# Silk and vegetarianism



## mariflo (Jan 7, 2011)

I know silk is such a great ingredient to use in shampoos, conditioners, soaps and all for the great qualitites it brings to the products. But, do your vegetarian/vegan customers ever steer away from products that contain silk?
Some view wearing silk just as wearing fur coats. 


			
				www.vegsource.com said:
			
		

> In order to retain a single, unbroken filament, the silkworm is killed before it can emerge from the cocoon and break the thread. Slaughtering silkworms for their silk is done by boiling, baking, or steaming the live worm directly in its cocoon.


Are there any alternative ingredients that would work just like silk in cosmetics? Maybe hydrolized plant proteins?
If you don't mind sharing, what is your experience with products containing silk and vegetarian/vegan customers?

mari


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## dagmar88 (Jan 7, 2011)

Tussah silk is harvested from the wild after the silk moth has emerged.
So it's animal friendly and suitable for use in soap.

I've never heard of liquid Tussah silk though...


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## mariflo (Jan 7, 2011)

Thank you dagmar88!
I didn't know that.

mari


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## TessC (Jan 7, 2011)

It's dubbed the "cruelty-free silk" because of the way it's harvested, like dagmar said, but the overwhelming majority of vegans still won't use products that contain tussah silk because their objection to animal products does not end with those products that you need to harm or kill the animal to obtain. 

Most vegetarians would probably be fine with it since they don't exclude all animal products, would just be up to the individual vegetarian at that point. 


There's a list of vegan-unfriendly substances, including ones that can be made of animal or non-animal sources, here: http://www.veganpeace.com/ingredients/ingredients.htm

I honestly would have never thought of some of them so I'm glad some vegan friends of mine pointed them out to me.


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## pixybratt (Jan 7, 2011)

Thank you for that list, I'm glad none of my friends are vegan that I shared my Christmas soaps with i would have been embarrassed.
I see now that it is a lot of work to make sure you are vegan friendly.


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## Tabitha (Jan 7, 2011)

Vegetarian means NO animal product, cruelty free or not. Animal products are products an animal mut be killed for  like meat, bone, skin, etc.

Vegan means NO animal product or by-product, cruelty free or not. By-products are products an animal does not have to be killed for like honey, silk, feathers, milk, eggs, etc. Obtaining some by-products is sometimes  far more cruel than actual animal products. A vegan would not use a product with silk in it, a vegetarian could by definition but might not depending on their sensitivity level twords silk & silkworms.


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## Tabitha (Jan 7, 2011)

BTW: I am a vegetarian, but am not vegan. I am, however, careful about my by-product choices requiring my eggs to come from cage-free chicken, and so forth.


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## Deda (Jan 7, 2011)

Tussah silk is not always cruelty free.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... ssah#62672



			
				Deda said:
			
		

> *Tussah *- the name of the worm that spins the cocoon. Also called a Silkworm
> 
> *Silk* - protein fiber obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm
> 
> ...



HTH


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## dagmar88 (Jan 8, 2011)

just stumbled upon hydrolized oat protein; that's supposed to be a vegan alternative to silk...


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## mariflo (Jan 12, 2011)

Thank you for all that info!
I really appreciate it 

mari


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## Catmehndi (Jan 18, 2011)

TessV said:
			
		

> There's a list of vegan-unfriendly substances, including ones that can be made of animal or non-animal sources, here: http://www.veganpeace.com/ingredients/ingredients.htm


What a great site - thanks for sharing!


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