Why Some Brands Are Resisting the Vegan Beauty Wave

With consumers becoming more conscious of ethical and environmental issues, the beauty industry is seeing a major shift toward vegan and cruelty-free products. In light of this, a lot of companies have begun using vegan formulas in an attempt to please ethical customers. However, even with the widespread movement, some beauty brands resist the vegan shift by sticking with their original components. They claim it provides better results or special advantages that are hard to achieve with vegan substitutes.

Vegan, Cruelty-free, and Animal-Derived Ingredients

In the simplest terms, vegan beauty represents the absence of animal ingredients; cruelty-free refers to the product not being tested on animals; and animal-derived implies containing animal substances. When associating these with makeup, there is typically confusion, as it is possible for a vegan item to be tested on an animal and a cruelty-free product to contain animal ingredients. Depending on your personal beliefs, these facts are important to consider.

If you are unsure, organizations have developed logos to indicate whether a product is cruelty-free or vegan. The most well-known of these is the Leaping Bunny Program, which certifies home and personal care product manufacturers that guarantee no animal testing occurs during any stage of production. To learn more about this program, visit our blog post.

Why Go Vegan?

The compatibility of vegan beauty products with personal values is a major selling point. A broader cultural movement towards ethical consumption is reflected in the shift towards plant-based products and cruelty-free procedures. As more individuals become conscious of the effects their decisions have on the environment and its inhabitants, companies that have embraced this trend are benefiting from the emergence of a new consumer base.

Opposing Factors to Vegan Beauty Trends

With all of the apparent benefits, why aren't more firms ready to join the vegan movement? Various manufacturers claim that certain non-vegan elements, such as beeswax or lanolin, offer unique benefits that are difficult to duplicate with plant-based alternatives. These ingredients have been used in beauty products for decades due to their ability to moisturize, heal, and protect. Companies that oppose the vegan movement frequently emphasize the benefits of these materials, claiming they provide outcomes that vegan alternatives are unable to achieve.

For these reasons, brands and consumers are gravitating toward natural, cruelty-free cosmetics and other manufacturing products over vegan products.

However, the phrase "vegan beauty," can also be misleading. If you only use natural materials, there is a potential risk of contamination, bacterial development, and reduced efficacy. Hybrid options are achievable, though. With a combination of essential additions and pure ingredients from nature, prevention is possible.

While some brands resist the vegan beauty trend, others embrace it. As customer awareness and demand for ethical products grow, brands continue to prioritize transparency and sustainability. It will be interesting to observe how companies handle the shifting market and how the industry continues to evolve.