Ingredient & material encyclopedia
Learn what's really in your products — and the vegan or lower-impact alternatives to look for.
Common ethical swaps
Animal-derived → plant or synthetic alternative.
Greenwash label flags
Words with no regulated meaning — verify with a real certification.
Why an ingredient encyclopedia?
Ingredient lists are the last honest thing on a package. Marketing copy can say "natural", "eco", "clean" without any legal definition; the ingredient panel has to declare the actual substances by regulated name. But those names — carmine, lanolin, isinglass, guanine, oleic acid, glycerin — are opaque unless you know them.
This encyclopedia is our attempt to make the label readable. Every entry lists the substance's origin (animal, plant, synthetic), the products it commonly hides in, the standard vegan alternatives, and the certifications that reliably exclude it. Where the science on health or environmental impact is contested, we say so — we don't manufacture certainty for engagement.
The material entries do the same for fabrics and packaging: what leather, wool, silk, down, PU, PVC, Piñatex, Tencel, Desserto and organic cotton really cost — in animal welfare, land use, water, and end-of-life.
Encyclopedia FAQ
Why does a shampoo label list 'lanolin' or 'carmine'?+
Lanolin is a waxy secretion from sheep's wool used as an emollient; carmine (E120, cochineal, natural red 4) is a red pigment made from crushed cochineal insects, common in lipsticks, food, and drinks. Both are legal, common, and rarely disclosed on marketing copy — only in the ingredient list.
Is a plant-based material always more ethical than leather?+
Not automatically. Some 'vegan leathers' are PVC-based, which is a persistent plastic with well-documented health hazards. Newer bio-based options — Piñatex (pineapple), Desserto (cactus), MIRUM, apple leather — score better on both animal welfare and end-of-life. Read our material entries for a full pillar-by-pillar comparison.
Where do you get the vegan status of an ingredient?+
We cross-reference the Vegan Society register, ECHA/CosIng data for cosmetics, and the manufacturer's own disclosure. When status is ambiguous (e.g. 'glycerin' — can be plant or animal-derived), we flag it explicitly rather than default to vegan.
How do I search by ingredient across products?+
Open any encyclopedia entry — the bottom of the page lists every catalog product that mentions the ingredient in its notes or composition. You can also add ingredients to your Values profile blocklist and every product page will flag conflicts automatically.