It seems many people choose a vegetarian diet first due to health issues or as an animal friendly alternative. Often vegetarians opt for a vegan diet as health improves. Others embrace a vegan lifestyle including clothing and beauty aides as knowledge increases.

Lifestyle vegans believe that utilizing animals for food and clothing is unethical. Most newly adapting vegans do not empty closets of all wool or leather clothing products. The process slowly evolves, as new clothing purchases are made and old leather coats and wool sweaters are replaced with plant-based clothing options. New vegans begin purchasing handbags and shoes with tags reading imitation leather or synthetic materials.

Beauty aids are replaced in a similar fashion. New products are selected from manufacturers that do not practice animal testing. Manufacturers of deodorant, skin products, shampoos and other products are beginning to advertise that no animal testing was performed in the manufacturing process.

In 2012 it is still difficult to avoid animal products altogether in many parts of the world. Manufacturers are working to provide animal alternative products that are also environmentally friendly. Please feel free to list products or manufacturers that do not test on animals or utilize animal hides in the manufacturing process of clothing items in the comment section.