Not vegan. Elastin used in cosmetics comes from animal connective tissue, so it is not vegan. Plant-based actives are used to support the skin's own elastin without an animal ingredient.
Elastin is the protein that lets skin snap back. In a serum, it is usually harvested from animal connective tissue, the same as its cousin collagen.
Made fromAnimal connective tissue
Used inAnti-ageing skincare
VerdictNot vegan
Where it hides
Anti-ageing serums and creams
Some supplements
Alongside collagen in beauty products
What it is
Elastin is the stretchy partner to collagen in skin and other tissues, the protein that lets things spring back into shape.
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It is highly elastic and present in connective tissue of the body to resume its shape after stretching or contracting.
Cosmetic elastin is extracted from animal connective tissue, often the same animal sources as collagen, which is why the two so often appear together on a label. A vegan formula cannot use animal elastin, so it reaches for plant actives and peptides that aim to support the skin's own elastin instead.
CollagenCollagen is the scaffolding of animal bodies: skin, bone, connective tissue. There is no plant version, so every real collagen supplement is animal-derived, and vegan collagen is a different thing wearing the same name.
KeratinKeratin is the protein in hair, nails, horns and feathers. The keratin in a smoothing treatment is sourced from exactly those animal parts.
SqualaneSqualane is the skincare oil with two very different backstories: one starts in a shark's liver, the other in an olive. They are chemically identical, so only the label tells you which is in the jar.
Protein on a vegan dietThe Evidence · The 'where do you get your protein' question has a boring, well-documented answer: from plants, across the day, and the complete-versus-incomplete framing was retired years ago.
Frequently asked
Is elastin in skincare vegan?
No. Elastin is sourced from animal connective tissue, so a product containing it is not vegan. Look for plant-based actives if you want the same anti-ageing pitch without an animal ingredient.
Is elastin the same as collagen?
They are different proteins that work together in skin. Both are animal-derived when used as cosmetic ingredients, so neither is vegan.
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