Over the last couple years I have completely transitioned to use vegan skincare and beauty products. I’ve done my research on a lot of aspects of going vegan with my skincare regime and tested out quite a few vegan brands as well. In this blog post, I’m going to share what I’ve learnt about the benefits of using vegan skincare – so you can have a good starting point if you are just researching the same topic or want to learn a bit more. From Vegamour’s vegan hair serum to Barry M nail polish – it’s possible to go full vegan in your skincare and beauty regime!

What does “vegan” mean when it comes to skincare and beauty products?

It means the absence of animal or animal byproduct ingredients. This rules out a lot of ingredients like beeswax, honey, collagen, keratin, lactic acid, dairy and biotin for example. 

I can hear you asking, so are vegan products also cruelty free? The answer is technically it’s not the same term. But obviously vegan products are also cruelty-free as well, because vegans share the share the same ethics about animal testing.  So if it’s vegan – it’s also cruelty-free. Double benefit! (This excludes big vegan brands that are present in China. The Chinese authorities require animal testing for a product to be sold in China.)

The Benefits of Using Vegan Skincare

Fewer ingredients – more natural products

Vegan skincare and beauty brands tend to avoid harsh chemicals, parabens, sulphates, steroids, aluminium and artificial fragrances. This is because they follow a more holistic approach in creating their products. This is much better for your skin (especially for those with sensitive skin) and hair and ultimately they won’t offer quick fixes, but long term solutions. 

No animals harmed

But what about testing? I hear you asking.  The good thing about organic, natural ingredients in vegan formulas that they pose no harm whatsoever, therefore they don’t need to be tested on animals first, only clinical testing is occurring, involving human participants – never animals. 

Why say no to animal testing?  Many of these experiments cause pain to the animals involved or reduce their quality of life in other ways. It is unethical and also unnecessary at this age.  

Better for your skin

Because there are no nasties in vegan skincare and beauty products, they won’t cause irritation, flare ups or the clogging the pores. This is why vegan beauty is often referred as “clean beauty” because the ingredients could be be absorbed and synthesised by the body (because your skin absorbs 60% of what you apply onto it) – and without any harm, as opposed to the big label, commercial competitors. More suited for every skin type too, because in vegan skincare products there are no drying agents or irritants.

Better for the environment

It makes sense. When it’s good for your skin and can cause no harm and contains only plant-based ingredients: surely, cannot harm the environment either. Many synthetic ingredients used in conventional skincare products are derived from petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource. Vegan skincare products are made with renewable ingredients, so they have a smaller carbon footprint. Any products that are washed away in water runoff won’t harm the environment or have a difficult time breaking down into the soil. 

Ethical and sustainable

The holistic approach with vegan skincare and beauty products also includes consideration and respect for nature and communities. This means, they are fairly sourced, paying fair prices and wages for farmers and workers at every part of the supply chain. 

Combats climate change

This is also worth mentioning because it matters a lot! By reducing the meat intake in our diet helps fighting climate change. Similarly, omitting animal and animal byproducts from skincare and beauty items helps the case too.   83% of the world is now farm land while providing only 18% of the world’s food calories. This is one reason many people choose to go vegan—it’s been lauded as one of the biggest ways to reduce your own environmental impact on the Earth.