What Is Vegan Skincare?

By Viviane Woodard | November 21, 2023

Vegan skincare products are specifically crafted using ingredients that come from plants. It does not contain any sort of animal “ingredient” or even animal by-products.

Key Takeaways

Vegan skincare products use only plant-based ingredients and no animal byproducts
They are typically gentler on the skin
Vegan skincare products are also eco-friendly
Seeing results from your vegan skincare products may take up to 6-8 weeks
Vegan skincare products can be used on all skin types

Nowadays, skincare products are one of the most consumed items in the market. After all, who doesn’t want to have healthy, glowing, and young-looking skin?

But unknowingly to most consumers, animal-based products usually have additives and other artificial ingredients that can drastically affect the appearance of your skin or even your physical health.

Just to be clear – this blog post aims to provide as much information on vegan skincare products as it can. There is no hate being thrown at people who use traditional products. It is written with love and consideration for people who just want to use products that are vegan.

If during your reading, you get confused or have questions, please contact us. We’re here. We will respond.

Now, you may confuse vegan skincare with “cruelty-free skincare”. The cruelty-free products were made with ingredients from animals and plants that are not tested on animals but still have animal ingredients like fat, gelatin, milk, or honey.

BELOW ARE SOME NON-VEGAN INGREDIENTS THAT ARE FOUND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS:

Lanolin (found in sheep’s wool)
Gelatin (derived from animal bones)
Squalene, glycerin (created from animal fat)
Glycerine (made from vegetable oil and animal fat)
Cochineal dye red dye (crushed beetles)
Cow urine
Shellac (crushed lac bugs)
Keratin (extracted from animal tissues)
Guanine (came from fish scales)
Collagen (extracted from animal bone and tissue)
Stearic acid (extracted from an animal’s stomach (e.g cow, sheep, or pig)
Casein (made from cow’s milk)
Oleic acid (also known as Tallow, a skin-care product created from animal fats)

VEGAN SKIN-CARE PRODUCTS CONTAIN PLANT-DERIVED INGREDIENTS SUCH AS:

Green Tea
Vitamin C
Chamomile
Tocopherol
Jojoba Oil
Hyaluronic Acid
Retinol
Azelaic Acid
Phytoceramide
Natural oils
Essential oils
Coconut Oil
Cocoa Butter
Aloe Vera
Shea Butter

For even more information, you can check out this list by Vegan Action, PETA, and Vegan Society to see if your desired vegan skincare product is on their lists.

WHY DO COMPANIES NEED TO TEST THEIR PRODUCTS ON ANIMALS?

Some companies perform cosmetic testing on animals to test their skin products. This is done to provide information on the new ingredients they add to their products. This process also ensures that their product is safe to use for the human population once released in the market, and raises awareness of benefits, risks, and reactions.

The information helps people to make smart choices in choosing products and can lessen the chances of companies getting sued should something go wrong while using the product.

BENEFITS OF VEGAN SKINCARE PRODUCTS

#1. BETTER AND MORE FRIENDLY FOR YOUR SKIN

Plants are the best source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Plant-based products are typically less irritating to the skin than products that utilize animal byproducts.

Additionally, plant-based products don’t contain artificial additives. Great examples of ingredients that come from plants are aloe vera, tea, and chamomile.

These ingredients are widely known for their cleansing abilities. They can remove excess oil that clogs your skin pores, minimizing your chances of having acne.

Antioxidants and vitamins derived from plants also keep your skin glowing and young by helping in the regeneration of skin cells. This is very compatible with people who have sensitive skin as these ingredients may provide relief from skin problems like allergies, skin inflammation, eczema, etc.

It is worth noting that not all vegan skin care products are cruelty-free and not all cruelty-free products are vegan! It is important to read the labels, look for the certified vegan logo, and research the vegan skincare guide on sites such as Vegan Society to confirm that your ideal products are both vegan and cruelty-free.

#2. THEY CAN DO WONDERS FOR YOUR HEALTH

Skin is the body’s largest organ and protects us from external factors like heat, water, etc. In fact, skin is capable of absorbing 60% of what we apply topically.

Using nature-based skin care means caring for your skin without the chemicals that can trigger rashes, or worse, skin cancer.

#3. THEY DO WONDERS FOR THE HEALTH OF ANIMALS

By definition, vegan skincare brands, as well as vegan beauty products, do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. This spares our furry friends from trauma or harm.

#4. VEGAN SKINCARE PRODUCTS ARE ECO-FRIENDLY

Vegan skin care also causes less environmental damage. Farming animals used to make skincare products is one of the known leading causes of greenhouse gasses.

Breeding on farms, extracting the needed ingredients, experimenting, and packaging the final product increases the carbon print and contributes to the production of greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses trap the heat that comes from the sun, further warming the earth and thereby triggering extreme weather changes.

But vegan skincare products help to decrease deforestation, allowing more space for trees and plants to grow and release oxygen to help cool our environment.

Using vegan skin care products eliminates the need for animal-derived ingredients that otherwise contribute to the production of greenhouse gasses, damaging both your health and the planet.

FINDING THE RIGHT PRODUCT

It takes 6-8 weeks to see noticeable results from using vegan skincare products. You need to test them first by doing a patch test before buying them. Your sensitive skin may end up having allergic reactions if you ignore this patch test.

PATCH TEST 101

Place a little amount of the product (e.g. cream) on a small area of your skin (e.g. forearm) before sleeping.
Upon waking up, check if there are signs of any allergic reactions such as redness, irritation, rashes, itching, peeling, dryness, blistering, burning, and swelling.

*Stop using products if you notice any of these signs.

VEGAN SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Skincare routines vary as you age. This is because the production of collagen (this strengthens your skin and keeps it hydrated) and elastin (gives a stretchier effect to the skin, better than collagen) diminishes, giving rise to the occurrence of wrinkles.

Take note of your skin type before trying these routines. Fortunately, there are plenty of vegan and cruelty-free products, perfect for a vegan lifestyle that you can use for your vegan skincare routine.

WASH TEST (ROUTINE)

Don’t feel like going out? Need to stay at home? You can do this test anytime to check your skin type:

Was your face with a mild cleanser and don’t apply any make-up or product.
Give time to dry for 30 minutes and see how your skin feels.
Make sure your face is in its calm state, and not exposed to external conditions (e.g. sunny weather) to get accurate results.

MAKING USE OF THE DAY TEST

Dermatologists suggest that you may understand your skin type by noticing how it reacts to your environment’s weather conditions from morning until evening.

The use of information can provide you with an idea of what your skin type is.

DRY SKIN: flaky, tight
OILY SKIN: shiny and glazed
NORMAL SKIN: has less to minimal oil, dryness, and redness
SENSITIVE SKIN: exhibits reddish, inflamed, itchy
COMBINATION SKIN: your T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) looks glazed but the rest of your face is matte.

VEGAN SKINCARE MORNING ROUTINE

The morning routine is important because you need to prepare your skin to be exposed to conditions outside your home. Exposure to weather elements and air pollutants combined with the dead skin cells, sweat, and oil produced by your skin can trigger break-outs, damage your skin, make you prone to break-outs, and accelerate your aging process.

Bonus: What To Pair With Glycolic Acid

FOLLOW THIS MORNING ROUTINE GUIDE:

1. CLEAN YOUR FACE

Cleansers are designed to remove impurities brought about by pollutants and make-up that then get combined with sweat and oil produced by your face.
Use cotton to apply cleanser on your face in a gentle, circular motion. This massage promotes circulation and relaxes your skin. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

2. USE EXFOLIANTS

Applying natural exfoliants helps you remove dead skin cells to reveal new skin, making you look younger.
It is recommended to do this 1-3X A WEEK so as not to irritate the skin.
Use exfoliants the way you use a cleanser for 30 seconds before rinsing with lukewarm water.

3. TONER

Applying toners helps to remove any remaining impurities in the skin. They assist in rebalancing your skin’s pH (potential of hydrogen).
If your skin is too acidic, you will be more prone to skin inflammation, eczema and acne.
Dry skin occurs if your skin lacks the right acidic levels.
You may also consult with a dermatologist before buying a vegan product that contains ginseng powder, Vitamin E, and other antioxidants as there are studies that show that they can help treat hyperpigmentation of the skin, a condition known as Melasma.

4. APPLY SERUM ON YOUR SKIN

Serums are known as level-up moisturizers because their active ingredients moisturize your skin at a skin-deep level.

Because they dive deeper into your skin, they may help you by:

Decreasing damage brought by sun exposure
Diminishing any obvious signs of aging
Providing relief to irritation or redness
Decreasing hyper-pigmentation
Treating blocked pores or acne
Hydrating dry and flaky skin

Prioritizing the serum application before using other products allows its active ingredients to maximize contact with the skin before using other products.

Given its lightweight and no-oil properties, it is recommended to apply serum first, before moisturizers.

The presence of oil in moisturizers may delay or hinder your skin’s absorption of a water-based serum if you apply the moisturizer first.

A couple of drops of serum are enough to apply on your chin, cheeks, forehead, and nose.

5. HYDRATE YOUR SKIN WITH MOISTURIZER

Environmental factors or irritants brought about by air pollution and rough exfoliants can damage your skin.
These can dry your skin by causing damage to the skin’s lipid barrier, making the natural water content in our skin evaporate faster.
If left ignored, this can lead to cracked, sensitive, dehydrated skin and more acne.
Moisturizers help replenish the natural water content within the epidermis (skin’s outer layer) while providing support for the lipid barrier.
They keep your skin hydrated and retain the water content there.
Some moisturizers have minimum SPF levels to protect you from the sun’s UV rays.

Before trying moisturizers, it is important to take into consideration your skin type.

You can use the humectant-to-emollient-to-occlusive ratio to help you determine what’s best for you.

Humectants increase hydration by drawing water in and delaying the evaporation of water within the skin.

Emollients smooth and soften the skin by preventing the loss of any humectants. This is done by covering any gaps between the skin and the humectant.

Occlusives remain on your skin’s surface to trap and retain the softening occulents and hydrating humectants. They repel water, making them better for drier skin.

You can apply moisturizer on your skin after the gentle pat of a dry towel. This is because your face is freshly washed, relaxed and hydrated. Your skin is ready to receive and trap the hydration coming from the moisturizer.

6. SUNSCREENS

Sunscreens are made to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays.
UV rays can damage your skin, making you prone to sunburns, premature aging, and even skin cancer.
The recommended SPF for those who will be out in the sun is 50 and higher.
Sunscreens should be generously applied to the skin and re-applied again after two hours to get the protection that you need.

7. USE LIP BALMS

Exposure to environmental elements can chap and dry your lips. To keep your lips from cracking and being damaged, you can use lip balm to keep them protected and stay hydrated.

You can also apply lip balm before bedtime to make your lips softer and fuller when you wake up in the morning.

To apply lip balm on your lips, do the following:

Your lips must be dry and clean.
Open or untwist the cap
Starting applying the lip balm on your bottom lip and then your top lip
Make sure you cover the whole surface of your lips
If you want a more precise finish, cupid’s bow trace it as well

VEGAN SKINCARE EVENING ROUTINE

The evening routine is as important as the morning routine. This is because you need to clear away the impurities accumulated on your face/skin while exposed to the outside environment.

You can repeat the morning routine for your evening routine, excluding the application of sunscreen. You can also follow the steps below for the night routine.

1. APPLY EYE CREAM

Wrinkles usually appear on the skin around the eyes as this is the most sensitive area of your face. Being the thinnest part of the skin makes the eye area prone to dehydration.

Plus, aging plays a key factor here as cell regeneration starts to degrade. Eye creams are specifically designed to care for the skin below your eyes.

Take time to gently massage the vegan eye cream below your eye using your ring finger. This gentle massage reinforces the facial muscles and encourages the production of collagen. Using the weaker finger may help decrease the chances of accidental tears in the eye area.

2. USE NIGHT CREAM

Night creams are specifically made to support your skin’s regeneration process as you sleep. In contrast with daytime moisturizers, night creams are heavier. They help repair your skin during the rest period and give you that glow factor.

Usually, you will find retinol and retinoids as ingredients in your night cream. They help your skin shed its dead cells. The use of night creams during day time can make your skin more sensitive to the sun due to their retinol content.

Start applying night cream by taking a dip dot portion using your finger. Place the dots on your nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. Then use your fingertips to gently massage your skin in an upward-outward motion. Do this motion 20x.

3. Optional: USE A DETOX MASK

This helps to clear out other impurities and other dead skin cells that were not covered by the above-mentioned products.
Masks containing ingredients like green tea leaves or charcoal can also help refresh your skin.

EXPIRATION PERIOD

Vegan skincare products are made from plant-based ingredients. If they don’t contain chemical preservatives, it is likely that it has a shorter shelf life compared to other products.

It is highly recommended to store them in lower temperatures but always check the label. Do diligent research on the brand you are planning to use.

Keep Reading: 15 Best Cruelty-Free Skincare Brands To Buy In 2023

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For over 60 years, Viviane Woodard has represented “The Purity of Skincare”. We are the leading beauty brand for skin care products and promote the importance of good skin hydration. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for skin care tips, product discounts, and more.