Half a million people in the UK signed up to Veganuary in 2021, a new record. But when we look beyond our dinner plate and towards our toiletries bag, there is a huge awareness gap. What’s the difference between vegan and cruelty-free? If a product is labelled as being made from natural ingredients, does that make it vegan? Does veganism guarantee sustainable credentials? And what the hell is ‘plant based’? Hopefully, from a curious beginner’s perspective, this post will give you some guidance into the murky world of vegan beauty
What is vegan beauty?
Surprisingly, there is no legal definition of ‘vegan’ for the cosmetics industry. Unsurprisingly, vegan-friendly cosmetics can simply be understood as products that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients, such as gelatine, beeswax, egg whites or honey. They also do not contain animal byproducts, such as hyaluronic acid sourced from cockerel combs (what mad scientist had that idea?).
When it comes to beauty products, ‘vegan’ doesn’t always mean the product is cruelty-free (although many products are both). Unfortunately, lots of mainstream brands still test products and ingredients on animals – make sure to refer to the brilliant Cruelty Free Kitty for much more information about cruelty-free beauty brands. or lookout for the ‘Animal Test-Free’ or the ‘PETA Approved’ logos for accreditation.
Luckily there is now a lot of choice for beauty products that avoid negative impacts on animals. While there are many complex factors that can create barriers to a fully vegan diet (confessions of a pescatarian over here 👋), I think makeup and skincare can be small and easy place to start.