Happy Veganuary! 25 days into January, and #Veganuary2022 has racked up more than 62K hits, while #Veganuary has over 2 million. If you are one of the many people embracing Veganuary this year, you know that the obvious place to start with is your diet. However, if you can’t face the idea of giving up cheese and chocolate for an entire month, you could start giving thought to the content of your beauty stash.
Vegan beauty, my friend, is no trend. Because the truth is vegan-friendly beauty products serve a far greater purpose and have quantifiable benefits. If you want to give your beauty routine an animal-friendly shake-up, there’s never been a better time, with trailblazing brands delivering on trending and luxe-feeling formulas without compromising on their ethics. So to help you get started, we’re listing down a few tips and tricks on how to give your beauty bag a vegan refresh. From fur-free false lashes to cruelty-free skincare products, – this is your ultimate guide to giving your beauty routine a vegan-friendly overhaul.
Here’s How To Build A Vegan Beauty Routine
Invest In Vegan Hair Care Products
Keratin, beeswax, biotin, cetyl, gelatin, alcohol, silk powder, stearic acid are just some of the animal-derived ingredients found in shampoos and conditioners, and most hair care products are also tested on animals. There are, however, a plethora of plant-based, cruelty-free alternatives that will leave your hair silky smooth without costing the Earth.
Say No To Mink Fur-Made False Eyelashes
Looking for instant glamm? A set of falsies will elevate any look. Unfortunately, though, most brands use mink fur to make their eyelashes, taken from minks that are typically confined to small and inhuman spaces. Help end the cruelty now by opting for fur-free lashes from brands like E.l.f cosmetics, Charlotte Tilbury, and Huda Beauty.
Give Your Skincare Routine A Vegan Upgrade
Vegan skincare can be a bit of a minefield. That’s your serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and balms. Double-check anything that promises to hydrate and moisturize, as it could possibly contain animal-derived ingredients such as squalene or oil from the livers of sharks.
Smell Ridiculously Good With Vegan-Friendly Perfumes!
Talking about animal-derived ingredients, the most commonly used among beauty products is ambergris. Taken from whale intestines, it’s used as a fixative in fragrances, which also contain must from the deer, muskrat, beaver, civet cat, and other genitals. But fret not, a plethora of vegan-friendly perfume brands have sprung up over the past few years, including Chantecaille, Eden, Le Labo, and Laboratory Perfumes.
Trade Your Eyeshadow For Vegan Alternatives
The more shimmery your eyeshadow is, the more cautious you should be! Yes, chances are that the pearl-esque sheen that’s glimmering up your lids has been quite literally taken from pearls, mussels, and oysters. Swap these with vegan alternatives from brands like MyGlamm, Urban Decay, Morphe, CoverGirl, and LimeCrime.
Veganise Your Lippie
From carmine to beeswax, lipsticks can be particularly harmful to the animal kingdom. Luckily, there are vegan alternatives courtesy MyGlamm, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Hourglass, Illamasqua, and Too Faced.
Wear Cruelty-Free Nails
Just like eyeshadow, when it comes to nails, many of the opalescent pigments found in nail paints come from crustaceans, whereas shellac is a resin derived from the female lac bug. Opt for vegan-friendly brands such as Karma Organics, Lola Makeup, Peacci, Lauren B. Beauty, and Nailberry.
Opt For Cruelty-Free Deodorant
Like hair care products, most deodorants contain animal-derived ingredients such as stearic acid, propolis, urea, bee pollen, and chitosan. Plus, they have been tested on animals. But thankfully, there are plenty of vegan alternatives from brands like Natural Wash, Juicy Chemistry, and Forest Essentials.
No guilt here!
Featured Image: Instagram
