’s made of mineral oils and waxes with petroleum as its main ingredient.
The reason why Vaseline is very widely used as lip balms and skin moisturizers go back to the petroleum included. As it helps seal the dry or cracked areas in your skin to retain moisture.
It’s known that the making of petroleum jelly needs it to be clarified with bone char (which is of animal bones) and that is considered a non-vegan factor as the product refined by using animal products. However, there are some claims that it’s not used anymore in the process of making Vaseline.
Is Vaseline Vegan?
To resolve the debate of whether Vaseline is vegan or not, we have to go through the three categories that are concerned. These categories are:
- The inclusion of animal products.
- If the product is tested on animals.
- What are the environmental effects of the product?
Animal Products
Vaseline isn’t made of any animal or animal-derived products. Therefore, it’s technically considered a vegan product especially after the exclusion of bone char.
Still, some vegans may debate that the factor of fossil fuel (petroleum) is an animal-related product as they’re originally the bones of animals that should over time fertilize the soil for plants to grow and for the improvement of the environmental system.
Animal Testing
The producing company, Unilever, denies that it tests its products directly on animals. Still, it clearly declares that some suppliers may test the products on animals according to the legal regulation of each country. Therefore, other countries that happen to import the product, are free to test it on animals.
This means that even if the company doesn’t test on animals, however, it may not be able to stop each supplier from doing so.
Moreover, Vaseline is not certified by the people for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as a cruelty-free product (though some of Unilever’s other products are certified). This is because the product is somehow tested on animals whether the ingredients separately, the formulation or the final product itself.
Environmental Impact
Fossil fuels have many negative effects on the environment, which might make many vegans reconsider using the product. They cause lots of air and water pollution that affect nature and the animals’ lives.
Yet, there are several products that people find themselves forced to consume. Gasoline, for instance, is inevitable to use to run cars and machines. This renders the usage of a product with petroleum a matter of personal decision to some extent.
It isn’t the easiest thing to find an environment-friendly alternative for all the products that you need. That’s why when it comes to the environmental impact it’s more of a priority matter and shouldn’t make one person more vegan than the other.
On a personal level, some people may not like to use petroleum jelly on their skin, out of fear of toxic effects.
Vegan Product But Non-Vegan Company
Even if Unilever the producing company isn’t vegan, it’s still possible for it to produce vegan products. However, whether to purchase these products or not is a matter of choice.
Some people believe that buying vegan products from a non-vegan company is like funding the company to keep on with the usage of animal products and testing.
Yet, some others believe that such an act may force the companies to produce more vegan products as they’re demanded and purchased.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, Vaseline doesn’t include animal products.
In addition, the fact that there are vegan Vaseline options produced by Unilever, like the Vegan Vaseline Rosy Lips Therapy, means that the company cares about meeting vegan demands and needs. Yet, that doesn’t remove the animal-testing factor from the equation.
In the end, the decision of whether to use Vaseline or not comes down to personal priorities. There are other producing companies that make straightforward vegan moisturizers and cosmetic products.
You can also find some natural alternatives all around the internet that you can consider, which may give similar results like Vaseline. They include homemade moisturizers made of Shea butter, Aloe Vera, coconut oil and other natural materials.
You can also check this article for Vaseline’s alternative products.