Vegan, is it just another trendy buzzword? What’s all the hype about them anyway? If you’ve been wondering if you should have a line of vegan skincare products, you’ll know how hard it is to find great information about this. In a world with constant changes in market trends, vegan skincare is a fantastic choice. In this article, we’ll cover the top 5 benefits of vegan skincare and why you need them for your brand.
What Is Vegan?
Veganism started in 1944, but only recently gained mainstream popularity
The word ‘vegan’ was created by a man named Donald Watson in 1944, by combining the first and last letters of the word vegetarian. At the time, he and a handful of other people wanted to create a society of other non-dairy vegetarians, as they believed in the non-exploitation of animals by humans. Afterwards, they went on to register ‘The Vegan Society’, first as a charity and then as a limited company.
The Vegan Society was the first to define what veganism is. The current definition is “…a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose…”. And today, when products are vegan certified, the regulations that must be followed include the exemption of animal ingredients or animal by-products.
Different vegan organisations will have different standards for a product to become vegan certified. The Australian vegan organisation responsible for assessing local products, called “Vegan Australia”, includes the standard of no animal testing. This though is not true of all vegan certifications, because there are others which allow it.
Vegan beauty products have been gaining popularity alongside the rise of the vegan lifestyle. In fact, vegan beauty products grew in sales by 83% from 2019 to 2020. With veganism breaking into the mainstream, vegan cosmetics have been projected to continue with its strong growth, with the biggest category being vegan skincare products.
So What Are The Benefits Of Vegan Skincare?
Good For Animals
Vegan products do not contain animal derived ingredients
The biggest benefit of vegan skincare is the lack of any animal-derived ingredients, making vegan products great for animals. This is because the ingredients used in vegan products have not disturbed any animals or had a negative impact on them, including not testing the product on them. Animal testing is often conducted in order to show whether or not a product has any harmful side effects.
Whilst animal testing is something that can be done by analysing the ingredients alone, many skincare products contain artificial chemical ingredients. This fact makes it difficult to understand their effects without real-world testing on living creatures. Unfortunately, animal-tested skin care products need to have it completed for commercial safety. This is due to the chemicals having potentially harmful side effects which can’t be shown in other ways.
If something is vegan certified, you will need to check the vegan organisations regulations for how a product can get its certification. Oftentimes you will see a product as being both vegan and cruelty free. Because of the standards set by Vegan Australia, products with their certification will not have been animal tested. Look out for cruelty free products without vegan certification, as they are not the same.
Good For The Planet
Land clearing for animal farming is a major cause of deforestation
The second of the biggest benefits of vegan skincare is the reduced impact it has on the environment. Climate change has become such a vital topic in today’s world, with deforestation causing 11% of all greenhouse gas emissions. And with global temperatures continuing to rise as well, it’s no wonder that vegan products have capitalised on the opportunity to promote sustainable practices and gain popularity from it.
Many skincare products also have animal derived ingredients, such as gelatin. Gelatin comes from processing leftover animal products, such as cow hide and bones. This is already something which would alarm the average consumer, but it only gets worse. The farming of cows for their meat leather, and other by-products including gelatin, is responsible for 41% of the world’s deforestation.
Along with the absence of animal products which cause environmental damage, vegan products are also unlikely to contain harsh chemicals, as they consist of mostly natural ingredients which are sustainable. Choosing vegan beauty products means fewer harmful chemicals are produced and later introduced into the environment.
Good For Your Skin
The natural ingredients in vegan skincare products are better for your skin
Because vegan skincare products are made of all-natural ingredients, they carry more vitamins and minerals than their artificial-filled counterparts. These are both crucial for skin health, and therefore, they will work better to moisturise and repair your skin. And this is true no matter your skin type.
People with sensitive skin and people who haven’t been happy with the results from other products should try vegan alternatives. They don’t use the harsh artificial chemicals found in average non-vegan products.
Those with sensitive skin will also appreciate the lack of uric acid, or its synthetic equivalent urea, from vegan products. These can cause irritation, or in the event of an allergic reaction, problems breathing or rapid heartbeat. With vegan products having less ingredients, your skin reacts better and has an easier time processing them.
Good For Your Health
Your body will thank you for using vegan skincare products
Not only will your skin benefit from vegan products, but your body will too. Ingredients found in skin care products are absorbed into your skin. Some stay on the top layer of your skin, pores, and bloodstream.
This study showed that 6 ingredients found in sunscreen absorbed into the skin of study participants. The concerning discovery is that the skin absorbs them at a high enough concentration to be classified as being toxic. With this, the most common side effect they found was rash development. Your body benefits from vegan skincare because it knows how to process its natural ingredients better than synthetic ones.
They Have Similar Pricing
Buying vegan skincare products doesn’t break the bank
A common misconception about vegan skincare is that they are expensive, to a point where people can’t afford them. This however is not true. Although they aren’t as cheap as the cheapest non-vegan products on the market, they are still at a comparable price, and affordable to most people.
With that in mind, the rising popularity of veganism has meant that the industry has been developing at a rapid rate. Thus the cost of the ingredients they use is now very competitive with its non-vegan counterparts. This makes it one of the best benefits of vegan skincare.
Make The Switch Today!
From caring for animals, to being eco-friendly, you’ll find so many benefits of vegan skincare. Some great examples of local vegan brands include Sukin, Eco By Sonya, and Florestas. Make your own vegan skincare line today by contacting HH Australia. We have all the knowledge and experience to make the perfect vegan skincare products for your brand.
