As beeswax is produced by animals it isn't considered vegan, even if you're not eating it. Veganism extends to more than just what you cook with, from the materials that clothes are made from and even to what's put in toiletries and cleaning products.
Honey and beeswax are not considered vegan, since bees are considered to have been exploited in the production of these products and their health may be sacrificed when the honey and beeswax are harvested. Also, vegans believe that both honey and beeswax are created by bees, for use by bees, rather than for human use.
Vegans typically classify honey and beeswax to be non-vegan because they consider the bees are 'exploited' by harvesting the honey and that their health is sacrificed when the honey and wax are harvested – hence not adhering to this above definition.
Beeswax is also commonly used to make nontoxic candles and beeswax wraps (a less wasteful alternative to single-use plastic wrap). However, because beeswax comes from bees, vegans will always consider it an animal byproduct and therefore, it cannot truly be considered cruelty-free or ethical.
Beeswax is not Cruelty- Free. Factory- farming of beeswax is happening. Beeswax has become an acceptable and widespread ingredient in so many natural and clean beauty products especially lip balms. Beeswax is often used as a natural alternative to petroleum-based products, but bees need their own beeswax.
Making beeswax in the hive does not hurt bees, but many vegans cite that, even in small, non-commercial apiaries, bees can be harmed or killed in the beeswax harvesting process.
Sunflower wax
Sunflower wax is white in colour and relatively odourless, making it an attractive alternative to beeswax. Applications of sunflower wax include massage butter, mascara, balms, foundation and various hair care products.
Paraffin is 100% free from animal or animal-derived components and is cruelty-free. This means that paraffin wax can be used in any vegan-friendly product without any labelling implications.
Bees produce beeswax in their hives and in order to forage this, the honeycomb within the hive is also removed. Not only are the bees an unpaid labour force, but they also lose their source of food. That's why candles with beeswax in it are not vegan friendly.
As a food produced by insects, honey is by definition not vegan. Bees gather nectar from flowers, partially digest it, and then regurgitate it once back in their hives. Worker bees then seal it into beeswax honeycombs.
Most vegans do not eat honey because they consider it exploits bees. Bees produce honey as a food source to sustain the colony over winter. Taking this food source may cause harm to bees.
Vaseline is generally considered vegan-friendly. Even though the oil used to create it is made from millennia dead marine organisms, most vegans don't consider this an issue. However, as it is oil-based and it's not the best environmental choice, this might be a reason why some vegans abstain from using the products.
Is Burt's Bees vegan? Burt's Bees is cruelty-free but not 100% vegan, meaning that some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients.
As wool is a direct product of both exploitation and cruelty, it is indisputably non-vegan.
Products containing shellac (the food glaze) are not vegan, because shellac is not plant-based and therefore not suitable for vegans.
The presence of the wax or beeswax means that zest from the peel of some oranges, lemons and limes are not appropriate for vegans to use in cooking, although buying only organic produce should allow shoppers on a strict plant-based diet to sidestep the problem.
There is no harm done to our planet as soy wax is plant based rather than extracted from oil. Once the soya has been harvested more can be grown again and again. It is vegan friendly. There are two biggest alternatives to paraffin wax, beeswax and soy wax.
Candles that are considered vegan and cruelty-free do not contain any animal by-products, and the ingredients of the candles have not undergone animal testing. For a scented candle to be considered vegan, it must not have any animal by-products such as beeswax used in its formulation.
Sunflower wax has a non-sticky skin feel and is relatively colorless and odorless, so it's a great substitute for beeswax. You can find it in foundation, mascara, balms, body butter, and hair care products.
Typical plant waxes include candelilla wax, carnauba wax, rice bran wax as well as sunflower wax, etc. Candelilla wax is mainly obtained from the leaves of plant E. antisyphilitica Zuccarini native to northern Mexican and south-west Texax (Arato et al., 2014).
While sugaring and waxing can be perceived as two very similar hair removal methods, waxing is not recommended as a vegan or even a natural or organic option, as wax can contain artificial substances, toxins, chemicals, by-products, irritants or perfumes.
Honey is an animal product and therefore by definition, not vegan.
Beeswax is dairy free. Beeswax does not contain milk and should be safe for those with a milk allergy.