If you are a vegan, have you taken a moment to consider the ingredients that your make-up and skincare are made from? We generally look for labels such as animal cruelty free makeup and skincare but what about skincare that is suitable for vegans?
You wouldn’t think twice about it, but most skincare products are not going to be suitable for vegans. So, what exactly makes skincare vegan? Read on to find out!
What makes skincare vegan?
To be specific, vegan skincare can be defined by ensuring that no animal products or byproducts go into the making of the skincare product. This automatically rules out ingredients which are commonly present in most skincare products such as honey, keratin, collagen and beeswax to name a few.
What skincare ingredients should vegans avoid?
Try to steer clear of the following ingredients if you are following a vegan skincare routine:
Beeswax, Honey, Keratin, Lanolin, Silk, Elastin, Squalene.
When you are looking for vegan skincare products, ensure that they are endorsed by PETA or the Vegan Society in some way - this can be through their website and logos on vegan products. Though there are some companies which may be vegan but may choose not to use official logos due to costs or have their own vegan logos.
There are some ingredients however that may be listed on vegan skincare products where a synthetic or a substitute version of the particular ingredient is being used. If you aren’t sure whether the product is suitable for vegans, make sure to ask the company. Some beauty brands will have a helpful vegan skincare section, as we do on our website to avoid any confusion with vegan and non vegan skincare products.
What are vegan skincare products made of?
Vegan skincare products are made from plant based alternatives and vitamins. These vegan skincare products will end up being more natural and better for your skin due to the plant based ingredients and fewer ingredients that need to be processed or transformed.
Most vegan skincare products are commonly made with the following ingredients (this list is not exhaustive so there are many more vegan ingredients out there):
Vitamins including A, C and E, coconut oil, lavender oil, rosehip, hemp seed extracts, berry extracts and algae.
Is there a difference between vegan and cruelty free skincare products?
Yes! You might mistakenly think or assume that your skincare products are vegan friendly simply because they are cruelty free. However, cruelty free generally means that their skincare products have not been tested on animals and so can still contain animal by-products.
What is the difference between Vegan, Natural and Organic skincare?
Vegan means that no animals or animal by-products have been used within the product. For a product to be labelled as Natural or Organic, it only needs to have around 1% of natural ingredients so pay specific attention to the ingredients.
Terms such as natural and organic may be misleading and make you think that those natural and organic skincare products are also vegan friendly but unless they specifically state they are vegan friendly, assume otherwise!
Are vegan skincare products better for you?
Vegan skincare products end up using more vitamins and plant based ingredients than normal skincare products and this may end up being better for your skin.
Plants are the main source of vitamins and minerals - and all of these hydrate and protect your skin, nourishing it with plenty of antioxidants. Due to this, vegan skincare may provide better anti-aging results for your skin.
Whatever product you apply will be absorbed by your skin by at least 60% so you only want to put on products that are packed with nutrients and minerals!
Vegan skincare products are also available at a reasonable cost. With tags like natural and organic, you might assume vegan skincare is expensive but there are affordable alternatives available that are equally as good for your skin.
Why should you care about vegan skincare?
Vegan skincare products are more beneficial for your skin because they include more natural ingredients. Vegan skincare products are made without any harm to animals so if you follow a vegan diet, it seems natural to continue that into your skincare and beauty routine. It is also environmentally sustainable to switch to vegan skincare products and if you want to make a change then this is a step in the right direction.
Does vegan skincare mean chemical free?
Vegan skincare does not necessarily mean chemical free. You can still get chemical ingredients that are vegan friendly but may not be natural.
It can be daunting at first to make the switch to vegan skincare when there is so much to look out for, but at Naturespell we make it easier for you with our specific range of vegan skincare products.
Now that you are all clued up on vegan skincare, why not check out our great selection of vegan skincare products including Pink Clay & Rose Pore Perfection Face Mask and Vitamin C & Niacinamide Brightening Serum.
