Why Choose Vegan Skincare, Haircare & Cosmetics?
(And the gross truths most brands don’t talk about)
Let’s be honest - most people don’t realise what’s actually in their skincare, haircare and makeup. Vegan beauty isn’t a trend, it’s a response to some pretty uncomfortable industry practices.
What “Vegan” Means in Beauty
A vegan beauty product contains no animal-derived ingredients. That includes obvious ones - and a lot you’d never guess.
Common non-vegan ingredients still used today:
• Carmine – a red pigment made from crushed cochineal beetles (yes, actual insects)
• Lanolin – oil scraped from sheep’s wool, often mixed with dirt and faecal matter before refining
• Collagen – frequently sourced from animal skin, bones and connective tissue
• Keratin – often derived from animal hooves, horns or feathers
If it came from an animal, it’s not vegan - even if the label sounds “clean”.
The Gross Reality
Here’s the part most brands skip:
• Carmine can take 70,000 insects to make one kilogram of pigment
• Lanolin is extracted from raw wool before the sheep is washed
• Animal ingredients are often by-products of slaughterhouses, not luxury inputs
• Ingredient names are disguised using Latin or chemical terms so consumers don’t question them
Once you know this, it’s very hard to unknow it.
Why Vegan Beauty Is Better (and Smarter)
From a science perspective, animal ingredients aren’t superior — they’re just traditional & CHEAPER.
The problem?
They sit on the surface instead of nourishing
They can clog pores and hair follicles
They add weight, not hydration
They're chosen for cost - not performance
Vegan formulations often:
• Use plant oils and bio-identical synthetics that skin recognises more easily
• Reduce irritation for sensitive, acne-prone or reactive skin
• Offer better consistency and stability
• Avoid the bacterial contamination risks linked to animal by-products
