Veganism has become a form of lifestyle and talking about lifestyle, skin care is a crucial part of it. Those who follow a vegan life do not consume or use anything (food, clothes, other products) obtained directly or indirectly from animals. The motive is to lessen the cruelty faced by animals.
Therefore, pertaining to the same, vegan skin care products are in high demand these days. Not just that they are cruelty-free, they also have relatively lesser side effects on the skin, since they use natural ingredients, acquired from plants, fruits and other such natural sources. Using any product obtained directly or indirectly from animals, in vegan skin care is considered taboo. Therefore, here are a few products that are not used by vegans and the reasons behind it:
- Gelatin
Gelatin is used in many creams and lotions. It is a transparent, colourless, tasteless component composed mainly of amino acids called glycine and proline. It is commonly obtained from bones, fibrous tissues and parts of animals. Therefore its use is completely prohibited in the vegan skin care routine. - Glycerin
Glycerin is used for skin care, especially in winters, since it is an excellent moisturizer. But, it is not used in the vegan skin care routine, because sometimes it is made out of animal fat and bone coal is used to purify it. - Honey
We all know that honey is obtained from beehives. Although it is excellent for our skin, it is not a part of vegan skin care. - Collagen
Collagen is known to slow down the ageing process, reflected on our skin. Collagen in its natural form is the most abundant protein in the human body, which is present in bones, muscles, skin and tendons, the elements that connect bones and muscles. But it is not used in vegan skin care routines because there is a possibility that the collagen being used is obtained from fish, horses or other animals. - Retinol
Retinol is a compound of Vitamin A and is also known as Vitamin A1. It is widely used in anti-ageing products because retinol works to increase collagen production. Apart from this, retinol also helps in accelerating the regeneration of dead skin cells and improves the quality of the skin. Its use reduces wrinkles but the same is not included under the vegan skin care routine because at times beauty products use vitamin A or retinol obtained from animals.
Which Products To Use
In a vegan skin care routine, you can use products acquired from plants or trees including aloe vera, argan oil, almond, walnut, neem, oatmeal and jojoba oil. You can also use products that have not been directly or indirectly obtained from animals and are cruelty-free. Whenever you buy a skin care product from the market, make sure you read the ingredients on the label and then make a choice.
A vegan skin care routine gives excellent results on the skin as the products used in it do not contain parabens or sulphate. Although they do not have any such side effects, when using a new product, test it on your skin once, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Also Read: 5 Plant Oils For Healthier Hair And Skin
