The definition of veganism encompasses a conscious, positive, and healthy lifestyle. When it comes to switching to a vegan lifestyle, it doesn’t apply only to what we eat. In fact, being vegan means incorporating a plant-based care routine into everything including the clothes we wear and skin care products we use on our bodies.
That makes opting for clean skincare brands or vegan skincare an essential part of our vegan lifestyle. Keep in mind that we don’t have to be vegan to get the benefits of vegetarian or cruelty-free beauty. All we need is to switch to skincare or beauty products that aren’t sourced from animals or animal by-products.
Let’s plunge into the details to learn more about vegan skincare or why using products like vegan butter is the better choice for us.
What is Vegan- an Overview
The beauty or cosmetic items we use come from animal by-products (the parts human don’t consume directly). For instance, collagen is a by-product included in many beauty and cosmetic products. Another important aspect we need to consider is “animal testing”. Many cosmetics are tested on animals before their launch in the market.
However, using vegan skincare means there is no animal testing. Put simply, whether we use vegan butter moisturizer or anti-aging serum, they are cruelty-free and don’t go through any animal testing. Many cosmetic companies are adding vegan and cruelty-free products to their item range. While this is a positive sign, remember that cruelty-free and vegan are not the same things.
If our skin care product is cruelty-free, it doesn’t mean that it is vegan also. Similarly, many vegan products are not cruelty-free. Sounds confusing?
We can understand. It usually happens that products that claim to be vegan don’t include their production process. Even if the products don’t include any animal by-product, it is possible that it was tested on animals.
In the same line, if a product claims to be cruelty-free, it may contain animal by-products. The beauty industry is considering animal rights to make cosmetics both cruelty-free and plant-based. Many companies manufacture vegan skincare Botanical extracts that are also cruelty-free.
Vegan Cosmetics vs. Natural Cosmetics
Differentiating between green alternatives isn’t always possible. But we must consider the authenticity of the products that claim to use natural ingredients.
Bear in mind that just having a label of a natural product doesn’t mean the product is safe to use. Thus, we can’t determine what makes natural beauty products. Many associations provide a guide to help read and understand the labels on beauty products.
But the criteria to determine the product’s authenticity depend on the associations. While some associations have stringent guidelines, others have lenient instructions. That is why we must check the product details to determine if it is purely plant-based.
Also always buy from reliable companies that follow sustainability and honesty as core values.
