If you don’t know what vegan skin care is, you definitely aren’t alone. Vegan is a term that, in the past, has primarily been used in a dietary context. As we’ve become more ingredient conscious and focused on cleaner living, veganism has surged in popularity, inspiring many products that follow the vegan philosophy to emerge in the marketplace.

The Vegan Society defines veganism as:
“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly (meat) or partly (dairy / eggs) from animals.”

What does this mean in terms of skincare? It means that a product or brand that is correctly marked “vegan” won’t contain any ingredient from or derived from an animal and, most of the time, that this product or brand won’t test on animals. list of non-vegan ingredients used in skincare List

What this means for you, especially when a vegan product is also natural, is that you are getting a product loaded with beautiful ingredients, perfectly crafted by nature and brimming with potent and essential nutrients.

NOURISHING INGREDIENTS:
Vegan skincare is usually made up of plant and earth ingredients; gentle, nourishing, and loaded with beneficial vitamins and antioxidants. These botanical leaves, seeds, roots, and oils are generally very well tolerated by all skin types, even sensitive skin. They are highly effective, infusing your skin with the strength to repair itself. Natural earth ingredients (clays) are mineral rich powerhouse ingredients, with so many benefits for gentle, deep cleansing, smoothing, and clarifying your skin.

PROTECTION:
Vegan butters and oils, naturally protective and insanely luxurious feeling, offer your skin a natural line of defense against the environment, pollution and other elements that cause damage to our skin. There is an abundance of antioxidants and vitamins that combat these aggressors in plant-based ingredients, especially in the raw, unprocessed variety.

GENTLE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN:
Vegan skincare most often is also not tested on animals. This means that the ingredients used are approved as safe, without the need to test on animals. These tried and true, gentle ingredients, used for years, centuries or longer in many cases, have proven their efficacy in humans and are less likely to cause irritation, giving you healthier, happier skin.

This one’s pretty obvious...vegan skin care means no animals killed, hurt or exploited. That’s a pretty fantastic benefit! Animal-derived ingredients are not necessary for effective, amazing skin care. There are so many incredible plant-derived options that are just as good as if not better than the animal ingredient counterpart.

With the scientific advances we have today and the multitude of known safe ingredients, there really is no good reason to subject any living creature to archaic testing. My heart hurts when I think about all the pain we've inflicted over the years, all the lives of innocent creatures we've taken, and it's a shame. We have the means to test our ingredients, ethically and more efficiently, and we should use them.

Choosing vegan skin care means more than that just the ingredients are vegan. Being vegan is a lifestyle and the brands that fully subscribe to this lifestyle are, more often than not, also more actively working to minimize their impact on the earth.

Everything from the ingredients sourcing to the packaging you get your order in plays a part in the sustainable picture a brand paints. Vegan brands tend to opt for more eco-friendly options, choosing ingredients that are renewable, using packaging that is minimal and recyclable, utilizing manufacturing methods that leave the smallest footprint and employing business practices that leave the least waste.

In a world where ecosystems are challenged, pollution and waste are destroying the oceans we depend on, and dangerous shifts in the delicate balance that the earth sustains us with are endangering our way of being, every bit of earth sustaining action we can take will benefit us and future generations.