When I first went vegan, it was all about food. What I was eating. What I wasn’t eating. What I was learning about the food industry. That part was clear. I knew why I was doing it, and it felt straightforward enough — make better choices on my plate.
But when it came to the everyday things I was using — skincare, home products, even cleaning items — I honestly wasn’t paying as careful attention. Not because I didn’t care, but because it felt impossible to keep up.
There are hidden toxic ingredients everywhere. (Look into "fragrance.")
Animal byproducts in the most random things.
Chemical names you need to google to understand.
And the whole “clean” or “non-toxic” world is a bit of a mess too.
On top of that, I wasn’t surrounded by vegan friends or family. There was no one to trade products with, no one to say “hey, I found this brand,” or “did you know this ingredient comes from ___.” I was figuring it out alone, which makes it easier to overlook.
That’s honestly another big part of why I started V Collective. I wanted to do better at being a part of the vegan community but also a community where people care about what they use, where we can find and share good products, where we can make this lifestyle feel normal instead of niche.
And I wanted to hold myself accountable too. To push myself to pay attention not just to what I eat, but to what I use every single day.
All the reasons I went vegan still apply. Even if animals aren’t always killed directly for non-food products, they’re still used as byproducts. It still supports that system. And a lot of mainstream brands aren’t cruelty-free, which means animals are being harmed.
Add on top of that the countless mystery ingredients we’re putting on our skin — parabens, phthalates, fragrances, fillers — and every week another headline linking something to cancer or long-term health issues. What we put on our skin gets absorbed. What we burn in our homes — we breathe it in. What we drink, take, apply, spray — it adds up. Just like our diet affects our health, so do these daily products we use without thinking.
I haven’t been anywhere near perfect in this lifestyle. But I am trying to be more mindful. Trying to make better choices where I can. Trying to buy from brands that care about how what they're selling impacts all living beings and the planet.
And that’s really the heart of V Collective. It’s not about perfection. It’s about paying attention. Making small shifts. Choosing better products from better places until it's the new norm. And building a community of people who care — even if we’re all still figuring it out, one choice at a time.
With love,
Maday — Founder, V Collective
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