Versed in vegan
Want to make the swap to veganism in all aspects of your life including your cosmetics? Sophie Phillips has the low down
IN THE KNOW WITH VEGAN COSMETICS
DERMATOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE Replacing your regular products with vegan alternatives, even if it’s just a few items, can have an impact on your overall skin health. Do your research, test and hunt for advice from friends who use similar products.
VEGAN, ORGANIC, NATURAL? In the beauty industry, there is no real industry-agreed meaning for terms like ‘organic’ or ‘natural’. Unlike the food industry,
these terms are not regulated for cosmetics which means
T
here are fish scales in your mascara and crushed parasitic beetles in your
lipstick and bull semen in your hair products (apparently…). Your favourite lip balm might be made from a fatty substance extracted from sheep’s wool. And then there’s the matter of animal testing. Feeling queasy yet?
Animal products and bi-products have been used for beauty treatments since the days of Cleopatra’s milk baths, but a growing movement is aiming to change just that. All signs point to a vegan makeup revolution and it’s happening right before your gunked up eyes.
Vegan makeup and beauty products are booming, and is poised to be the biggest beauty trend in 2019. Unilever’s Dove brand earned PETA cruelty-free certification in 2018 and by 2020, any cosmetics or ingredients tested on animals will be illegal in some states in the USA. Thankfully, in the UK selling products that use animal testing is illegal under EU law, however
WHAT ARE VEGAN COSMETICS?
A product that is vegan does not contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients. This includes, but is not limited to, honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol, gelatin and many others.
To many, well, probably most… the term ‘vegan’ also means that a product is free from animal testing as well. Because the term is not regulated, it is often used to simply note that a product does not contain
animal ingredients. Items that are tested on animals can claim to be ‘vegan’. This is a very important distinction because a vegan product is not necessarily cruelty-free.
There are lots of beauty companies that are cruelty-free and offer a mostly vegan selection of items. These companies are often more than happy to tell you exactly what items and shades are vegan. If they are unable to give you a clear answer, it’s best to avoid products by that company.
many companies are able to circumvent the law by using chemicals that were tested on animals outside UK. If you are unsure about a product double check the ingredients on the packaging.
But like all buzzwords in beauty - organic, natural, green - the definition of vegan beauty products is mired in controversy. First of all, vegan isn’t synonymous with natural, organic, or even cruelty-free (in fact, vegan makeup can sometimes be even more chemically- processed). A lipstick could be free of animal- derived ingredients yet still be tested on animals somewhere during the production process. Or a lipstick could be totally vegan, made by a cruelty- free brand, but that brand is owned by a larger beauty conglomerate that tests on animals. SO what do you do...?
The point is, you don’t have to be a vegan to wear vegan makeup. Any beauty brand that is trying to make a difference for animal welfare should be celebrated and championed.
companies can interpret these meanings in different ways.
MODIFICATION
Some companies argue that if an ingredient comes from a natural source then it’s natural. They conveniently overlook the fact that they chemically modify it to make it work the way they want it to. If buying organic is a priority
for you then you will have to take your own initiative and look at labels or visit the websites.
ARE VEGAN PRODUCTS BETTER?
Currently, natural or organic
cosmetic products don’t really provide any added benefit for
consumers, but, as the demand for these types of products
continues to grow there should be improvements in R&D,
performance, the ranges will be extended and with more competition - a drop in cost.
THE BOTTOM LINE Hopefully, there will be more
standardisation in the industry soon, which will make it easier
for all of us to understand what these terms like vegan, natural or organic really mean for cosmetics and make companies more accountable for what they say.
100 | SPRING 2019 | ONBOARD
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