You've definitely heard the term vegan being referred to more frequently in the past couple of years. Your best pals, cousins and even friends on Facebook are making a lifestyle change with photos of almond milk smoothies and green bowls. Veganism is far more than a diet though. In the recent past, it has extended to industries like hospitality, fashion and beauty too. Designers like Stella McCartney have popularized the inclusion of vegan luxury handbags and footwear. The beauty industry isn't far behind either. Ingredients are a vital part of what is integral to this culture. As a thumb rule, veganism strictly forbids animal products and animal-derived products which include animal meat and substances produced by animals like milk and honey as well as silk from silkworms, beeswax from bees and leather from cattle. Now when it comes to beauty products that you use to hydrate your face, style your hair or apply on your lips, you may not have thought about in such detail as you've probably only liked or disliked a product based on how it fares for you. Vegan beauty goes beyond that. Ingredients are just as important for your lunch as they are for what 's in your beauty products, if not more so. If you follow a vegan lifestyle or simply want to start with your beauty routine, you've picked the right time to do so. Today we're speaking about how you can give your beauty routine a vegan-friendly spin with everything you need to get started.
How To Make Your Beauty More Vegan-Friendly
Those on the path to veganism can find out how to start with these beauty tips.
1. Find Out What's In And What's Out
In veganism, there's a broad line that lies between plant-based ingredients and animal-based and derived ingredients. You have to make sure you don't cross that line in the latter territory. To ensure you don't, it's important to know what ingredients are vegan and what are not. Many are aware that animal products like milk and honey are clearly non-vegan but many more may not know that the long list also includes glycerin (except vegetable glycerin) and lanolin. Keeping this list handy will make every other step of following a vegan beauty routine so much easier.
(Also Read: This Skincare Expert Shares Her DIY Vegan-Friendly Face Masks To Make At Home)
2. Do Your Research
To build on the first point, knowledge is key for vegans to make that distinction between what you can use and can't use. Hence do your research accordingly. Learning more about animal products, where they are actually derived from and their origins can provide a great deal of information that any vegan beauty enthusiast will appreciate.
3. Read Your Ingredient List
Once you are armed with the knowledge of what works in your vegan beauty routine and what doesn't, move on to your next step of reading the ingredient list of your products. Located at the back of the bottle or tub or tube in small print is what your serum or concealer is actually made of. Ingredient lists often include jargon that can be difficult to decipher but those usually have the common name included in brackets and when they don't, there's nothing that a Google search won't tell you.
(Also Read: Organic Makeup, Vegan And Cruelty Free: What's The Difference?)
4. Go Beyond Ingredients To Practices
Yes, plant-based ingredients are integral to veganism but besides what is in the product, it is also how they are produced. Animal testing is not only unethical but also not approved of in vegan beauty due to its reliance on animals to test cosmetics which is considered cruel to the lovely creatures. Products which are free from animal-cruelty are safe to use.
5. Learn About Vegan Beauty Brands
There are now many vegan beauty brands easily available online to cater to the vegan audience. Plum, Juicy Chemistry, Paul Penders, Fae and The Body Shop are some of them which have many products and ranges dedicated to vegan beauty products from which you can choose from.
(Also Read: 10 Vegan Beauty Products To Add To Your Kit)
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