Why the Vegan Seal Matters
There are a myriad of buzzwords frequently dropped in the health and wellness sphere: natural, organic, kosher, gluten free, dairy free, non-gmo, cruelty free, vegan… just to name a few. It is undoubtedly challenging to navigate this industry as you peruse the aisles at a drugstore, local vendors at a farmer’s market, or e-commerce shops, and investigate which products are healthy and safe for you and your family. For Aaron and myself, one of the most crucial seals we seek on any product is the certified vegan mark. Vegan Action is the third-party organization who scrutinizes individual products to determine if they are free of animal testing, animal products and by-products, and animal GMOs, and approves companies to proudly stamp the certified vegan seal on their products.
I have lived a vegan lifestyle since 2015, and when I met Aaron in 2018, he was already on his way to adopting a vegan diet and lifestyle as well, and he committed to being fully vegan only a short time after our first date; pretty sweet, right? To us, being vegan is about compassion and causing as little harm as possible to all beings and to our planet. When Fender’s Blue Hemp became a reality, we knew that in order to align with our personal values, any product that we introduce to our customers must be certified vegan.
Knowing that vegan foods and products contain no animal products or animal by-products, they have not been tested on animals, nor do they contain animal GMOs, you might be wondering, “Isn’t hemp naturally vegan?”. The short answer is, yes, hemp at its core is vegan; it’s a plant after all! However, after the hemp plant is extracted and turned into oil, companies may add flavorings or other additives to their hemp oil that are not vegan friendly. This matters to us because we believe that those additional ingredients and additives are both unnecessary to reap the benefits of hemp and can cause people who have sensitivities or allergies to experience irritations or other negative reactions to the products, as I have personally experienced - sensitive skin gal, over here.
When animal ingredients are avoided in foods and other products, mother-earth is especially grateful because it decreases our environmental footprint. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, animal agriculture is a leading cause of greenhouse emissions. Additionally, animal agriculture results in deforestation, dead zones in the ocean, as well as air and water pollution and antibiotic resistance in humans. We believe it is worth taking the time, when possible, to shop around for products that contain natural, non-toxic and vegan ingredients to ensure your body is nourished and thriving, and also so our planet thrives.
When the certified vegan seal is on food, cosmetics or other wellness products, shoppers can rest assured that those products have been verified by Vegan Action and are truly free of all animal products and by-products, animal testing and animal GMOs. While some companies may say they are vegan, they often lack the official stamp of approval. Vegan Action states it best on their website on why the seal is beneficial to vegan and non-vegan shoppers alike:
“The certified [vegan] logo is easily visible to consumers interested in vegan products and helps vegans to shop without constantly consulting ingredient lists. It also helps companies recognize a growing vegan market, as well as bringing the word Vegan—and the lifestyle it represents—into the mainstream. (Please keep in mind, however, that the logo is not yet on every vegan product.) The Certified Vegan Logo is currently on thousands of products manufactured by over 1000 companies.”
When consumers shop for topical hemp products meant for skin, this conversation of vegan ingredients is just as important. Fender’s Blue Hemp has more products in the pipeline, and you can bet that they will contain only organic and vegan ingredients, certified with both seals of approval - because taking care of your body, as well as our planet, is never going out of style.