Vegan essentials can be hard to find, but we have 1000s to choose from. Here’s some of our favourites…
Vegan fabric softener
Did you know that many fabric softeners contain animal fats such as tallow? While tallow helps to make your laundry softer, the grease also builds up over time, meaning that your towels don’t absorb water as well. It can also leave gunk in your washing machine. And it’s not vegan-friendly.
Luckily, there are a few alternatives.
Bio-D’s vegan fabric conditioners are approved by the Vegan Society and BUAV. They’re suitable for sensitive skin and don’t contain any petrochemicals, phosphates, preservatives, enzymes or synthetic perfumes. Choose from lavender, juniper and fragrance-free.
Prefer to bulk buy? This five-litre fabric conditioner will save you money and reduce plastic. It’ll soften and fragrance more than 100 loads of washing, so should last you a good few months.
Ecozone also offer a tallow-free fabric conditioner. It’s vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and doesn’t contain any petrochemicals or other harsh chemicals. Plus, it smells gorgeous and won’t leave any greasy build-up on your clothes.
Alternatively, you can make your own fabric softener with white vinegar and a few drops of laundry fragrance. This will both soften your clothes and tackle limescale build-up in your washing machine. (We do love a multi-tasker.)[KD1]
Vegan cleaning products
It’s not just fabric conditioners that usually contain animal ingredients. If you don’t want to clean with animal fat, beeswax or other animal products, check out our vegan cleaning range. We stock everything from vegan furniture polish to floor cleaner, kitchen degreaser and more.
Shower without lanolin
Lanolin is a type of fat found in sheep's wool. It’s often used as a moisturising agent in skin and haircare products. On the plus side, it’s a natural alternative to petrolatum (which is made from petroleum). However, lots of people are allergic to lanolin – it makes their skin sore and itchy and irritates conditions like eczema.
If you’re looking for lanolin-free body wash and shampoo, Green People is a great place to start as their products are specifically designed with sensitive skin in mind.
Faith in Nature also offer a range of vegan-friendly body washes and other products. They’re really popular with our customers, and many come in 5-litre jumbo sizes.
Vegan lipstick and lip balm
Carmine is an organic and natural dye that gives intense colour to lipstick. However, this dye is anything but vegan. It’s made from finely ground insects, more specifically the female cochineal aphid. 100,000 aphids are crushed to make 1 kg of carmine. If you’d rather not smear insects on your lips, choose a plant-based alternative.
PHB Ethical Beauty’s lipsticks are vegan, organic and made in the UK. They contain rosehip oil, Vitamin E and other nourishing ingredients to soften dry lips.
Inika’s vegan lipsticks are also packed with ingredients that your lips will love, such as jojoba, argan and avocado oil.
Lip balms and lip glosses often contain lanolin and beeswax, which boost shine and hydrate lips. If you’re looking for vegan lip balms, Hurraw’s are a great choice. They’re vegan, fairtrade and made with nut and seed oils to moisturise your lips. (Plus, they’re not as sticky as some balms.)
Vegan collagen
Collagen seems to be having its moment in the sun right now. So many brands boast about containing it. What they don’t tend to boast about is how it’s made. Collagen in skincare tends to be chemically extracted from cowhide. Delightful.
While vegan collagen doesn’t exist, take heed. Our bodies make collagen naturally. Applying it topically will only have a temporary effect, so it’s much better to stimulate your own skin's collagen production and protect your skin from the sun. Smoking and too much caffeine can lower collagen production, while Vitamin C, aloe vera and antioxidants can boost it.
Sukin’s vegan skincare is packed with ingredients such as aloe vera, cocoa butter and jojoba oil, all of which will nourish your skin naturally.
We also love Q+A’s vegan skincare range. The Super Food Facial Oil is rich in essential antioxidants and fatty acids, and contains Vitamins A, C, E and F.
You’ll find a wide range of women’s vegan skin care here, including moisturisers, eye cream and serums. We also stock several men’s vegan skincare products, including Bulldog, Sukin and Green People.
Vegan toothpaste without animal glycerine
Toothpaste often contains glycerine. It’s an emulsifier and retains moisture so stops your toothpaste from drying out too quickly. Glycerine can be sourced from both animals and vegetables. If your toothpaste doesn’t say it’s vegan, it probably contains animal-based glycerine.
If you don’t want to clean your teeth with animal fat, choose a plant-based toothpaste like the ones from Dr. Organic.
Is vegan the same as cruelty-free?
A product can contain no animal ingredients and still be tested on animals. However, if the product carries an independent vegan certification, it’s usually cruelty-free.
There’s a European-wide ban on testing personal care products and ingredients on animals, and there’s a similar rule for household products in the UK. However, the rules are far from perfect, and there’s a lot of greenwashing out there. So, it’s not always easy to tell whether something is definitely cruelty-free or not.
Shopping on Big Green Smile gives you extra peace of mind. We have a very strict animal-testing policy and check every single product before we add it to our site.
We also sell thousands of vegan-friendly products, from window cleaner to shampoo.
Browse vegan products