Surprising non-vegan skincare ingredients – and what to change to

You may have perfected your beauty routine to find products that work perfectly for the skin.

But are you aware in which the hardworking ingredients inside your fave serums and creams actually originate from?

Skin-perfecting heroes retinol, hyaluronic acid and collagen are frequently made using animal products including shark guts, fish bits and even cockerels' combs.

If you're as shocked as us that retinol isn't vegan, then read on to discover the animal-free options to popular skincare ingredients.

Retinol

Retinol, as is available traditionally known it, is generally derived from animal sources for example beef, chicken liver and fish.

The miracle of the vitamin A derivative is it cuts down on the appearance of proper lines by encouraging the body to produce collagen (which naturally reduces as we grow older).

Distilled in the seeds and leaves of the Indian babchi plant, bakuchiol has been utilized to deal with skin conditions for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine.

Squalene

Squalene was originally obtained from shark liver, a process that the sharks don't survive, and is commonly present in beauty products such as moisturisers.

Collagen

As we age, our body loses being able to make collagen protein, so collagen supplements and collagen-infused beauty products assistance to stimulate collagen production and replace our reduced levels – it's more often than not animal-derived, usually bovine or marine collagen.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a skin thirst-quencher, delivering a super-dose of hydration, however it was traditionally animal-derived, from sources such as cockerels' combs.

Lanolin

A brilliant balm for safeguarding chapped lips and dried-out skin – even cracked nipples when breast-feeding – lanolin is a natural splendor factor that comes from sheep's wool (it keeps the fleece waterproof) and it is found as a base in several beauty items.

Lactic acid

In the beauty industry this is used as an exfoliant. It's known for its antibacterial properties as well as for controlling the acidity of products – you'll find it in many products. 'Our bodies produce lactic acid but it can be created by fermenting dairy products or meat,' says Hirsch.