Veganism is on the rise but this cruelty-free way of living isn’t limited to food. The beauty industry is also taking heed, with many new brands popping up.
At the moment Australia is the fastest growing vegan market in the world.
Unfortunately some brands are cashing in on the rise of green beauty and not all labels can be trusted.
FEMAIL spoke with make up artist, Michael Brown, and hair and make up artist, Bonnie Gillies, about which vegan make up and skincare products people can rely on.
At the moment Australia is the fastest growing vegan market in the world
Hair and make up artist Bonnie Gillies said she is ‘all for vegan products’
‘I’m all for vegan beauty! I think we should all try to use vegan beauty products,’ Bonnie said.
‘In this day and age there really is no reason why any brand should be testing on animals – it’s unnecessary and it’s cruel.
‘By trying to avoid ingredients that are derived from animals we are choosing a more sustainable option.’
As there has been an increase in demand for natural products, ”greenwashing” has now become quite prevalent in the beauty industry.
This is when labels include the words like ‘natural’ because the brand knows that it will reap more sales, even if the product doesn’t pass the qualifications to be in that category.
An easy way for people to ensure they are actually buying organic products is by looking for the correct labelling.
FEMAIL also spoke with make up artist, Michael Brown, about which vegan make up and skincare products people can rely on
Consumers want to be looking for items that feature logos from companies like Cosmos Organic and Australian Certified Organic.
When it comes to knowing if your products are vegan, it’s as simple as looking out for the vegan logo, which indicates the product doesn’t contain any animal products or by products.
With the skincare industry booming, companies will need to keep up with demands.
Euromonitor International expects global skincare sales to exceed $166 billion in 2019, adding $25.5 billion in value over 2014 to 2019.
On top of this, the 2016 Green Beauty Barometer survey found that 59 per cent of women over the age of 35 believe buying green beauty is important to them.
This percentage increases with younger people, as 73 per cent of millennial women purchase all-natural products.
‘Choosing vegan doesn’t mean sacrificing quality either. You can still get high performance vegan products that you will love,’ Bonnie told FEMAIL.
Here are the top five vegan beauty and skincare brands currently on the market.
An easy way for people to ensure they are actually buying organic products is by looking for the correct labelling
1. TRILOGY
‘Celebrating their 15th anniversary last year, the New Zealand brand is more about nature than ever before, selling one bottle of rose hip oil every 20 seconds,’ Michael explained.
‘Being a natural cruelty-free brand, with only a few products containing beeswax and manuka honey, the main range of rosehip oil are vegan, perfect for skin hydration.’
Trilogy is a popular brand by the world over and even has the Duchess of Cambridge as one of their customers.
The brand is ethical, sustainable and has a minimal effect on the environment.
‘Celebrating their 15th anniversary last year, the New Zealand brand is still as more about nature than ever, selling one bottle of rose hip oil every 20 seconds,’ Michael explained
2. THE BODY SHOP
The Body Shop has been around since 1976 and have continued to show why they have a cult-like following.
‘A very well known and trusted beauty retailer just got even more trendy with over 75 products coming up as vegan – only a few containing honey or beeswax,’ Michael said.
‘Being organic and using vegan ingredients, the brand goes to great lengths to ensure it is managed correctly and carefully, so that animal communities still thrive.’
Sure, they use honey and beeswax in their non-vegan products, but all vegan products have the 100 per cent logo on packaging for easy identification.
The Body Shop has been around since 1976 and have continued to show why they have a cult-like following
3. KAT VON D BEAUTY
Kat Von D is known for her bright and bold make up line but she also recently announced her plans to reformulate her entire cosmetics line to make sure every product was vegan.
‘It’s so great to see such a modern, artistry and creative brand follow in lifestyle trends, while still having high quality products and formulas,’ Michael said.
‘All vegan products are marked #VeganAlert and over 20 products are vegan, is huge for such an intense shade selection beauty brand, built for make up artists.’
Kat Von D is known for her bright and bold make up line but she also recently announced her plans to reformulate her entire cosmetics line
The reformulation is to ensure that every single product that she sells is vegan
‘It’s so great to see such a modern, artistry and creative brand follow in lifestyle trends, while still having high quality products and formulas,’ Michael said
4. KORA ORGANICS
KORA Organics is a skincare company that is owned by model Miranda Kerr, who is known for her love of a natural and healthy lifestyle.
‘In fact, all KORA products are vegan, bar three,’ Michael explained.
‘Two because of beeswax and one because of goats milk, but by purchasing KORA, you are on the way to a natural, organic and now vegan road to a healthy beauty lifestyle.’
KORA is a brand that Bonnie also swears by thanks to its holistic approach to beauty.
‘They have some really beautiful skin care products that are vegan, and organic. This brand ticks all the boxes – natural, vegan, beautiful packaging and effective formulas.’
KORA Organics is a skincare company that is owned by Miranda Kerr, who is known for her love of a natural and healthy lifestyle
‘In fact, all KORA products are vegan, bar three,’ Michael explained
5. INIKA
Michael has worked with Inika for many years as a guest make up artist and trainer for make up application.
It is one of the world’s most popular vegan makeup brands, with a variety of items.
‘It’s great to see the brand grow from using mainly minerals, to then being certified organic in liquids and now being a big influence in the vegan, and even Halal, lifestyle choices,’ he said.
‘I love the high quality in pigments and it has so many natural certifications, one of them bring the Vegan Society UK, one of the highest regarded certifications in the world.’
All vegan products in the range have the symbol on the outside packaging.
Inika is one of the world’s most popular vegan makeup brands, with a variety of items