Vegan beauty: The best ethical and cruelty-free make-up and skincare

You've navigated Veganuary with aplomb and today you're getting serious about this vegan business.

So how will you carry your ex of vegan food into more of your life?

Beauty and skincare are two key places that people can begin making conscious decisions about what they will use.

The global vegan cosmetics industry is predicted to be worth an astounding $21.4billion through the year 2027.

It's an enormous growing market and vegan beauty means products are not tested on animals (cruelty-free) and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.

Most of you can recognise common animal ingredients for example beeswax, keratin and lanolin, but you may not know exactly what they are and how they're derived?

The popular ingredient of keratin, for example, can be used for strengthening hair and nails and originates from your skin, bones and connective tissues of mainly farmyard animals for example cows, chickens and pigs.

Lanolin on the other hand is sourced from the oil glands of sheep's wool to be used in lip balms, lipsticks and glosses. However, what do you know about the skincare ingredient squalene?

Did you will know this is an extract of a shark's liver? Or that the classic rouge colour inside your red lipstick and nail polish happens from crushing insects called cochineals.

We're also betting you had no clue that your anti-ageing cream probably offers the hormone estrogen, which will come from the urine of pregnant horses.

The list goes on, but thankfully data from Google Trends shows that curiosity about vegan beauty continues to be growing steadily worldwide during the last decade and it's the united kingdom that's at the forefront.

A new report released by The Vegan Society has revealed 97% of British shoppers want to see more vegan- verified cosmetics and toiletries and as of January 2023, the Vegan Trademark has 58,810 products registered, of which 25,981 are cosmetics and toiletries (44%).

This includes make-up, deodorant, skin moisturisers, perfumes, lipsticks, shampoos, conditioners, soap bars and toothpastes with brands like the Body Shop, Faith In Nature, LUSH and Green People leading the charge.

'Vegans and non-vegans alike loathe the idea of the wonder products and cosmetics they will use being tested on animals,' says Francine Jordan, Media and PR Officer for that Vegan Society.

'However, the word “cruelty-free” only describes animal testing, so an item might be cruelty-free ('t be tested on animals), but ironically contain animal ingredients and therefore not be vegan. People often confuse the two, which isn't surprising, and this is why The Vegan Society encourages vegan product manufacturers to apply for our Vegan Trademark and clearly label many.'

Thanks to the success of Veganuary (this season the campaign had a lot more than 600,000 people globally officially signing up) with celebrities such as Fearne Cotton, Deliciously Ella (Ella Woodward) and Ricky Gervais touting the advantages of a vegan lifestyle, veganism is at an all-time high with no longer seen as alternative and hippy.

In fact, 82% of all new vegan items launched in the united kingdom in 2023 came under the wonder category.

In a YouGov survey commissioned by Holland & Barrett this past year, 53% of UK adults said they were not confident of identifying a skincare product which contained ingredients derived from animals.

And while The Vegan Society is encouraging the industry to be more transparent about where – or from whom – their ingredients are derived, Francine says doing a bit of scientific studies are a good starting point.

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'There are lots of ways animal-derived ingredients can slip individually distinct,' she says. 'Common cosmetic ingredients including glycerin, collagen, gelatin and lanolin come from animal sources or by-products, but look out for pearl, snail gel, milk protein, cochineal (E120) and tallow, too.

'Cetyl alcohol might be vegan on the rare occasion but most of the time it comes from sperm whales.

'Some companies also employ latin names for their ingredients, so beeswax could be disguised on the pack as Cera Alba or E901 and colourings and finishes such as carmine – widely used in red make-up products (manufactured using insects such as cochineal) – which may be disguised under names for example Crimson Lake, Carmine Lake or natural red 4.'

While the industry goes from strength to strength, as with anything, it certainly is about demand and supply.

The more we are saying no to animal products, the more brands will cater for the vegan demand and this are only able to make it a win-win for both us and also the animals later on.

To start on your vegan beauty journey, give these ethical products a try:

Down To Earth Nail Polish in Capacity to Change

Buy for lb12 from Leighton Denny.

Leighton Denny's nail polishes are vegan and the Down To Earth Collection contains high-gloss, no- fade, chip-resistant shades with 75% of ingredients sourced from plants.

Born To Shine Blush Palette

Bu for lb29 from OPV Beauty.

OPV Beauty create 100% vegan and cruelty-free make-up products. The Born To Shine Blush Palette is six highly pigmented, easy-to-blend hues that work for all ages and skin color.

Eco Warrior exfoliating bar

Buy for lb4.50 from Little Soap Company.

Creating soap bars for those occasions (hands, face, body and head), the small Soap Company blends essential oils and natural ingredients.

Its Eco Warrior bar contains oatmeal, an all natural exfoliant which will help to lessen excess oil and ease skin irritation and itching.

Jelly Bright Essence

Buy for lb13.95 from Boots.

Skin Proud goods are all 100% vegan, 100% cruelty-free and PETA-approved. The Jelly Bright Essence is full of antioxidants and moisture-boosting amino acids.

VitaSkin B Clarifying Mask

Buy for lb15 from Holland & Barrett.

VitaSkin is really a vitamin-enriched collection with separate ranges for vitamins A, B and C.

The VitaSkin B Clarifying Mask is 100% vegan and helps soothe and hydrate.

Illamasqua Raven Masquara

Buy for lb20 from Illamasqua.

Having replacing beeswax with berry fruit wax, Illamasqua's Raven Masquara is vegan-friendly and delivers a powerful hit of colour and voluminous lashes through its thick, fluffy bristles.

Clean Deodorant Balm

Buy for lb12.50 from Natural Deodorant Co.

The Natural Deodorant Co. create vegan-friendly scents bursting with essential oils. The Clean Deodorant Balm in orange and bergamot contains antibacterial magnesium and those who are with nourishing coconut oil and shea butter.