Are Crayola markers vegan?
Crayola’s markers are made using gelatin, which comes from animals. Gelatin is a protein found in connective tissue and bones. It’s commonly used in food products, including ice cream, marshmallows, and candy bars.
Vegan Womble says that markers in general contain everything listed above. And since Crayola makes its markers from animal products, they are not vegan.
So if you want to buy vegan art supplies, then you should consider buying non-gel pens instead. You can find plenty of options online, including ones that come in a variety of colors.
What Is Crayola?
Crayola is an iconic brand name that is synonymous with color. Their product line includes markers, crayons, pencils, paints, and glue sticks. You might know them for their famous bright colors, but did you know that they were founded in 1884?
Today, Crayola is still owned by the same family that started the company. And they continue to innovate and develop products that meet the needs of children and adults alike.
They produce a wide range of products including crayons, markers, paints, and glue. But the most well-known part of their product line is probably their brightly colored markers and crayons. These are great for any kind of artistic expression, whether it’s drawing or painting.
Their products come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs. Some of their most popular items include classic red and blue crayons, rainbow crayons, and watercolor crayons.
But they also sell a number of unique items, such as glittery paint pens, glow-in-the-dark paint sets, and the super sharp felt tip marker.
So whatever your creative passion may be, Crayola has a product that will suit your needs.
What Materials Are Crayola Markers Made Of?
Crayola makes their Coptic markers from five main ingredients: plastic barrels, porous plastic nibs (which come from recycled tires), plastic lids, cotton filament, and water-soluble ink.
According to Crayolas, these ingredients are vegan-friendly. However, according to That Vegan Teacher, the company’s makers seem to be using questionable ingredients.
She says that the water base solution of the marker ink is made of an unspecified mixture of water and dyes.
That Vegan Teacher thinks that Crayola should be more transparent about the chemicals used in their products, especially since they claim that their markers are 100% crayons vegan.
As far as we know, there are no studies that prove or disprove the safety of any of the materials used in Crayola graphic markers, so we recommend being cautious until further research is conducted.
Ingredients Used In The Production Of Crayola Markers
Crayola makes some pretty amazing products, including crayons, pencils, paintbrushes, glue sticks, erasers, and more.
But did you know that there are actually some ingredients used in the production of those items?
And if you’re wondering whether or not the crayons you buy are safe for your little ones, then we’ve got some answers for you!
Crayola uses tallow, talc, kaolin, paraffin wax, and pigment in the production of their crayons.
Talc is a mineral that is mined from the earth. Kaolin is a clay mineral that is mined from rocks.
Paraffin wax is a petroleum product that is extracted from oil deposits found underground. The pigment is a substance that is added to colored materials to change their appearance.
So yes, crayons made by Crayola are safe for children. But you should still keep an eye on your kids whenever they play with any kind of marker. You never know what might happen!
Are Crayola Markers Safe To Use?
Crayola makes great art supplies for kids, but there are times when you might want to give them away instead of using them yourself.
Luckily, you can find safe alternatives to Crayola vegan-friendly markers. One of those options is colored pencils.
Colored pencils are made from natural ingredients and are completely safe to use. You can even use them to color pictures of your pets, family members, or favorite cartoon characters.
Another option is watercolor paints. Watercolors are safe to use and won’t harm your skin or eyes. Plus, they come in a variety of bright color pigments that would look great on any canvas. And since they’re made from natural ingredients, you can feel confident giving them to your little ones.
There are plenty of safe coloring options available for kids. Give them away instead of using Crayola markers!
Beef Fat Causes The Distinctive Crayola Smell
Crayola markers are made using beef tallow, which gives them a distinctive smell. But if you’re concerned about animal cruelty or the environment, there are plenty of alternatives available.
Try using vegetable oil instead of beef tallow. Vegetable oils are derived from plants, unlike beef tallow, which comes from animal sources. You may find that your markers still have a distinct odor, but they won’t be as strong.
Vegetable fats are typically solid at room temperature, whereas beef tallow is liquid. Because of this difference, vegetable oils tend to feel greasy to the touch, which makes them less appealing to children.
However, you can easily substitute vegetable oil for beef tallow in any recipe that calls for it.
Crayola Marker Ingredients May Contain Beef Fat Or Stearic Acid
Crayola states on their site that animal testing by-products might be present in some of their products. Does that mean that they use beef fats or stearates? It doesn’t.
Stearic acid is used in the production of Crayola markers to strengthen the product. It is a long saturated fatty acid derived from cow fat.
At room temperature, stearic acid forms a waxy texture solid. Because of the presence of a carboxyl group, it can form esters with other compounds. This means that stearic acid can become part of a marker formula.
Vegetable oils or animal fats can be used to produce stearic acid. Crayola has confirmed that some of its products contain animal fat. Therefore, the stearic acids in Crayola markers are derived from animals.
So if you want to know whether Crayola colourful markers are vegan products, the answer is no. However, you should still buy Crayola markers anyway because they’re great for children.
How Much Stearic Acid Is In Crayola Markers?
Stearic acid is used in Crayola markers to give them their distinctive smell. However, if you’re concerned about whether or not using Crayola markers is safe for your children, then you should know that there isn’t any evidence that shows that stearic acid causes health problems.
In fact, the only ingredient that may cause concern is paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is made from petroleum products, and although it doesn’t seem like it would pose a problem, it is still considered a carcinogen.
But since paraffin wax accounts for at least 80% percent of the weight of CRAYOLA graphic markers, it’s unlikely that it poses a risk to your children.
So, if you’re worried about whether or not using Crayola markers is safe for children, then you shouldn’t worry. There’s no reason to stop using them.
Crayola Marker Alternatives
There are several alternatives to using Crayola markers. Some of them are made specifically for vegans, others are just as good as the leading brands. You may find that you prefer one over the other depending on how you like to draw.
Vegan artists will appreciate the Azafran Crayon line, produced by Azafran. These crayons are 100% vegan and come in a variety of bright colors. They’re available on Amazon.
Wee Can Too offers a range of Veggie Baby Crayon lines that are suitable for vegans. Their color pigments include pink, purple, green, blue, yellow, orange, red, brown, white, gray, black, and silver. They’re also available on the Wee Can Two website.
Doug and Melissa Crayons, produced by Doug and Melissa, are made of leftover plastic and have a unique feel compared to standard Crayola crayon boxes. They’re still great for drawing though, and they’re cheaper than the leading brand. They’re sold online through the Wee Can Too website, where you can also buy refills.
Chartpak produces two types of vegan alcohol-based markers: ADMarkers and Spectral ADMarkers. Both are made of non-recyclable plastic and contain no animal-derived materials. They’re ideal for coloring books and projects that require fine detail.
Copic is another company that manufactures eco-friendly vegan markers. These suitable markers are refillable, which reduces plastic waste. They’re made of resin and come in a wide array of colors. They’ll last longer than Crayola markers, and they’ll even work on paper.
Conclusion
Crayola makes great products, and they’re known for being environmentally friendly. But they still use stearic acid, which is derived from animals. That means they’re not 100% vegan. You can buy alternatives to Crayola crayons, though.
There are plenty of brands out there that are made without using any animal ingredients. Some of those include Staedtler Mars, Faber Castell, and Prismacolor.
Hey'all I'm Amy, a born foodie and diagnosed with celiac disease 7 years ago. I refused to cave into tasteless, boring gulten free food and create my own!
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