BEAUTY KNOWHOW: The new feel-good factor… 

…is all about the do-good factor too. And this groundbreaking range is blazing a cruelty-free trail 

An internal special report produced this year by Avon recently reached me. Entitled Beauty, Happiness and the Rise of the ‘Perfectly Me’, one of the trends highlighted is that happiness is ‘beauty’s new frontier’ – representing a seismic shift from the notion that beauty brands offer transformation. A routine is now as much about making you feel good about yourself as making a physical difference. But how we feel also incorporates our emotions about what we’re buying and why.

In other words, what’s in what we’re buying (and what’s been left out) and the impact that it has environmentally and in other ways.

So Avon has just launched a skincare range called Distillery that speaks to a new clean beauty ethos. It still has all the high-level research and development that a big corporation and its labs have available, but all that knowledge has been applied differently here. For starters, this line is completely vegan. It’s also largely waterless and contains no ‘filler’ ingredients – only what’s required, so products are super concentrated. This means volume is reduced as well as the packaging, which is fully recyclable.

Avon Distillery Purify Facial Oil

To go vegan, the brand had to do things ‘a little differently’, says Gina Ghura, director of Avon’s Future Innovation team. ‘We identified new ingredients, new suppliers and sources to deliver something that is completely pure, potent and vegan.’ And it is an important element, especially in terms of happiness, says Gina. ‘Choosing a vegan beauty product is another example of consumers making a conscious decision in their daily lives, in line with their beliefs and values. The Distillery collection allows consumers to feel good about the decision they make when it comes to their beauty regime, meaning there are benefits for wellbeing as well as the health of your skin.’

The range is also concise (another key skincare trend) and pretty affordable. It consists of the Clean Break Cleanser (£15), a balm with apricot oil, cucumber extract and mango and cocoa butters; C Shot Powder (£22), which is a great skin brightener – just add to the oil or face cream; Purify Facial Oil (£22), my favourite to use in the morning and evening – it leaves skin hydrated and glowing; Shade the Day SPF25 Day Cream (£18), a simple but effective moisturiser that doubles as a mineral sunscreen, and Sleep Potion Night Cream (£18), also a favourite, is a great overnight hydrator.

All available at avon.uk.com from today. 

Not just for vegans

Here are some of our other top cruelty-free picks (with thanks to YOU’s fashion director Shelly Vella, who is vegan and contributed some of her favourites)…