Understanding the labels: sodium tallowate?
Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Lardate and others...
The use of animal materials is not limited to the manufacture of food products, it also affects, as everyone knows, the world of fashion through the use of leather, fur or wool…. Cosmetics manufacturers also use ingredients derived from animals, but very often "scholarly" names designate these materials and it is not always easy to navigate.
100% natural?? It is important to read the labels of cosmetics carefully to know what you are buying. The “natural” sometimes holds big surprises and we discover that the soap we hold in our hands contains animal fat … not very glamorous, but the name Sodium Tallowate does not allow us to notice it.< /p>
If like me you like animals and you don't want to eat them, then you certainly don't want to spread their fat on your skin... So beware of the consumption of hidden animal substances, learn to decipher the labels.< /p>
Note that some inexpensive soaps may contain beef fat, pork fat, or fish oil as these are inexpensive ingredients. This example concerns soap, but many everyday consumer products are affected by the unsuspected presence of animal materials and the list of non-vegan ingredients is very long.
How to recognize animal substance names on labels?
In food or cosmetics, ingredients of animal origin can be present in many products. To find your way around and avoid consuming materials of animal origin without knowing it, here is a list of non-vegan ingredients (INCI name and French name)
This list is not exhaustive, it is recommended in case of doubt about an ingredient to rely on a Vegan Label (Vegan society, Vegan Action, Vegan OK).
| INCI name | French name | Origin |
| Acetylated lanolin alcohol | Acetylated lanolin alcohol | Animal / Synthetic |
| Adeps bovis | Beef Tallow Fatty Acids | Animal |
| Ammonium lactate | Ammonium lactate | Animal / Synthetic |
| Atelocollagen | Atelocollagen | Animal / Plant |
| Calcium lactate | Calcium lactate | Animal / Synthetic |
| Caprae Lake | Goat's milk | Animal |
| Carnitine | Carnitine | Animal / Synthetic |
| Cera alba | Beeswax | Animal |
| Cetyl laurate | Cetyl laurate | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Cetyl palmitate | Cetyl palmitate | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Chitin | Chitin | Animal |
| CI 75170 | Guanin | Animal |
| CI 75470 | Carmine | Animal / Synthetic |
| CI 77267 | Bone Black | Animal |
| Collagen | Collagen | Animal |
| Connective Tissue Extract | Animal connective tissue extract | Animal |
| Donkey milk (Lacta asinus) | Donkey's milk | Animal |
| Gelatin | Gelatin | Animal |
| Glycerin | Glycerol, Glycerin | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Hydrogenated tall | Hydrogenated tallow | Animal / Synthetic |
| Hydroxylated milk glycerides | Hydroxylated milk glycerides | Animal / Synthetic |
| Hydrolyzed keratin | Hydrolyzed keratin | Animal / Plant |
| Hydroxyethyl urea | Hydroxyethyl urea | Animal / Synthetic |
| Isostearamidopropyl morpholine lactate | Isostearamidopropyl morpholine lactate | Animal / Synthetic |
| Keratin | Keratin | Animal |
| Lactic acid | Lactic Acid | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Lactis lipida | Milk lipids | Animal |
| Lactis proteinum | Milk protein | Animal |
| Lactose | Composed of milk derivatives | Animal / Synthetic |
| Lanolin | Lanolin | Animal |
| Lanolin alcohol | Lanolin alcohol | Animal / Synthetic |
| Lauryl lactate | Lauryl lactate | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Mare milk | Mare's milk | Animal |
| Mel | Honey | Animal |
| Methyl lactate | Methyl lactate | Animal / Synthetic |
| Menthyl lactate | Menthol and lactic acid ester | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Mustela oil | Mink Oil | Animal |
| Myristyl lactate | Myristyl lactate | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Myristyl stearate | Myristyl Stearate | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Ovum powder | Egg powder | Animal |
| Ovum shell extract | Eggshell powder | Animal |
| Palmitic acid | Palmitic acid (fatty acid) | Animal / Plant |
| Propolis cera | Propolis, beeswax | Animal |
| Royal jelly extract | Royal jelly extract | Animal hydroxyacetate |
| Royal jelly extract | Royal jelly extract | Animal |
| Serica | Silk | Animal |
| Sine adipe lake | Skim milk powder | Animal |
| Sodium caseinate | Sodium Caseinate | Animal / Synthetic |
| Sodium lactate | Sodium lactate | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Sodium tallowate | Sodium Tallowate (Saponified Tallow Salt) | Animal / Synthetic |
| Soluble collagen | Soluble collagen | Animal |
| Squalane | Squalane | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Stearic acid | Stearic acid (fatty acids from beef tallow) | Animal / Vegetable / Synthetic |
| Whey protein | Whey protein | Animal / Synthetic |
Sources: CSST toxicological directory: http://wwwcsstqc.ca European Commission Health and Consumers: http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm
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