Why Vegan Skincare Matters And What It Means

Vegan skincare, makeup, and food are all on the rise. You may suddenly be wondering what products you have that may have ingredients that come from animals in them. 

While you may not have a bacon facemask, it doesn't mean that all of your products are animal-free. Thankfully for those who care, more and more brands are beginning to label when their products are vegan, but what does that really mean? And furthermore, does vegan skincare really matter? Well, if you're vegan, you're probably already aware of how important making the switch can be, but if you're not, there are benefits you may not realize to using vegan skincare. 

At HIDE, we believe in transparency and the highest quality ingredients to provide the best possible product. We are going to go over what vegan skincare is and why you may want to use it.

What Is Vegan Skincare?

Vegan skincare means there are no ingredients included that come from animals or animal byproducts. 

Many of the traditional skincare products can contain ingredients that come from animals. For example, beeswax, honey, collagen, lanolin, and keratin are all ingredients that would make a product not vegan. These ingredients are not the only ones that vegan skincare doesn't use, though. There is a whole list of ingredients that can be used that are animal byproducts. 

How Can You Tell If A Product Is Vegan?

There are several ways to tell if your product is vegan or not. 

Products that only use vegan ingredients are often labeled as such in some way. At HIDE, our products are all vegan-friendly. 

The other way to tell is to compare the animal ingredients list to the product ingredient list. If any of them are on it, then it is not vegan. 

Lanolin: This is a common ingredient in moisturizers for its healing effects. It comes from sheep's wool. 

Carmine: You may also see this labeled as cochineal extract or Red 4. It comes from the Cochineal bug being dried and ground down.  

Collagen: This is another common ingredient that comes from cows and other animals. 

Why You Should Use Vegan Skincare

Vegan skincare and products are often better for you than non-vegan ones. 

As we know, what you put onto your skin is absorbed into your body. So what you use matters! Vegan skincare often contains fewer ingredients, so it may be less likely to irritate your skin if you are on the sensitive side. 

Multiple studies found that the average woman puts up to 515 synthetic chemicals on their skin every day without even realizing it. The chemicals are absorbed into the skin and can cause all kinds of health issues once inside your body. When you switch to vegan products, you could be lowering the number of harmful ingredients on your skin. So don't just think about what you're putting in your body, but also what you're putting on your body, because they're one in the same.

Vegan products also use more plant-based ingredients, which are rich in vitamins. They also are generally high in antioxidants and other beneficial ingredients. Antioxidants can protect your cells against free radicals, which possibly contribute to diseases like cancer. 

Since plants are one of the greatest sources of nutrients, they are excellent in skincare. There is less likely there is a chemical irritant in a vegan product. However, it is important to note that just because something is natural and plant-based doesn't mean you won't have an allergic reaction if your body has a problem with one of the ingredients.

Animal Vs. Vegan Ingredients

If you are against using animal products or byproducts, there are high-quality vegan alternatives. Keep in mind, though, that not all vegan beauty is plant-based or good for you. There are plenty of things that happen to be vegan that aren't necessarily good for you. 

Look at the ingredient list to make sure it's not full of chemicals and fillers. Some preservatives are necessary to get the natural ingredients from separating and spoiling. You also need preservatives to prevent bacteria growth, but you might not want that to be the entire ingredient list. 

When a company makes a product with animal-based ingredients, quality control can be a lot harder, opening the door for potential issues. Since they need to keep track of all supply data to ensure they are using non-BSE sources for collagen. BSE or "mad cow disease" can cause an infection if the product comes in contact with a cut or scrape. There are other ways that animal products can lead to negative outcomes if not properly vetted. 

Therefore, vegan products can be better for all skin types because it is easier to guarantee that all of the ingredients are clean and natural. If you have sensitive skin, this can be especially important. Sensitive skin can react poorly to certain ingredients. You should test all skincare and cosmetics on a small patch of skin before using it.

At HIDE, our products don't contain any animal products or byproducts and work on all skin types. 

Are Vegan Products Also Cruelty-Free?

It is important to note that just because a product is vegan doesn't mean that it's cruelty-free. 

There are several different products with the vegan label that are tested on animals. On the flip side, a product can be cruelty-free and not be vegan. So the product has animal products, but they don't do any animal testing. 

As you know, vegan means no animal ingredients are used, and cruelty-free means it's not tested on animals. There are a lot of countries that don't require animal testing. However, companies in places like China have to do animal testing before they can sell their products. 

Companies will often label their products as vegan or cruelty-free if they are. HIDE is vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. We don't use any animal-based ingredients, and we don't test our foundation or concealer products on animals. 

Vegan Is Better For Animals And The Environment

When you choose vegan makeup or skincare, you are also choosing the option better for animals and the environment. 

You know that no animals were harmed in the making of your product. Since people and animal-rights organizations have been putting pressure on brands to create vegan and cruelty-free products, there are more on the market today than in years past. When you continue to buy cruelty-free, you are lowering the demand for products that do animal testing.

These types of products may also be better for the environment since animal agriculture uses a lot of energy. Animal agriculture is also one of the leading causes of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, getting into our environment. Therefore, making skincare and makeup without animal products can dramatically help the environment. 

When It Comes To Makeup and Skincare, Go Vegan

There are various reasons to seek out vegan and cruelty-free products. 

Vegan products that stay away from harsh chemicals can be more beneficial than non-vegan ones. Since your body absorbs what you put on it, you should be selective with what skincare and makeup you use. Vegan products that use plant-based ingredients are rich in vitamins and can help your skin. 

When you choose products that don't use animal-based ingredients or do animal testing, you are kinder to animals and the environment. 

HIDE premium products are both vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. 

 

Sources:

Why You Should Care About Vegan Beauty | NY Times

Animal-Derived Ingredients Resource  Living | PETA

Slide show: Add antioxidants to your diet | Mayo Clinic

The Average Woman Puts 515 Synthetic Chemicals On Her Body Every Day | HuffPost

Overview of Greenhouse Gases | Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions | EPA