The Benefits of Vegan Skincare

AUTHOR - DR. DAVID JACK

What is Veganism?

Veganism is a lifestyle that excludes the use of animal products for food, clothing, and other purposes like skincare and makeup products.Vegan products do not use egg, milk, snail extract, bee by-products such as honey or propolis, or any other animal products.

Contrary to popular belief, ‘Vegan-friendly’ is not the same thing as cruelty-free, although vegan products may be cruelty free.

‘Cruelty-free’ implies that at any given stage of development, a product was not tested on animals. It is possible for a product to be vegan, but not cruelty-free and vice versa. 

The vegan trend is definitely impacting more than just food, with a growing demand for natural beauty and skincare products pushing brands to think outside of the box. 

So how much do you know about that favourite cream you reach out for in the morning?  Do you recognise - or understand - the list of ingredients in it? For example if you see ‘lanolin’ in the fine print, which a lot of creams and lotions contain, do you know what this is?  It’s a wax-like substance from sheep’s wool that acts as a softener. 

How about Keratin, found in hair products especially?  It’s a protein often sourced from the nails, hair, horns and hooves of animals.  And your favourite red lipstick?  If it contains the dye Carmine, this has been produced by thousands of crushed up cochineal insects. 

Over the past few years, more and more of us have become increasingly mindful and sensitive of what we put into – and onto – our bodies.  There has been a shift towards making more conscious choices and this means that we are looking for brands to level up with us, and show that they are not only ethical but that they care about society, humanity and the environment.  It’s getting harder for a brand/service/product to get away with superficiality and just offering lip service to these values.  Transparency and integrity is the call of the hour. Where this is demand, supply surely follows, and this is what drive the change.  

Vegan cosmetics have now taken firm roots in the UK with more than half of Brits adopting vegan buying behaviours such as only purchasing vegan products and checking that their toiletries are cruelty-free. Google searches online for ‘vegan beauty’/’vegan skincare’ has literally doubled every year since 2012 . 

Globally, there has been a 175% increase in vegan cosmetics launches over the past five years with the Body Shop being a leading force in the ethical leading space for a long while. The beauty and skincare industry is constantly improving year on year thanks to new technologies, research and innovative products as customers become more aware, leading to a change in purchase behaviour and product development.

All the signs point to a trend that shows no signs of abating. As such, we are seeing brands experiment and innovate to keep up with consumer demand, while new players come in and disrupt the market entirely. 

Benefits of Vegan Skincare on body/skin

Our skin absorbs 60% of what is applied to it and hence the chemicals in products, that it comes in contact with, goes directly into the bloodstream. What we apply to our skin, should be good enough to put inside our body, as even in tiny amounts these chemicals can have a huge impact on our health and hormonal balance.

Vegan skincare is usually made up of plant based ingredients which means they are gentle, nourishing, and loaded with tons of beneficial vitamins and antioxidants. These botanical leaves, seeds, roots, and oils are generally very well tolerated by all skin types, even sensitive skin. They infuse the 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 effects for your skin. Vegan butters and oils are naturally protective and also have a very luxurious, enriching feel. Also considering that they are completely natural no testing on animals is necessary and are less likely to cause irritation.  They are also generally richer in vitamins and minerals. 

Benefits of Vegan skincare on Environment

Our choice of skin care affects not only us but also the environment, as common ingredients such as Sulphates, SLS, SLES, phthalates etc make their way from our sinks into our rivers, water systems and sea water, affecting the reproductive health of the fish population. 

Vegan cosmetics are generally packaged using recycled materials and this makes them even better for the environment. For the nature that gives us so much, we should give back to it, at every opportunity.  Not only for us but for future generations.

What is Dr.Jack’s stance on Vegan skincare?

Here at Dr David Jack Skincare our founder Dr David Jack is passionate about the internal environment in our bodies as much as the external, whilst creating vegan friendly formulas and cruelty free products. Having been focussed on the benefits of great skin health, which he says is a reflection of a healthy body within, he was motivated to create a skin care brand that is not just focussed on world class quality but an integrative medicine approach that blends lifestyle, nutrition and evidence based treatments.

Right from the outset we have always been a conscious and holistic brand with a scientific yet natural approach, using vegan ingredients to formulate our highly qualified products.  This is Dr Jack’s ethos that extends from his own lifestyle to his brand, and beyond.  Bringing the future to the present in skincare and health, with a 360 degree holistic approach, for sustainability and longevity.  We invite you to explore it for yourselves.