Men's Personal Care
From shaving cream to cologne, all of the men's personal care and grooming products on our site are free of any animal-derived materials, ingredients and by-products. Shop with confidence knowing that you're not compromising your ethics to look good.
What are vegan & cruelty-free personal care products?
The term “vegan”, with regard to personal care products, refers to personal hygiene products that do not contain ingredients that are derived or sourced from animals or insects. The term “cruelty-free” however, refers to product (and ingredients) that are free of animal testing.
On this site, we feature men's personal care products that are both vegan and cruelty-free; they contain no animal or insect ingredients, and are not tested on animals.
What animal ingredients are typically found in men’s personal care products?
Have you ever wondered where keratin in “keratin enriched” shampoo comes from? Or what keeps the oils and other liquids together in hand lotions? Unfortunately, it’s often the by-product of animal suffering.
For your reference, we’ve put together a quick overview of common animal-derived and sourced ingredients that are found in many non-vegan shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, soaps and other personal care and hygienic products, as well as some effective, plant-based alternatives:
- Squalene: An oil typically sourced from shark liver. Vegan alternatives to squalene include vegetable oils such as olive oil, wheat germ oil, rice bran oil.
- Vitamin A: Can come from fish liver oil (such as shark liver oil), egg yolk and butter. Vegan sources of Vitamin A include lemon grass and wheat germ oil, carrots, other vegetables, and synthetic production.
- Biotin: Often used as a texturizer, Biotin is found in all living cells, and in large quantities in milk and yeast. Fortunately, there are many plant-based sources of this B vitamin as well, including carrots, onions, leafy greens, cabbage, and fresh berries, among others.
- Cetyl Alcohol: A waxy substance that’s found in the spermaceti (head cavity) of whales, dolphins, and other lovely cetaceans. Fortunately for those opposed to using animal by-products, it can also be derived from plant-based sources, such as coconut.
- Gelatin: Typically made by boiling discarded animal bones, skin, and ligaments. It gives products, such as hair gel, a thick and smooth texture. Vegan alternatives to gelatin include Irish moss (carageenan) and seaweed (agar, kelp, etc.).
- Hyaluronic Acid: A protein that attracts and retains water that acts as a moisturizer and lubricant in personal care products. It’s also typically taken from rooster combs. Fortunately, there are some animal-friendly sources of hyaluronic acid; it can be produced synthetically, and many foods, such as vegetables and soy, help us produce it naturally in our own bodies!
- Keratin: Found in animal hooves, feathers, horns, and hair, it promises to restore damaged hair, make hair stronger, and even keep curly or kinky hair straight. A vegan alternative to keratin, is, well, keratin! We produce keratin ourselves; it is one of the main constituents of human skin, hair, and nails. As another animal-friendly alternative, many brands use plant-based amino acids in place of keratin.
- Stearic Acid: A fatty substance, often taken from the stomachs of pigs, and sometimes even euthanized pets. Stearic acid has many aliases and derivatives, including Stearamide, Stearamine, Stearates, Stearic Hydrazide, among others. Fortunately for animal lovers, and for the animals themselves, stearic acid can be found in many plant and vegetable fats, including coconut.
- Lanolin: A product of the oil glands of sheep, extracted from their wool. Used as an emollient in many skin and hair care products. Vegan and animal-friendly alternatives include plant and vegetable oils.
- Silk Protein: Derived from silk, which is made by silkworms. Is said to improve hair’s elasticity, and resiliency. Vegan alternatives include plant-based proteins such as corn, rice, soy and wheat.
What companies make vegan/cruelty-free men’s personal care products?
The following companies make some variety of personal care products that are vegan & cruelty-free:
- Bro Brick
- JĀSÖN
- Every Man Jack
- Herban Cowboy
- Paul Mitchell
- men-ü
- Kiss My Face
- Leven Rose
- Duffy’s Brew
- Aēsop
- Hello
- ATTITUDE
- Nature’s Gate
- Hurraw!
- Certain Dri
- Schmidt’s
- Tom’s of Maine
- Hempz
- das boom Industries
More to Come!: An ever-increasing amount of companies are starting to respond to the increased consumer demand for cruelty-free, vegan, and chemical-free personal care products; more companies will be listed here as we find and contact them.
Why should I buy men’s personal care products that are vegan/cruelty-free?
When you buy a vegan-friendly and cruelty-free shampoo, hair gel, toothpaste or any other personal care or hygienic product, you’re buying an animal-friendly product. Doing so helps to put an end to the cycle of paying companies to test the products that we use, on animals. Besides, every type of hair care, oral care, body care or other personal care product you could want is available in a vegan and cruelty-free version. So, the bigger question is, why not buy vegan/cruelty-free?
But wouldn’t these animal by-products just be going to waste anyways?
Sadly enough, in many cases animals are killed just for their by-products. For example, a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report lists more than 50 shark species are fished for their oil, several of which are currently listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List.
It should also be noted that even if the ingredient is a by-product of an animal being slaughtered for their meat, and would otherwise ‘just be going to waste’, not supporting the slaughter by-product industry helps reduce the profitability of those slaughtering. In other words, if they can’t sell the by-products, they will make less profit from killing, which may hurt their ability to continue to slaughter for profit.
Are vegan and cruelty-free men’s personal care products expensive?
In general, men’s vegan and cruelty-free shampoos, hair styling products, deodorants and soaps are not any more expensive, or any less-expensive, than products that contain animal/insect derived ingredients, or that have been tested on animals.
Just like products that use animal ingredients and testing, the prices of products that don’t can vary based on differences in the quality and the availability of the ingredients used, differences in the manufacturing processes employed, different brand names behind them, and various other factors.
How do you choose which products to list?
We maintain a growing list of companies that make men’s personal care and hygienic products that are rumoured to be vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. We contact these companies to find out straight from them if they abide by specific cruelty-free practices, including:
- Not testing their final products or ingredients on animals
- Not paying someone else to test ingredients or final products on animals for them
- Not using ingredients that are tested on animals
- Not selling their products in countries wherein animal testing is required by law, such as mainland China
Any vegan-friendly products made by companies that abide by these guidelines, and that are sold on Amazon, are listed here for your shopping convenience.
Check out similar product categories on our site
If you’ve found this page on men’s vegan personal care products helpful, check out similar product categories to learn or shop more:
- Men’s Deodorant & Anti-Perspirant
- Men’s Accessories
- Men’s Footwear
- Men’s Shaving & Facial Care
- Men’s Soap & Body Wash
- Women’s Personal Care
For companies that make vegan & cruelty-free men’s personal care products
If you make vegan and cruelty-free shampoo, styling gel, hair dye, deodorant, lip balm, beard oil, or any other men's personal care or hygienic product for that matter, we’d love to feature you and your products on the “Brands We Love” section of our site! Contact us at - info(at)getitvegan(dot)com - to get started!
Sources for this guide
Some of the information for this mini guide on men’s vegan personal care products was gathered from the following sources:
- Articles: “Is My Shampoo Vegan? A Guide to Vegan Hair Products.” (June. 11, 2013). The Vegan Woman. Retrieved April 22, 2017. http://www.theveganwoman.com/is-my-shampoo-vegan-a-guide-to-vegan-hair-products/
- Animal Writes: “Animal Rendering Products In More Places Than You Think.” Renea Mohammed (Summer, 2003). Resne.com via The Vancouver Humane Society Newsletter. Retrieved April 22, 2017. http://www.rense.com/general39/animal.htm
- “Animal Ingredients.” (n.d.). Choose Cruelty Free Official website. Retrieved June 6, 2017. http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/animal-ingredients/
- Health: “What animal products are used in moisturizers?” Caitlin Uttley (August 20,2009). HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved April 22, 2017. http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/moisturizing/products/what-animal-products-are-used-in-moisturizers.htm