Definition of a vegan

Hi there everyone. I just decided to be vegan for the reasons of the animals, my health and the environmental impact. My confusion is the definition of a vegan. I personally stopped eating animal products does this alone make one vegan? or is the combination of no use of products (hair stuff and what not) that makes one vegan?

I still have all my beauty products as of now cause I don't know which ones are good and bad. Ive been doing research and just winding up more confused. I don't want to use animals for anything (except for giving them my love lol).

I want to use products that don't contain any animal parts or testing on animals. This is something I'm finding hard cause I don't know the names of stuff that is in these hair products and whatnot. I guess I'm asking for help or references to this, if that makes sense. Where do I find products that are safe but don't cost an arm and a leg to get?

This newbie will take any advice one would like to share. Thanks to all :)

Last thing can I safely call myself a vegan? I have cut out all animal products from my diet as of now and plan on doing the same with the beauty stuff.

Treseme is safe to use. Stay clear of Stearic Acid. Unfortunately that's in most products, and that's very sad. I can also tell you somethings to watch out for in food that's not always listed in the allergy alerts.

wikipedia definition:

Veganism (also strict or pure vegetarianism) is a philosophy and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animal derived products for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind.

there are lots of great books out there that help define veganism and what is and isnt vegan.

becoming vegan by jo stephaniak is great for new vegans. as are her other books.

go to amazon and search books for the word vegan.

good luck

:)

thanks I will check that out.

Vegan Freak is a good read. I was very entertained, and learned more about veganism at the same time. Wonderful stuff.

It's a difficult one actually, because there are probably very few - if any - true vegans on this planet. That is, if we define a vegan as someone who does not use any animal products at all.

If you get on a bus or a car, or if you ride a bike, you're using animal products (tyres are vulcanised using animal products).
How do you know the origin of the glue that's used in the binding of that book/magazine you're reading?
etc
etc.

I like the Wikipedia definition, as quoted by JJDaiquiri (above), which states that a vegan "seeks to exclude the use of animal derived products for food, clothing, or any other purpose."

Basically, you do what you can. So yes, it is difficult to come up with an all-encompassing, objective definition, unfortunately.

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Stu

(tyres are vulcanised using animal products).

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Pretty certain this isn't true.

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Risker

Pretty certain this isn't true.

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Thought it was the glue that is used in tyre making?

Doubt it, can't see organic glue being nearly as strong as non organic. Anyway, sorry, messing up this thread but the animal products in rubber/steel etc myth gets on my nerves.

Sorry - I believe everything written in books:rolleyes:

Quote from vegan freak - "The tires in your car likely contain by-products of the animal slaughter industry."

Is this rubbish then?

Does it quote any sources? I've tried researching it and found no evidence.

I can't say it's definately rubbish but I'm more inclined to disbelieve it, it's a statement I've seen made many many times and never with any sources for the information. I did spend alot of time trying to prove/disprove it and never found any evidence of animal products being used in tyres/steel/glass.

I'm of the opinion now that it has to be proved to me rather than me having to disprove it.

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Risker

Does it quote any sources? I've tried researching it and found no evidence.

I can't say it's definately rubbish but I'm more inclined to disbelieve it, it's a statement I've seen made many many times and never with any sources for the information. I did spend alot of time trying to prove/disprove it and never found any evidence of animal products being used in tyres/steel/glass.

I'm of the opinion now that it has to be proved to me rather than me having to disprove it.

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Nope no sources - so prob rubbish! Had a look in the appendices as well but couldn't find owt there either that may clarify. Oh well thanks for the pointer - you learn summat new every day.:)

Risker, I was once concerned about this and emailed companies directly.

Unfortunately, stainless steel contains pig fat and things such as screens, monitors, mobile phone displays contain gelatin [so the companies have told me].

If you're concerned, I'd definitely suggest emailing the companies that make steel/monitors/etc, as I couldn't find any information freely available online either.

Please post one of the emails.

Steel and glass are produced in temperatures high enough to destroy any organic material, I remain a sceptic.

It was approx a year ago, I don't have the emails still! Feel free to send off an email yourself - I'm only relaying what I was told. A friend of mine that works for Viva! tipped me off about it and we emailed companies together.

Remain a sceptic if you so choose, but if you're willing to dismiss it, you may as well email the companies directly to be sure. Just because the internet doesn't say so, doesn't make it true (and vice versa!).

I did find that Vegan Freak book (before I read the responses on here) and thought it would be a good one and ordered it. I'm so ready to get to reading lol.

I did email, I sent loads and got no responses :(

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Jamila

is the combination of no use of products (hair stuff and what not) that makes one vegan? ...can I safely call myself a vegan?

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Hi Jamila,

Good for you! Sorry that your request for advice seems to have got hijacked by a squabble about whether tyres contain animal products - I suppose it's something that some of the forum members feel SOOOO strongly about they can't help but discuss everywhere!

Have a search under the beauty and haircare products - we discuss a lot about which products we've found that are vegan friendly... and whether or not they work.

Also, there are lots of threads called things like Help! I still have a pair of leather boots! - which I'm sure you'll find by surfing around the site. Broadly the consensus is that you become a vegan with the commitment to stop using animal products wherever you can - so yes, you are a vegan. For many of us, we didn't have the money (or feel comfortable with the wastefulness) of ditching all our animal-based products in one go. Personally, I used up all my toiletries and household cleaners then replaced with animal friendly versions. Similarly, I carried on using existing woollen clothes and leather shoes until they wore out, but never bought new clothes that weren't animal-free.

Good luck to you!
Ruby Rose

I think you'll really enjoy Vegan Freak. I know did. :D

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Ruby Rose

Sorry that your request for advice seems to have got hijacked by a squabble about whether tyres contain animal products - I suppose it's something that some of the forum members feel SOOOO strongly about they can't help but discuss everywhere!

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Everywhere? Is this being discussed in lots of other threads at the moment then?

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Ruby Rose

Broadly the consensus is that you become a vegan with the commitment to stop using animal products wherever you can - so yes, you are a vegan.

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Well I can walk instead of riding my bike or catching the bus, so maybe I'm not a vegan.

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Stu

Everywhere? Is this being discussed in lots of other threads at the moment then?



Well I can walk instead of riding my bike or catching the bus, so maybe I'm not a vegan.

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Oh, Stu - please don't take umbrage. Jamilia is a new vegan who asked about whether having some non-animal friendly hairspray made her non-vegan. My response was to that.

I think that, if from now on Jamilia buys no more animal products she can use up her old ones and still call herself a vegan. However I think her question was more along the lines of can she call herself a vegan because of what she eats, whilst still using animal products in cosmetics etc.

tresemme..dooo-be-doo!

(sorry,been gagging to do that)

is it not as simple as acknowledging that no, you'll never be a 100% vegan cos of things entirely out of your control..but to make conscious choices about the products etc you are in control of buying/using/eating?

i'm almost a year in and still own and sometimes use non vegan stuff..old trainers etc. i don't buy any new stuff knowingly that isn't vegan, but i still class myself as vegan and i'm not about to give myself grief over it thanks very much. unfortunately i don't have very much spare cash to skip out and buy £90 leather alternative boots.etc etc (nooo, noone needs to point out that there are cheaper alternatives..it was an example :) :))

Okay Ruby Rose you cleared it up for me and I thank you much for that. :)

I plan on using the products I currently have until they are gone cause I'm not financial able to just throw stuff out like that. I have been looking through the threads on which products are good so I feel okay about this now.

Again thanks for helping me ;)

Yeah don't worry about throwing your non-vegan stuff away without using them. When I went vegan I threw it all out, but if I were to do it again I wouldn't have. It's such a waste otherwise!

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Noogle

Unfortunately, stainless steel contains pig fat

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Fwiw: On a day to day basis, the price of tallow vs other non animal fats is considered before the steel is roll finished with it, as far as I can tell. Vegetable oil is often used now.

Jamila, I hope you bin your non vegan stuff as soon as possible, you'll feel better for it.

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Noogle

Unfortunately, stainless steel contains pig fat

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But that's only pig iron, right?

. . . I know. That's not funny at all.

As far as the definition of vegan goes; just look around the forum.

Being vegan is about ways of living that "seek to exclude, as far as is possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose".

If you live in a place where all the restaurants serve meals with meat in, and if you like to eat at restaurants and eat at these non-vegan restaurants 'because it's practical', you're not a vegan, because you're not making any difference for the animals because you eat meat. Vegans don't eat meat.

If you walk on the sidewalk because you live in a city and the only option is to walk on sidewalks and some mice or other living beings was killed when these sidewalks and roads were made, you're still a vegan, because avoiding walking on asphalt roads or sidewalks never was a part of being vegan. We're not supposed to move to Himalayan cages.

If you eat a vegan meal in a non-vegan restaurant, and some hardcore AR activist claim that you're not a vegan because by buying a vegan meal there you indirectly also support animal abuse because you put money into a business that supports the meat industry, I'd say that if vegans should boycott buying vegan meals in non-vegan restaurants, we wouldn't get anywhere, and make it really difficult for vegans to find vegan meals at restaurants until dedicated vegan restaurants were available everywhere. That will take a while. and meanwhile, some vegans will give up being vegans if they find it hard to find vegan meals at restaurants. Besides, if you buy anything that's been produced or transported or sold by a non-vegan, you're putting money in these non-vegans' pockets anyway, some which that very likely will be ending up in a slaughterhouse. We will support non-vegan activities if we live in a non-vegan society. If you need a bicycle, and bicycles contain some pig fat in the steel or whatever other animal product in rubber parts, nobody I've come across expect vegans not not use bicycles until bicycle stores can offer 100% vegan/pure vegetarian products.

It's IMO very important to be realistic in terms of what we can achieve and what kind of world we actually live in. Most people don't care much for animals - except their 'pets', and if we try to manipulate veganism into being some weird sect that don't buy stuff in shops without checking the diet of those working there, or avoid everything that contains steel, rubber or some micrograms of some animal product, we won't see many vegans in the future. The only industries that benefits from converting the vegan movement into some weird cult with unrealistic ideals is the meat/dairy/leather industries and other businesses making money on animal products.

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Jamila

Hi there everyone. I just decided to be vegan for the reasons of the animals, my health and the environmental impact. My confusion is the definition of a vegan. I personally stopped eating animal products does this alone make one vegan?

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Being vegan is about more than just what you eat...

understood :)