All Your Questions on Vegan Beauty Answered
My name is Iain and I've worked in the Beauty Industry for 8 years now. I've been on the front line in store helping people navigate the world of skin, as well as worked in education, artistry and marketing. When I'm not writing about skincare, you can find me over at Instagram talking about beauty or working on my PhD.
Have you been seeing more vegan skincare, vegan makeup, and vegan hair products pop up?
Maybe you’ve considered going vegan yourself and are curious about vegan skincare ingredients.
Well, this guide has you covered: we answer ALL your questions about vegan beauty!
Get the low-down on vegan makeup, vegan hair products, and more. You’ll learn which vegan skincare ingredients to look for too.
But let’s start with the basics.
In order for a product to be considered vegan, it must be free of animal-derived ingredients. If you’ll memorize rule No. 1, we’ll take it from here.
What Are Vegan Beauty Products?
Put simply, vegan beauty products are products that contain no animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
These two categories include things like honey, beeswax, and collagen.
Remember, though, that ‘vegan’ doesn’t mean ‘natural’.
There are plenty of cosmeceutical vegan skincare products!
What Are Vegan Skincare Ingredients?
Vegan skincare ingredients are the same as above. They are ingredients that contain no animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products. Vegan skincare ingredients follow the same rules.
Here are some common ingredients that are NOT vegan-friendly skincare ingredients: Honey, beeswax, collagen, lanolin, squalene, Glycerine, Hyaluronic acid, Keratin, Emu oil, Mink oil, Musk oil, Caprylic acid / caprylic triglyceride, Silk powder, and Casein just to name a few, are all not vegan-friendly. **Note some ingredients can be made synthetically, eg squalene can be made vegan friendly so it's best to check the product page or brand website to understand if a product is vegan friendly.
How To Tell if a Product Is Vegan
It can be hard to tell whether a product is vegan by looking at the ingredients list, as some animal-derived ingredients may go by alternative names.
While there are some common animal ingredients you can look out for (more on that below), my advice is to buy through reputable sources like Adore Beauty that offer vetted vegan products so you can shop with confidence.
What Ingredients To Look Out for in Vegan Beauty
Common ingredients that aren’t vegan are:
- Honey
- Royal jelly
- Propolis
- Beeswax
- Collagen
- Carmine
- Lanolin
- Animal milks (often goat milk)
- Guanine
- Egg proteins
What’s the Difference Between Organic and Vegan Products?
‘Organic’ refers to whether the ingredients were grown without the use of pesticides.
On the other hand, ‘vegan’ refers to whether a product contains animal products or by-products.
A product can be organic, vegan, or both.
What's the Difference Between Vegan and Cruelty-Free Cosmetics?
A product that's guaranteed cruelty-free isn't always vegan. There are three ways animals can become involved in the manufacture of your cosmetics, and 'cruelty-free' eliminates only one.It might surprise you to know that even if cosmetics aren't tested on animals, the products aren't necessarily vegan. There's three ways animals can be involved in the creation of your cosmetics:
- Cosmetics are tested on animals.
- Cosmetics contain animal products, such as honey or beeswax.
- Cosmetics contain animal-based ingredients, such ashyaluronic acid
The difference between vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics is that cruelty-free products are cosmetics not tested on animals, whereas they can contain animal products and animal-based ingredients. Vegan products are also not tested on animals but also don't contain any animal products or by-products. Therefore vegan products are always cruelty-free however cruelty-free products are not always vegan.
Here Are Some of Our Favourite Vegan Products
1. Hydrating Vegan Hair Mask
What it is: Mr. Smith Masque 200ml
Why we love it: A vegan hair product saviour, this silky mask repairs and protects against damage while hydrating and smoothing all hair types.
Shop Mr. Smith Masque here:
Mr. Smith Masque 200ml$59.00
add to bag
2. Best Vegan Contour Palette
What it is: Nude by Nature Contour Palette
Why we love it: This vegan makeup palette contains everything you need to sculpt and highlight your face.
The powders are finely milled and a dream to blend.
Shop Nude by Nature Contour Palette here:
Nude by Nature Contour Palette$39.95 - Currently not available
add to bag
3. Relaxing Vegan Bath Soak
What it is: SALT BY HENDRIX Dream Crystals 200g
Why we love it: This dreamy vegan body soak transforms an everyday bath into a sensorial experience.
Plus, the salt is solar-evaporated from the Dead Sea!
Shop SALT BY HENDRIX Dream Crystals here:
SALT BY HENDRIX Dream Crystals 200g$17.97 $29.95 - Currently not available
add to bag
4. Favourite Vegan Night Cream
What it is: Grown Alchemist Regenerating Night Cream 40ml
Why we love it: This vegan skincare delight is infused with peptides to restore your skin and boost your own collagen production overnight.
The cream also smells delicious.
Shop Grown Alchemist Regenerating Night Cream here:
Grown Alchemist Regenerating Night Cream 40ml$100.00 - Currently not available
add to bag
5. Fresh Vegan Fragrance
What it is: Hermetica Ivyme 50ml EDP
Why we love it: People often forget to check if their fragrances are vegan, but Hermetica has you covered.
Ivyme evokes morning dew and grass after a rain.
Shop Hermetica Ivyme here:
add to bag
Now that you know the vegan cosmetics meaning, you can re-explore the beauty world with new eyes.
Adore Beauty has a carefully curated vegan category, so check it out...
Wanna watch what sustainability looks like at Adore? Follow our founder Kate Morris to see our sustainability initiatives in the warehouse in this YouTube video below!
Brand and product inclusions are at the sole discretion of Adore Beauty. We do not seek or accept payment from brands or individuals listed in our guides.
You can find more vegan product recommendations in our guides below...
