Each morning and night, as you brush your teeth, you may actually be unconsciously supporting non-vegan products that could have been tested on animals! We were surprised to learn this as well – it will never cease to disappoint us just how many animal products are used in everyday seemingly unsuspecting products. If you’ve been brushing your teeth without realising it – don’t fret! Here’s the down low and why it should be avoided. It’s a continuous learning curve!
Ingredients
One of the main ingredients in most commercial toothpaste is glycerine. While glycerine can be plant based, it usually comes from animal fat. It is used as a sweetening and preserving agent in toothpaste and also helps give it it’s “paste-y” texture.
Animal Testing
A terrible and unnecessary process in some human products involve animal testing. Unfortunately, some commercially available toothpastes are still involved in this horrible practice. Always look up the brand first to see if they do animal testing – you can use tools such as PETA’s search functionality to find out more information. While it looks like Australia has taken the step forwards to ban animal testing on cosmetics from July 2017, it always pays to be a little cautious and double check your options first.
Alternatives
So what can you do? Obviously you still need to brush your teeth but what can you use? Luckily as the world learns more about animal cruelty and the vegan lifestyle, more products are being made to support it. You can actually find a number of vegan friendly toothpastes at your local shops or at specialty shops, just double check the ingredients first and ensure that the company does not perform any animal testing. Alternatively, there are a number of homemade toothpaste recipes that you can try.
Looking for other vegan friendly health and beauty products? Check out our marketplace for some ideas.
What’s your favourite vegan toothpaste brand? Or do you make your own at home? Tell us about it in the comments!
3 Responses
Dana
Hey rick, If you’re not interested in being a better vegan then go to some other website
Rick
It’s TOOTHPASTE! No animal has died in the processing purely for toothpaste. 95% of glycerin is derived from vegetable sources because it is cheaper. Use your favorite toothpaste without guilt and don’t listen to the vegan nay-sayers.
darthvegan
Hi Rick,
Thank you for taking your time to comment and for opening a discussion. You’re absolutely right – it’s TOOTHPASTE so why do we need to hide animal derived ingredients in it? And I do agree – glycerin can be derived from vegetable sources which is why it’s a good idea to double check your favourite toothpaste brand first. I definitely am not saying ALL toothpaste is tested on animals, however, I also do think it’s important that people are made aware that it CAN be derived from animal products and that some brands still believe in animal testing. This is why I’ve also provided a link to search your favourite brands and see if they are involved in animal testing or not.
Awareness is the first step to change.