Which animal-derived ingredients are found in moisturizers?

Moisturizers are essential for keeping the skin soft, hydrated, and soothing cracked or irritated skin. However, some creams that keep your skin feeling smooth might actually contain ingredients from animals, including reptiles. A closer inspection of your moisturizer’s ingredients list could reveal some surprising animal-based elements. In the past, ingredients often included the word "animal" in their names, but today, terms like "collagen amino acid" have replaced older labels like "animal collagen amino acid." [Source: Winter]. Let’s explore what animal-derived components might be in your moisturizer.

A variety of skin creams include animal oils and fats. One such ingredient, Tallow, derived from the fat of sheep and cows, is commonly found in moisturizers and soaps. It serves as a thickening agent in lotions and creams.

Stearic acid, another ingredient sourced from animal fat, acts as an emulsifier in many lotions and creams. It helps bind ingredients that typically don’t mix, like oil and water. You'll also find stearic acid in processed food products such as margarine and icing.

Other oils and fats you may encounter in moisturizers include fish oil (derived from the fatty tissue of fish), mink oil (extracted from the fat layer beneath the skin of mink), turtle oil (taken from the genital glands and muscles of sea turtles), and lanolin (harvested from the oil glands of sheep). These oils function as emollients, which temporarily fill in cracks and gaps on the skin’s surface, smoothing it out and minimizing water evaporation from the skin. Many of these oils share similar qualities to the oil (sebum) naturally produced by your skin.

Amino acids, another frequently used animal-derived ingredient, are included in moisturizers because they can penetrate deeply into the skin due to their small size. These amino acids also serve as humectants, meaning they attract and bind water molecules, keeping the skin moisturized and preventing the moisturizing cream from drying out. [Source: Rawlings].

Moisturizers may also contain proteins, such as elastin and collagen, which are composed of amino acids. Sourced from animal connective tissue, these proteins form a moisture-locking barrier and also act as emollients to smooth the skin’s surface.

You are also likely to find several enzymes in your moisturizer. For example, lactoperoxidase, an enzyme derived from milk, is used as a preservative because it’s effective at killing bacteria. Other surprising animal-based ingredients include urea (a water-attracting compound found in urine), beeswax (from a bee's honeycomb, used as an emulsifier), royal jelly (a substance bees feed to their larvae, containing proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), and hydrolyzed silk (broken-down silk protein that serves as a moisture barrier and skin conditioner).

To learn more about moisturizers and the use of animal products in the cosmetics industry, explore the following links.