What is Vegan Beauty and Is It Really Better?

Let’s be honest—how many of us genuinely know about every ingredient in our beauty products? 

To be fair, it can be hard to keep up with. Sometimes ingredients have multiple different names. Some are impossible to pronounce. But, if they’re not vegan, some of them are probably pretty gross.

Crushed beetles. Fish scales. Liver oil. Wool grease. Ew, right?

But you don’t have to be using those gross ingredients. Vegan beauty has come to your rescue. Not only are vegan products free of harsh and unethical animal ingredients, but there are also some awesome benefits that come with using them.

A lot of people are making the switch to vegan beauty. And today, we’re going to find out why.

What is vegan beauty?

At its core, vegan beauty refers to products that are made without any animal products or by-products. 

Just to give you a little background, here are some common animal ingredients used in beauty products:

• Carmine—acid from beetle bodies and eggs—is used to create red pigment in lipsticks, blush, and other cosmetics.
• Allantoin—uric acid from cows—is used to heal minor wounds like acne.
• Ambergris—a substance from whale intestines—is used in fragrances as a fixative and to preserve the product.
• Keratin—ground-up animal hooves, horns, and feathers—is used as a protein in many hair treatments.
• Musk oil—secretion that animals are severely tortured to produce—is used as a scent in fragrance.
• Feathers—obtained from slaughtered birds—are ground up and put into shampoo.  

And the list just goes on.

Some think that vegan is synonymous with cruelty-free. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. But the problem with using animal ingredients is that the animals are generally tortured or even killed to produce the substance (that’s why vegan and cruelty-free mean the same thing to us here at Kinder Beauty).

Animal byproducts, like honey and beeswax, are considered vegetarian, but not vegan. A lot of the time, bees are hurt or killed in wax and honey harvesting. So, although these ingredients don’t contain any part of the animal, they’re made by the animal and therefore can’t be considered vegan. 

These non-vegan ingredients put animals in harm’s way. Not only that, but vegan alternatives are also better for you and the environment, too.

Benefits of vegan beauty

Now that we know a little more about vegan beauty and what it means, we want to share some benefits of using vegan products.

1. It’s better for sensitive skin.

Generally speaking, animal ingredients can be harsh and pore-clogging, resulting in congested skin, irritation, and breakouts. Not to mention you’re smearing some pretty gross stuff—anything from urine to crushed bones—all over your face and body. 

Vegan ingredients are typically gentler and even soothing on the skin. Some common alternatives to animal-derived ingredients include:

• Coconut oil
• Almond oil
• Plant fats, proteins, cells, and enzymes
• Safe synthetics
• Lemon juice
• Jojoba oil
• Aloe vera
• Seaweed
• Fruits

All of these are viable options that are just as effective as (and less gross than) their “animal” counterparts.

2. It saves lives.

The peace of mind you get from knowing your beauty products don’t come at the cost of any lives is extremely powerful.

Between animal testing and ingredient extraction, hundreds of thousands of animals suffer and die every year for cosmetics alone. If all of us made the switch to vegan and cruelty-free beauty, we could prevent millions of animals from being torture and killed. 

It isn’t fair that these animals are being exploited for human consumption. By choosing vegan beauty, you’re taking a stand against animal cruelty and saving countless lives.

3. It’s generally cleaner than non-vegan beauty.

Vegan products tend to have fewer ingredients. And the ingredients they do have are typically safer and less toxic than some common ingredients in cosmetics. 

Because there are fewer ingredients going onto your skin, the chance of bad reactions, congestion, irritation, and breakouts is lower. Also, the safety of clean ingredients can protect you from both short and long-term health issues. And the products have a more natural, breezy, and lightweight overall feel.

P.S. — the vegan products we send are completely non-toxic, and are better for your health and overall wellbeing. 

4. It tends to be more environmentally friendly.

A lot of value and mission-driven companies will do everything they can to protect our health, the health of animals, and the earth. That means, in addition to using safe, vegan ingredients and being cruelty-free, they might steer clear of micro-beads or use eco-friendly packaging (like we do!).

Micro-plastics are not only extremely harmful to aquatic life and habitats, but they’re also harmful to human health. They can cause a ton of long-term health issues for us and marine animals. So, by avoiding them, you’re protecting yourself and the environment. 

Also, tons of plastic beauty product containers end up in the ocean, negatively impacting marine life. Products that come in eco-friendly packaging are helping to cut down on non-biodegradable plastics. 

5. It’s more affordable than you might think.

Listen. Vegan beauty isn’t as expensive as it once was.

Towards the beginning, vegan beauty was more of a niche category. Because there weren’t a ton of people doing it, demand was high—and so were prices. 

But, as it becomes more and more widespread across the beauty industry, vegan brands are beginning to come out with affordable products. Some are even less expensive than luxury non-vegan brands. Now, there are more affordable, luxury vegan brands and products to choose from.

You can also save a ton of money by signing up for a vegan beauty box like ours!

Vegan beauty is on the rise, and we’re super excited about it. If everyone decides to go vegan with their products, we’ll completely change the world. It all starts with us.

Make the switch to vegan beauty stress-free by signing up for Kinder Beauty. We send vegan, cruelty-free, and clean beauty products right to your front door once a month. It’s an affordable way to create your new ethical routine and discover vegan brands to fall in love with!