Vegan skincare is more than a fad. The vegan cosmetics market is growing at an almost 7% rate yearly and is expected to reach roughly 25bn by 2028. Vegan skincare’s popularity is not a surprise, since you can get the same benefit for your skin while minimizing the harm done to animals and the environment.
Here are my best vegan skincare tips, but first, let’s do a bit of housekeeping and define the important terms.
What is Vegan Skincare?
In fact, there is not one clear definition of vegan skincare, since different stakeholders define it differently. The main argument relates to animal testing. Vegan consumers define vegan skincare as something that does not include ingredients derived from animals and something that either ingredients or finished products have not been tested on animals.
Vegan skincare brands define it similarly. Official organizations such as PETA, Vegan Action, or The Vegan Society that certify vegan skincare also use that definition.
Retailers and large multinational companies use a definition that only refers to ingredients. To them, vegan skincare is skincare without animal-based ingredients. In their opinion, vegan skincare could have been tested on animals. Which sounds ludicrous. Furthermore, they claim cruelty-free skincare term refers only to animal-testing and vegan ingredients.
When buying vegan skincare you have to be careful which definition the retailer or brand uses. For example, Sephora and Ulta use the limited definition. That is why it is easier to buy from certified vegan skincare companies such as Youth to the People, The Ordinary, Derma E, and Pacifica Beauty.
Why Choose Vegan Skincare?
There are many great reasons to choose vegan skincare. Some of the more compelling reasons relate to animal welfare. Vegan skincare does not use ingredients that are derived from animals. Neither is it tested on animals. Animals do not suffer in the production of vegan skincare.
Vegan skincare is also better for the planet and the environment. Many skincare ingredients that are derived from are in fact from farm animals, such as cows and sheep. Ingredients that are from cows and sheep include collagen and lanolin. Animal farming is a big contributor to global warming, so the less demand for these animals there is the better it is eventually for the climate.
Also, the cow industry is one of the leading causes of deforestation in the Amazon area.
Finally, vegan skincare products do not sacrifice quality. Almost all ingredients have a vegan variation or a substitute. So effectively all skincare products can be veganized.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to the tips!
Top 4 Vegan Skincare Tips
Below are four fantastic tips to approach when approaching vegan skincare.
Tip #1 Buy only from officially certified vegan skincare brands
Anyone can design a “V” label and stick it to their packaging. There is no governing body to regulate the vegan term. And as mentioned previously, some of the largest corporations label their products as vegan, even though they are not vegan.
This is why my top tip is only to buy from brands that are officially certified.
There are only a few organizations that certify brands and products as vegan. The most common ones are PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), Vegan Action, and The Vegan Society.
Great vegan skincare brands that are certified by one of these organizations include Youth to the People, The Ordinary, and Biossance to name a few.
Tip #2 Use Sunscreen. Everyday. Don’t skip it.
By now everyone should know using sunscreen is a must. Exposure to the sun is one of the main causes of visible signs of aging. Some experts say even up to 90% of visible signs of aging can be attributed to sun exposure! Photoaging is a real issue.
Exposure to UV is unhealthy for the skin otherwise than only appearance of course too.
So before you leave the house in the morning, use sunscreen!
These days you can find fantastic vegan sunscreen such as Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 or Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40.
Tip #3 Don’t Overcomplicate
Skincare can be made very easy. One of the most important things to do is to use sunscreen every day year-round. In addition, dermatologists recommend cleansing and moisturizing on a daily basis. There is some evidence of a more advanced routine including cleanser, toner, eye cream, serum, and day and night cream would give added benefits to your skin.
But that being said, using sunscreen from morning round the year, cleansing, and moisturizing is a fantastic skincare routine to start with.
You can find cleansers, moisturizers, exfoliators, face oils, hand creams, lotions, essences, and every other type of skincare product as a vegan version.
Tip #4 Understand What Are The Active Ingredients And Their Effect In The Products
An active ingredient in skincare is basically the ingredient that is actually doing the promised effect. So if you are targeting a certain skin issue, such as dark spots, understand which ingredients are actually shown to help with dark spots.
Buying with an ingredient focus is easier than with a product focus. So if you have dark spots, buy products with Vitamin C which is shown to reduce the appearance of dark spots. So rather than look for certain product types, such as an exfoliator, buy directly products that have a specific active ingredient.
Where to Buy Vegan Skincare?
These days if you know what to look for you can find vegan skincare almost anywhere. Even specialist skincare retailers such as Dermstore or Soko Glam carry a wide range of vegan skincare.
But the easiest way to buy skincare is online from specialist beauty retailers such as Sephora and Ulta. Also, naturally, Amazon is a great choice since you can find almost any product there.
Final Thoughts
Vegan skincare is morally a great choice since it benefits the animals and the environment. Also, by buying vegan skincare you don’t sacrifice quality.
My top 4 skincare tips are to buy from certified vegan skincare brands, use sunscreen every day year-round, not overcomplicate skincare, and also to understand which active ingredients affect which skin types and problems.
About the Author
Liis Hainla is the Editor-in-Chief of Vegan Avenue. Liis is a writer and a devout animal lover and vegan. Liis an advocate for vegan beauty and vegan lifestyle in general.
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