More and more people are joining the vegan movement and opting for a plant-based lifestyle.
This, of course, means that the demand for vegan-friendly foods and other products is increasing drastically.
The beauty industry is no exception, with vegan beauty gaining major momentum worldwide.
Vegan beauty products are not only cruelty-free (meaning they’re not tested on animals), but they are also free from any animal ingredients, by-products or animal-derived products.
Many people are blissfully unaware that most beauty products contain animal ingredients such as honey, beeswax, uric acid from cows or lanolin, the grease from sheep’s wool.
These animal ingredients can be harsh on the human body and are not ideal for a healthy beauty routine.
Vegan beauty products that contain plant-derived ingredients offer more natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, resulting in a safer and healthier beauty routine, and the peace of mind that your beauty purchase did not result in the suffering of any animals.
“Vegan beauty is a beautiful thing, to watch it evolve and grow at the rapid rate that it has across SA makes it something impossible to ignore,” says the co-founder of Curls in Bloom, Taryn Gill.
“When we designed Curls in Bloom, we were very aware of this landscape and knew we had to appeal to this target market: millennial, Afro-lennial, conscious consumers willing to pay a little more for this vegan stamp of approval. Being sensitive and wanting vegan beauty for your hair and skin is completely aligned with how we consume foods and beverages to sustain our health from the inside. And vegan is the feel-good goal,” adds the curls enthusiast.
Margaux Knuppe, the owner of South African skincare brand Afari, had this to say on the topic: “Thanks to the advancements in technology and our increased knowledge in plant-based skincare ingredients, we’ve long outgrown the need to test on animals or include any animal-derived ingredients in skincare formulations.”
Ingestible beauty products play an important role in the vegan beauty industry.
“The importance of vegan ingestible beauty is that plant extracts can provide high-quality, pure, natural micronutrients with maximum results and minimum side effects. Most plant extracts are bioavailable, making the composition recognised by our bodies. In turn, we can absorb and convert these micronutrients into the necessary nourishment needed to function and fuel at optimised and harmonious states we call homeostasis,” says Kiko Vitals owner Kerri-Lee Taylor.
Changing over to a vegan lifestyle isn’t easy and certainly cannot be done overnight.
It takes some time to find suitable alternatives to the products you use daily.
Here’s how you can ease your beauty routine in a vegan-friendly one.
Check the packaging. When changing your skincare routine to vegan, be aware that not all vegan products are sustainable. Take special note of product packaging and what it’s made up of. Always look out for the recycle symbol.
DIY beauty
It’s amazing how simple foods we consume everyday can do wonders for our skin. Not just from the inside, but the outside as well. Mashed-up banana or avocado makes for the perfect moisturising face mask. Sugar is excellent for exfoliating.
Invest in vegan hair care
Biotin, keratin, beeswax, gelatine, cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, silk powder. These are just some of the animal-derived ingredients found in shampoos and conditioners, and most hair care products are also tested on animals.
Swap your regular eyeshadow for vegan alternatives
When it comes to eyeshadow, the more shimmery it is, the more cautious you should be. The chances are that the pearl-like sheen that’s brightening up your lids has been quite literally been taken from pearls, oysters or mussels.
No more mink false eyelashes
Yes, mink fake lashes are luxurious, but there are other types you can opt for. Unfortunately, though, most eyelash brands still use fur to make their products, taken from minks that are typically confined to small and inhumane spaces.