Vegan Brushes : Saying No To Animal Hair

Did you know that typically our makeup brushes are made from squirrel, goat or some other animal hair?

I have a good set of make-up brushes that I bought many years ago. They were not cheap and have lasted many years. At the time I bought them I wasn’t aware of any options. More than likely they are animal hair but until recently that was probably the best choice for brushes.

Today we have a choice with vegan brushes. As my old brushes wear out they are being replaced by much improved synthetic brushes.

Vegan Brushes Made From Taklon

Wanting to try mineral makeup I found I needed a new brush called a kabuki brush that makes applying mineral makeup easy. I chose a vegan kabuki brush made of Taklon.

Taklon, a man made synthetic material, has been found to be a very good replacement for animal hair brushes. It’s very soft feel makes mineral makeup go on smoothly and easily. I know some women do not care for applying mineral makeup with a synthetic brush but my experience was very positive. I have found it works very nicely, has remained soft and is easy to clean. No complaints here.

Before Taklon, most synthetic brushes did not perform as well as animal fur mainly because of it’s structure. Animal hair has little ridges on it that grab powder and hold it in the brush for easy application. New vegan brushes made with Taklon are made with microscopic pock marks that duplicate natural hair giving it the ability to mimic the smooth application of animal fur.

Where To Shop: Cosmetic Brushes

Vegan cosmetic brushes can easily be purchased both online and locally. An easy, inexpensive source locally could be as close as your arts and crafts store. Many art brushes are made from Taklon and could easily be used to apply eye shadow or other powders.

Before you purchase any brushes decide how you want to use them. For an all over application, a large fluffier brush may work perfectly while applying eye shadow will need a brush with a more precise point.

More and more companies are offering an option of vegan brushes. Some of these companies also source the handles on their brushes in an environmentally responsible ways.

• e.l.f. – Their Studio and Mineral line of affordable brushes is made from Taklon and bamboo.
• Larenim -Their kabuki brush pictured above is the one I use.
• Alima – Cosmetics Great cosmetics and a very complete selection of brushes.

Once you have a good selection of brushes take care of them. For tips on the best way to do this see cleaning makeup brushes.

Hair Brushes

Vegan brushes for hair are easy. Just stay away from natural bristle brushes when you shop. Natural bristle for the most part means animal hair.

As I was searching for cruelty free brushes, I found several companies offering hair brushes made from boar bristle that was advertised as obtained with no harm to the animals. I guess I am a skeptic but unless I knew and trusted the company I would have doubts about how the animals were cared for etc. I’d pass. There are plenty of other options.

Synthetic hair brushes can be found almost everywhere. Many hair brushes are made from synthetic material. It’s just a matter of finding one that works best on your hair. Your hair stylist is a great resource for information on brushes and he or she may be able to help you choose the best ones.

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