The Growing Trend For Vegan Beauty
Take a look at the shelves of any high street shop or the menu of any restaurants and it’s clear that veganism has graduated from niche lifestyle choice to a mainstream trend. Research from the Vegan Society estimates that there are now 540,000 vegans in the UK an increase of almost 400,000 over a ten year period. Even those who don’t identify as full-time vegans are trying to reduce their intake of meat and animal-related produce - ‘flexitarian’ is now part of our day to day language and a quick search of #MeatFreeMonday on Instagram unveils over 200,000 posts.
As people have become more conscious about what they are putting in their mouths, their attention has begun to fall on what they are putting on their skin. Sales of vegan beauty products increased by 38% in 2018 and Google searches for ‘vegan beauty’ have doubled every year since 2012. Globally, the impact of the trend on the beauty industry is even clearer - there has been a 175% increase in vegan beauty brand launches since 2014. Celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Alicia Silverstone and Chelsea’s most famous vegan, Lucy Watson, have all spoken openly about their love for an animal-free beauty regime, and as usual, where the celebs go, the public will follow.
But what makes a beauty product vegan anyway? Whilst people and brands have campaigned for many years against animal testing, vegan beauty products are slightly different. Cruelty-free products are those that haven’t been tested on animals, whereas vegan products are those that don't contain any form of animal by-product. This means no honey, no beeswax, no milk and no eggs - which all form some of the most common ingredients in your favourite beauty products. It’s not just ingredients in moisturisers and lip balms that benefit from the negligence of animal welfare. Make up brushes often contain horse hair, and the false eyelashes you love wearing at the weekend are likely to have been made using mink hair. The undeniable growth in popularity has driven large companies to change the way they manufacture certain products. Long-time activist for animal rights - Body Shop now has a completely vegan range, including their Coconut Exfoliator and Moringa body yoghurt. Beauty titan Charlotte Tilbury has also made sure that all of her make up is totally vegan, which proves you don’t have to sacrifice on glamour to look out for the welfare of animals.
However, it's not just our collective moral compass that is driving the vegan beauty trend. All-natural, cruelty-free products could also be beneficial for our skin and bodies. By their very nature, vegan products contain fewer chemicals and ingredients. This means those with sensitive skin are far less likely to have an adverse reaction to them and it can also reduce the risk of acne. Beauty products rich in natural ingredients also have amazing anti-ageing properties.
Beneficial for both animals and you, switching to a natural, vegan beauty regime is a no brainer. If you’re thinking of making the change, our skincare oils are a great place to start.