Vegan Skincare: What is it & where to find it
Vegan skincare has been the newest trend in cosmetic products, in fact, a number of the products on your shelf already are probably vegan. Although individually vegan, it’s less easy for brands to be 100% certified vegan since many products include animal byproducts such as honey or gelatin.
So, what is vegan skincare?
The word vegan is most commonly heard in the context of food, but in reality, it can mean so much more and applies to many parts of everyday life, including (unsurprisingly) skincare.
Not to be confused with cruelty-free skincare (read more on our favorite cruelty-free skincare brands here), vegan skincare includes products with no animal parts or byproducts used in their final formations. This means, inherently, they usually are also cruelty-free, but not always.
Animal products have been used in skincare for centuries, but as modern technologies have evolved, so have our abilities to find (or create) vegan alternatives. Alternatives that are constantly getting better and better, most now surpassing their animal counterparts in their ability to refresh, hydrate, or brighten the skin.
What are some common vegan substitutes?
squalene from sharks -> squalene from plants
Squalene is a fatty molecule used in cosmetic formulations to moisturize and soften the skin. Originally sourced from sharks, modern technology has allowed for an identical chemical compound to be found in plants.
beeswax -> plant wax
Beeswax is commonly used in cosmetic formulations to help the oils (hydrophobic) and water (hydrophilic) parts of emulsions from separating or crashing. A crashed emulsion will look similar to water and oil rather than the seamless blend of your moisturizer. It can also be found in lip balms and mascaras. Instead of using beeswax, plant waxes work just as well without harming any bees.
lanolin -> hyaluronic acid or coconut oil
Lanolin is a waxy substance that comes from sheep wool. The waxy nature causes it to be deeply moisturizing and softening on the skin. However, hyaluronic acid is just as moisturizing and softening (if not more so) and can be completely derived from plants!
Some vegan brands we recommend
Herbivore Botanicals
($$$)
Although in the higher price range, you can shop peacefully knowing that anything from their site is 100% cruelty-free and vegan.
shop now.
Pai Skincare
($$)
This 100% vegan skincare line formulates with only the highest quality ingredients.
shop now.
xyz skin
($)
With their extremely affordable pricing, this skincare company is able to offer luxury formulations that are all vegan and cruelty-free to everyone.