Boar brushes are not vegan because they contain bristles from an animal. Any hairbrush containing animal parts is not vegan. Vegan brushes are made of nylon and plastic or nylon and wood. The bristles from a boar are actually made of a protein called keratin. Living cells in the hair shaft divide and grow to build and grow longer. Blood vessels nourish the hair cells and deliver hormones that modify hair growth and structure.
Boar hair closely resembles human hair in appearance and has the same keratin protein as human hair.
Even if you weren’t a full-time vegan, choose cruelty-free choices for your hair will always be the more compassionate choice. I was genuinely astonished by how little information there is regarding cruelty free brushes and sustainability.
Vegan Brushes
Aveda “wooden large paddle brush” vegan brush
I love this brush because it’s the perfect size paddle brush with a wooden handle. According to Meesh, Hair Product Analyst, “I personally own this brush and could not be more happy with my purchase.” The wooden handle is comfortable and fits in your hand nicely. In addition the finish is smooth and looks very nice. Bristles are flexible and does a great job at brushing through lots of long hair. In the two years I have owned the brush I have not had any bristles fall out and the wooden handle is still in great shape and shows no signs of wear.
In place of a wide-tooth comb, you may even use this vegan bristle brush to comb through wet hair.
1st Choice: My first choice would be Aveda because they are a responsible manufacturing company and I believe the first beauty manufacturer to use 100 percent wind power in their manufacturing facility in Minnesota. Their beliefs are there is no responsible alternative to doing business than through the pursuit of environmental sustainability. And that in believing in this principle it guides them through every decision they make. They also find inspiration for following this principle and believe that nature is not merely something to be cherished and protected, but also should be emulated as a model of sustainability. They believe profit and environmental responsibility will increasingly work together in the future. Aveda supports renewable wind energy development to help offset our carbon footprint over time.
The professional paddle brush pictured above features extended bristles for easy detangling. The longer bristles aids in reducing stress to your hair and scalp during blow-drying and styling. According to Meesh, Hair Product Analyst, “This brush is ideal for blow drying to create smooth and straight styles.” The paddle brush might look odd at first glance due to it is designed with one bristle missing in the bottom. But this hole is to provide ventilation and to help in drainage after the brush has been washed. In addition, it helps to prevent any bacterial growth that could occur with pooling water on the inside.
Vegan Tampico fiber hairbrush by Redecker
Vegan Tampico fiber hairbrush by Redecker – The brush is vegan but it’s one of those brushes where you are either going to love it or hate it. It does have a very nice wooden handle which is a big plus. It’s made from tampico fiber, the plant-based bristles condition the scalp while the knots are smoothed and detangling. Stiff bristles retain their shape and withstand high temperatures, perfect for brushing and drying hair.
Paul Mitchell Pro Tools 413 Sculpting Brush
I like this brush because of the unique slim paddle design which is ideal for sculpting and styling. The brush ball tips come off after awhile but so doe just about all other brushes. So for the price it lasts about a year or more with heavy use, brushing though long hair daily. When the ball tips come off I just cut the bristle and keep using.
The Paul Mitchell brand has confirmed that it is truly cruelty-free. They do not test on animals neither does their suppliers or even any third-parties. In fact they don’t sell their products where animal testing is required by law. For more you can check here.
Now with that out of the way the brush is basically a plastic brush. So if you are looking for something more substantial look elsewhere. Now there are advantages. First, this brush gets the job done and at a very nice price. And that maybe all you are looking for so for that reason it’s a great value. However, if you are looking for a more expensive look and feel you will be disappointed. This brush is not going to feel like you have a high quality styling tool in your hand due to plastic just does not weigh enough.
Spornette “Masquerade” vegan boar-like brush
Spornette “Masquerade” vegan boar-like brush – According to Stacey, Hair Research Analyst, “The Spornette Masquerade Cushion brush is an oval brush with nylon bristles mounted in an air cushion for more flexibility.” It has a nice plastic handle and the nylon bristles smooth and adds shine to your hair. Great choice.
This hair brush grasps the scalp’s natural oils and distributes them evenly throughout the hair, making it ideal for long and thick hair.
The Masquerade features nylon bristles to smooth out your hair giving it a luxurious look and feel. locks that shine with a healthy glow. The Spornette Masquerade brush is a vegan and environmentally humane alternative to boar bristle brushes. Will help prevent breakage, frizz and naturally conditions hair, improves texture, stimulates the scalp by brushing. Leaves hair shiny and smooth.
The Body Shop “Paddle” vegan brush
Another very nice and durable paddle brush. I like this one because of the bamboo wooden handle and the flexible air cushion in which bristles are mounted.
You can even use this vegan bristle hair brush instead of a wide-tooth comb to comb your wet hair. These multi-layered bristles are durable, with soft ballpoint tips that gently massage the scalp and detangle even the most difficult hair types. This lightweight brush’s multi-layered bristles are kind to your scalp while detangling each individual hair strand.
The Body Shop supports communities that provide sustainable ingredients and accessories from around the world. They have partners that provide support for the women they employ which includes benefits like social projects, academic programs and fair and equal treatment. They have been sustainably sourcing their community trade Shea butter product since 1994.
But mostly for this article you will be glad to know they are 100% vegan. This means their products like the Body Shop Paddle Brush are vegetarian friendly and free of any animal-derived ingredients obtained as a result of animal slaughter. This also includes animal-derived ingredients that do not involve animal slaughter. For example, honey, beeswax, shellac and lanolin. And as you well know many beauty and cosmetics products contains by-products from the slaughter industry. They are proud to say that none of theirs do or ever have or ever will.
The brush pictured above is a large Bamboo brush that massages the scalp while grooming and detangles your hair. It’s ideal for all hair types. Keep your hair smooth and tangle-free with the Body Shops must-have paddle brush. The pins help stimulate the scalp and distribute natural oils, for healthy hair that shines. I find these brushes attractive because they are at good price for a wooden handle brush. Bristles are synthetic.
Finding the right vegan brush and brush types
Finding the perfect vegan brush can be tricky and is not really straight forward as one might expect. Given the current marketing vegan brushes are really not advertised as one would expect. You really have to hunt for what you are looking for. In many cases product packaging is not clearly labeled as being vegan or cruelty-free.
Finding the right brush for your hair type is another big factor. Just because a brush is labeled vegan it might not suit your needs. For example, a bamboo brush is definitely vegan but is it right for your hair type and your hair style? So before making a purchase let’s jump into some of the most popular brush types and I’ll explain their common uses and what they are good at.
If your scalp becomes overly oily, use a boar bristle brush instead of shampoo to gently brush your hair’s natural oils out from root to tip.
Detangling brush
These brushes excel at unraveling knots and tangle in your hair. Some have wide spaced teeth that allows the bristles or teeth to glide through your hair without causing much friction. Others like The Wet brush have flexible bristles that gently detangle your hair with each brushing.
Thermal brush
These brushes aid in styling and drying your hair. They are usually round brushes with vented holes in the barrel of the brush that lets air pass through from your blow dryer. This helps by cutting down styling time. The barrel is usually made of metal or ceramic material that allows it to heat up very quickly. These brushes are great for adding volume and lift to your hair as well as curls and waves.
Teasing brush
Now if you really need some volume the get a teasing brush. Teasing brushes are very good at adding volume right at the roots or very close to your scalp. The rows of bristles on a teasing brush are staggered so that the height of each row is a little different. This make for a great brush for backcombing and smoothing over to finish your style.
Vent brush
A vented brush is used primarily to help dry your hair. It’s can also used as a brush for styling. It’s perfect for drying and styling at the same time because the bristle count is very low as compared to say a boar brush. This feature thereby helps your hair dryer to dry your hair more quickly as the hot air is able to pass though the brush very easily. Most ventilated brushes only have enough bristles for light styling and adding volume.
Paddle brush
If you have lots of hair then a paddle brush is for you. According to Stacey, Hair Research Analyst, “Paddle brushes have a larger head that enables them to brush through more hair than an oval brush.” By using a paddle brush you can cut your hair brushing in some cases down by at least 25% due to the larger brush head. If you have long hair a paddle brush is your best friend.
The wooden paddle hair brush is a great choice when you want to invest in a good vegan hair brush
Are natural hair brushes cruelty free?
A basic hairbrush is made up of mostly plastic. It usually has a plastic handle with nylon bristles which are of course made from petroleum products and are cruelty free. These are definitely vegan.
Although a variety of boar hair (animal hair) were probably used in primitive shaving brushes, it wasn’t until the 1800s that badger and boar hair became the preferred animals for shaving bristles.
Hair brushes have been around for awhile. Hugh Rock was issued the earliest U.S. patent for a modern hairbrush in 1854. Samuel Firey patented a brush with elastic wire teeth and natural bristles in 1870. And Lyda A. Newman invented an “Improved Hairbrush” in 1898, which enabled easy cleaning and had sufficiently wide separated bristles for easy combing.
As we know plastic lasts forever in a landfill, or at least several centuries. So if you are concerned enough to only purchase vegan products and no products that caused cruelty to animals you are most likely also concerned about plastic build up in our landfills. So purchasing a wooden handle brush which is a little more expensive is most likely going to be worth it to you. Let’s remove some plastic from our lives, right?
For many, the problem is when upgrading from a synthetic to a natural brush the main material used for natural bristles comes from boars which are not vegan. This is very unpleasant and totally unacceptable to many vegans. So the main reason to upgrade to a boar bush is that many stylists claim that the use of boar bristles helps to collect and distribute the natural oil of your hair evenly. And that with a natural bristles your scalp is encouraged to produce a healthy production of sebum that smooths down the hair shaft thus increasing brightness and health. So if you are a vegan too bad, you do not get to enjoy healthy, shinny, and soft hair. Well, not so fast. I actually found some alternatives that might actually be worth looking at.
Conclusion to are boar bristle brushes vegan
There may be other companies out there that promote sustainable products and accessories. I only mentioned two. I found other products that mention they have good intentions but its really hard to verify. Just because a product says it does in advertisement on a major online retailer’s website is not going to be enough to convince me it’s true.
There are so many fakes and people selling third party products it hard to tell. They are likely to say anything to get a sale. By the time the online retailer catches them they have already set up another shop and changed their name. I would like to see a little more proof than just a one-liner saying its vegan and sustainably sourced. That’s why I only mentioned two major manufactures above. I have confidence in they are for real.
I believe The Body Shop has a really good valued product in their bamboo brush. You get bamboo for $9.00 at the time of this writing, nice! Why buy a plastic handle when you can get bamboo for the same or cheaper price. I really don’t need another brush but I may have to buy this one.
More about Boar brushes
Boar brushes, what is a boar bristle brush used for? Are boar bristle brushes good for fine hair? Do boar bristle brushes help hair grow? What kind of brush is best for your hair and more:
Are boar bristle brushes vegan?
Do boar bristle brushes damage hair?
Are boar bristle brushes made from boars?
Are boar bristle brushes good?
Are boar bristle brushes cruelty free?
Definitions:
Sisal Hair and Sisal Hairbrushes – Sisal is a very long and tough fiber derived from the leaves of the agave plant. Although the plant is native to the Americas, East Africa now produces more than half of the world’s sisal. Because African fiber is longer, finer, and white, it can be dyed in clear, even colors and spun into a consistent, smoother yarn.
Pigs, hogs, and Boars – Male pigs are referred to as boars, while females are referred to as sows; regardless of age, males and females are either boars or sows. Pigs are classified as either wild or domestic. Pigs, both wild and domestic, are found all over the world.
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