Shellac is made from the secretions of the lac beetle and is not vegan because it comes from an animal. The beetles secrete the resin on tree branches in Southeast Asia as a protective shell for their larvae.
Not exactly a “green” alternative. Carnuaba wax is a plant-derived compound from Brazilian palm trees sometimes used as an alternative to shellac; it’s also used in car polish and floor wax, in addition to cosmetics and foods. Get Over It. Here in the US, we eat a lot of food grown far away from where we consume it. Most people know that Shellac is used as a furniture finish. Audiophiles will know that the venerable vinyl LP was originally made of shellac. As a naturally occurring resin, it has a lot of other uses. Shellac is an animal product, a resin secreted from the Coccus lacca (lac beetle), a scale that feeds on certain trees in India and southern Asia. After hatching, the nifty little bug snoops around for a place to eat, selecting a stem or leaf as its breakfast counter. Many vitamins, pills and food supplements are coated with shellac to make them slide easily down your throat, into your tummy. Of course the most important use of shellac, in my not-so-humble opinion is as a woodworking finish, where you can make your projects shiny and eye-catching. Answer: Shellac is made from the secretions of the lac beetle and is not vegan because it comes from an animal. The beetles secrete the resin on tree branches in Southeast Asia as a protective shell for their larvae. The males fly away, but the females stay behind. Shellac is used in a variety of ways, including foods, furniture finishes, nail polish and other applications. In foods, shellac is often disguised as confectioner's glaze on a list of ingredients, and creates a shiny, hard surface on candies. Shellac is a resin secreted by the female lac bug, on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes (pictured at right) and dissolved in ethanol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and wood finish. Shellac functions as a tough natural primer, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, odour-blocker, stain, and high-gloss varnish. The thickness (concentration) of shellac is measured by the unit pound cut, referring to the amount (in pounds) of shellac flakes dissolved in a gallon of denatured alcohol. For example: a 1-lb. cut of shellac is the strength obtained by dissolving one pound of shellac flakes in a gallon of alcohol. Shellac is used in a number of specialty convenience products which are then used by consumers world-wide. Some of the uses of shellac include products produced for nail polish, paint coatings, food processing, medical equipment use, ink products, and many other applications. Updated April 5, 2011 – See below. A world-wide shortage of raw shellac resin is really bugging the paint industry and causing price escalations that we have not seen, in the paint coating industry, since World War II. Shellac is a natural resin secreted from the female lac beetle during their mating season. Sweets are coated with shellac to achieve a high gloss and a hard surface and also for protection against moisture. COSMETICS: Hairsprays; Binder for Mascara; Additive for nail lacquer… PHARMACEUTICALS: Shellac is used as a coating for tablets when a delayed dissolving in the intestine (“slow release”) is required. Happy Valentines Day! This holiday is traditionally celebrated with a gift of plant genitalia and candy. Most people know that Shellac is used as a furniture finish. Audiophiles will know that the venerable vinyl LP was originally made of shellac. As a naturally occurring resin, it has a lot of other uses. KEEP SHELLAC AWAY FROM CHILDREN! Shellac is an insect resin secreted by the Lac bug, a very small red parasitic bug that attaches itself to a small variety of trees in India and Southeast Asia. The insect feeds on the sap of the tree and secretes the Lac as a protective shell in which the female lay their eggs. 
https://membracid.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/shellac-its-a-bug-and-a-feature/ https://www.shellac.net/information.html http://animalrights.about.com/od/animalrights101/f/What-Is-Shellac-And-How-Is-It-Not-Vegan.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellac http://texaspaint.com/uncategorized/shellac-shortage-bug-paint-industry/ https://membracid.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/shellac-its-a-bug-and-a-feature/ http://www.shellac-india.com/about-shellac.htm
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