The rise of veganism and vegan beauty

There are no two ways about it: Millennials are the driving force behind veganism, which is in turn, giving rise to vegan beauty and organic skincare products. It popularity might stem from the fact that Millennials are generalized to be an experimental and adventurous generation. Vegan food and products are experimental by nature. Since it is such a newly popularized concept, there are plenty of innovations on the market which continues to drive both new and old interest. Today, more than 70 percent of the world’s population are either reducing their meat consumption or quitting it altogether. ,what about the vegan beauty industry? Reportedly, it has seen a 20 percent growth and its trajectory is set to soar.

DIY-ing skincare and other essentials

In the attempt to live a more eco-friendly and lead a green lifestyle, many millennials have taken it upon themselves to cut down on waste – some even attempting to live the zero waste lifestyle – by making their own products at home. This includes everything from soap to toilet paper to blushers and lip balm. If the beauty industry does not evolve alongside its consumers, it will be dooming itself.

The beauty industry follows the food industry religiously because if it’s good enough to eat, it’s good enough for your skin. If it’s something you wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, there is no reason why you would purchase it to apply on your face.

Big brands are following suit

It’s not just the small time businesses or niche companies which are producing organic skincare. More and more established, corporate companies have also taken on the vegan reins and started producing vegan-friendly skincare. Beauty brands such as Faceshop, Bare Minerals, etc, are all jumping on the bandwagon to try and cater to a new generation of environmentally conscious consumers. This followed hot on the heels of Mark and Spencer and other large food companies distributing vegan friendly lines.

The problems hounding the vegan beauty industry

One thing that is often misunderstood is that “vegan” and “cruelty-free” are synonymous. It is not, as vegan products can be tested on animals whereas products which are cruelty-free could still contain animal byproducts. Therefore, before making a purchase you should make sure that the products are certified as both vegan and cruelty-free if that is a concern of yours. Furthermore, calling it “plant based” does not make it automatically healthy. For instance, french fries are unfortunately vegan and you could say you were vegan if you ate nothing but fries. Does that make you healthy? No. It’s the same for beauty products and you have to be wary of companies filling their products with chemical fillers, making it very important for consumers to be aware of what ingredients are in their products.

The companies who are aware of these problems will be ahead of the curve and supply the new demands for cruelty-free, vegan and hopefully, made from recyclable and sustainable packaging rather than the plastics we use today.