With “vegan skincare” becoming such an overused marketing term over the last few years, we want to sit down today to talk about why it’s actually important to go for vegan cruelty free skincare. We’re going to talk about the history of vegan skincare, why it is an essential, and all the benefits of vegan skincare ingredients.

A History of Vegan Skincare

Let’s start with the history of vegan skincare. Vegan lifestyles and eating habits have been on the rise for a number of years now (since the 60’s actually!), and more recently, The Economist  declared 2019 as “the Year of the Vegan”.  One of the very first brands to launch vegan products was The Body Shop back in 1987.  We’ve come a long way since then, and it’s amazing to see that a lot of brands are switching over to vegan cruelty free skincare. Now, in 2022, customers of all ages and location are demanding vegan cruelty free skincare products made with plant-based ingredients. 

Why Vegan Skincare Is Essential

Why is vegan skincare an essential, you ask?  Let us break it down for you. Outside of a plethora of health benefits that we will be going into a bit later, going vegan also offers great environmental benefits. According to HSI, animal agriculture is one of the largest contributors to environmental change, and accounts for up to 16.5% of global greenhouse emissions, and causes significant environmental degradation from biodiversity loss and deforestation. By choosing plant based products, you are lowering the demand for products made with ingredients that are harmful to the Earth to produce.   In an interview, Tata Harper mentioned that the beauty industry always follows the food industry, because the ingredients we use are so similar.  That is a perfect starting point to explain why vegan skincare ingredients are so important.  

It is important to note, that vegan does not always mean ‘healthy’, and when looking for vegan products you should also be looking for ‘cruelty free’ and ‘plant-based’ to be noted somewhere on the packaging, because ‘vegan’ and ‘cruelty free’ are not mutually exclusive.  A “vegan” product means that it was made without any animal byproducts.  A ‘cruelty free’ ingredient means it was not tested on animals.  Therefore it is possible that a vegan product is not cruelty free.  It is very important to double check the labels of all your products, and if you are unsure you can always reach out to the brand and they should be able to offer you clarification. Also, not ALL non-plant based ingredients are bad for you.  

Vegan skincare is beneficial because vegan skincare ingredients are usually more natural, minimal, and nourishing.  They are less likely to irritate your skin like animal based or synthetic ingredients tend to.  Vegan skincare is also usually created with far less additives, and instead uses lots of natural nutrients and antioxidants from plants that your skin will love. 

Benefit One: 

Vegan cruelty free skincare is nourishing.  You are going to feel fresh-faced in no time 

after making the switch to vegan skincare.  Plant-based ingredients contain far more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural oils that nourish, protect, repair, and moisturize the skin.  Synthetic ingredients are made to mimic the effects of certain plants, so you might as well go for the plant-based option first.  According to Blissoma, a single plant can contain dozens of different phytonutrients.  This means you get an array of nutrient benefits in whole plant skincare rather than a handful of isolated chemicals from synthetic ingredients.

Benefit Two:

It is good for all skin types.  Though there is no skincare routine that is “one-size fits all”, vegan skincare in some capacity will always outshine non-vegan products.  As with anything, you will have to do research and find which products and ingredients are best for your skin. Regardless, vegan skincare products are safe for all skin types, and you will always benefit from using them as opposed to products made with man-made chemicals. Vegan skincare products also usually contain fewer ingredients, so it’s less likely for one of those ingredients to trigger a reaction on your skin.

Benefit Three: 

Vegan cruelty free skincare is less likely to irritate your skin.  Vegan skincare products are full of naturally sourced ingredients that come from plants, therefore are less likely to irritate your skin.  As mentioned above, fewer and better ingredients are less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.  

Benefit Four:

Vegan skincare is good for the planet.  By choosing vegan skincare you are choosing ingredients that are not synthetic or made from animal byproducts.  The production of a lot of synthetic and animal byproducts can be very harmful and contaminating to the environment

Benefit Five: 

Vegan cruelty free skincare is amazing for your health.  What you put on your skin should be “good enough to eat”.  No we don’t mean to start taste-testing your skincare products (even if they are vegan and cruelty free!) but that the ingredients you put on your skin should not be synthetics, and chemicals that would harm you if they were ingested.  Your skin is your largest organ, and it soaks in the products you put on it. It’s important to keep this in mind, and nourish your skin the same way you would the rest of your body.  Natural antioxidants and vitamins will always beat out the results of chemical and synthetic products.

In conclusion:

We really hope this blog post is helpful in understanding vegan skincare, and helps you differentiate between vegan and cruelty free (ideally you will get both in your products!) We want to encourage you to seek out what is best for you, and to keep the benefits of vegan skincare in mind next time you are choosing a product for yourself.  As always, all our products are vegan, cruelty free, and made with plant powered botanical ingredients that will nourish, protect, and keep your skin looking its best in the long run.  We love to chat, so if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to info@thefeelist.com