Why vegan skincare may not be what you think it is

We all understand the term vegan, or at least we think we do, but do you know what it really means when applied to skincare?

As with natural and organic, vegan or vegan friendly is commonly seen in the descriptions of “natural” skincare and beauty brands. This can be misleading though.

Vegan is loosely applied to foods and products that plant based and are not derived from animals and/or animals haven’t been harmed in any way in their development or production. This appears pretty much clear cut, but let’s look again at its relevance to skincare products.

Simply being vegan doesn’t mean a product is natural, plant based, chemical free, or even necessarily healthy. For instance, a skincare product can be packed with synthetic and petroleum derived ingredients, including Parabens and SLS/SLeS, or can use ingredients from unsustainable sources. It definitely doesn’t mean it is plant based, natural, ethical or eco-friendly, nor kind to our planet. It may fulfill certain criteria to qualify as “vegan”, but in the ethical sense it can be far from the eco-conscious product you may think it is.

The word vegan, in the same way as natural and organic, is used by some brands to greenwash, so it is important to check for alternative clues to the ethical provenance of any product. Look out for cruelty free, 100% natural, plant based, ethically sourced, synthetic free, Paraben free, GM free, palm oil free, organic, in the description. None of these guarantee the product is everything it claims to be, but it goes a long way to eliminating some of the “wolves in sheep’s clothing”.

All in all, the only way to be completely sure about what you are applying to your skin, is to thoroughly read the list of ingredients on the label and understand exactly what each one is and how it works. That’s one for a later blog though, as it can be a minefield for the average user.

Suffice to say the natrl skincare range of handmade skincare is 100% natural, 100% plant based, free from synthetic, GM modified, and petroleum derived ingredients, cruelty free, ethically and sustainably sourced, and amazingly effective.