Vegan Skin Care Guide for Beginners (with Brand Recommendation)
Veganism is a lifestyle that goes beyond diet. Skincare, for example, is another topic to talk about. Similar to vegan food, vegan skincare avoids using animal-derived ingredients at all costs which leads to environmentally friendly and sustainability. Besides, plant-based skincare ingredients generally contain more vitamins and antioxidants than animal-based ingredients and are much easier to perform clean beauty in everyday life.
In fact, according to a report by MarketGlass, the worth of the vegan cosmetic market is growing at 5.1% annually, and skincare particularly at 5.6%. Demand for vegan cosmetics in the US market is growing rapidly as well. So, what is vegan skincare?
What Makes a Skin Care Product non-vegan?
People who consider themselves vegans abstain from consuming products that have meat or animal byproducts. Similarly, vegans choose plant-based skincare as well.
And yet, what makes skincare non-vegan? Some common ingredients in non-vegan skincare products are beeswax, eggs, honey, collagen, keratin, hyaluronic acid, and more. A more comprehensive list can be found here: Animal-Derived Ingredients List.
Some common ingredients included in vegan products are plant-based and contain vitamins and minerals are your skin needs more in general, for example, bearberry plant extract, kojic acid, seaweed extract.
Negative Impact of Non-Vegan Skincare Products
Beyond potentially contributing to the widespread harm of animals, non-vegan skincare products pose a variety of threats to your skin and the environment at large.
Vegan products are objectively healthier for your skin - they tend to avoid additives and other harmful chemicals that non-vegan products often contain. Some of them might be including preservatives like parabens, foaming agents like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), plasticizers like phthalates, and so on.
Finally, non-vegan skincare products tend to be unsustainable: they rely heavily on animal agriculture, which is found to lead to significant damage to our planet through deforestation, pollution, and other harmful practices.
Photo credits to Japan Vegan Town Team
Vegan VS Cruelty-Free
While vegan products do not contain animal or animal byproduct ingredients, this does not necessarily make them cruelty-free. The same logic also applies to non-vegan skincare products, they can contain animal-derived ingredients and be cruelty-free at the same time.
To be a cruelty-free product, the product must have not been tested on animals throughout the testing process, regardless it’s the final product testing or just some ingredient testing. Thus, as long as non-vegan skincare products are not tested on animals, they can be cruelty-free.
A cruelty-free product will come with a “Cruelty-Free” label that indicates whether or not the product underwent animal testing. This label is given by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), which includes a bunny hopping logo, or the PETA bunny logo.
Photo credits to Japan Vegan Town Team
How to Know If Your Skincare Product is Vegan
So how do you find out whether or not the skincare product you are looking to purchase is truly vegan? There are two ways to identify: read their ingredient carefully or look for some certified logos.
Some companies may self-declare that they are vegan-friendly or cruelty-free. Reading the ingredient list can help you determine quickly and accurately whether or not there are obvious animal byproducts in your skincare choices.
Some ingredients may not immediately be obvious they come from animal products: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and gelatin are all non-vegan ingredients. Avoid these when looking for your skincare products.
Another easier and hassle-free way is to look for certified logos. Some organizations are dedicated to identifying vegan products, including The Vegan Trademark by The Vegan Society, Vegan Certified, and much more. Be careful to look for only authorized logos. With their logo on the product, it saves your time to read the ingredient label one by one, and don’t have to worry about any misleading information.
Vegan Skincare Products Available in Singapore
There are plenty of great vegan skincare products and companies available in Singapore to help you take care of your skin properly while simultaneously protecting the environment:
Kew Organics
Kew Organics is Singapore’s first water-based organic skincare company. They have a variety of products available for different skin types: vegan skincare products for oily skin, dry skin, combination and much more.
The water-based ingredients help to fully hydrate your skin and leave it satisfied longer. All products are made with completely vegan ingredients, so you can feel good when you use them!
Forest Rhapsody
Forest Rhapsody includes plenty of plant-based ingredients, including aloe vera, sea kelp, and more that nourish your skin and provide it with plenty of vitamins and antioxidants to keep it healthy longer.
The vegan ingredients used by the company work effectively over a long period of time to create long-lasting positive effects on your skin overall.
Two Halves
Another Singapore-based vegan skincare brand that claims to leave out harmful substances in its products. The products are all about finding the balance and restoring your skin barrier. What's worth noting is that their product line is designed for all-age and sensitive skin.
Soul Good Project
If you have eczema-prone and lactose-intolerant skin, and you are adopting a vegan lifestyle, choosing a skincare product could be extraordinary hard. Yet, Soul Good Project might be your skin savour. They use natural plant-based ingredients and keep the list short and nice. Besides, they offer vegan deodorant that helps to find the balance of your skin, scented candles to calm your mind and sleep mist, everything that improves your self-love and wellbeing.
The Bottom Line
Vegan skincare products are overall great for your skin’s health and long-term care. They include ingredients packed with necessary nutrients and vitamins your skin craves - all made without the use of animals or animal byproducts. Great for the environment and great for you, you can’t go wrong with vegan skincare.
Be sure to check the labels and do your own research on vegan skincare products to ensure they are truly vegan, and are the right choice for you and your specific skin situation. You will find in no time these products make a significant difference, and your skin will thank you!
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