The word vegan is typically associated with dietary preferences when people hear it. Well, avoiding foods made from animals is frequently where veganism starts. However, the ultimate objective should be to choose plant-based sources for pretty much everything you use, including cosmetics.
Even if you aren't necessarily a vegan, you can still use vegan and cruelty-free items. There are actually a ton of excellent reasons to make this significant change, both for your own benefit and the good of the environment.
The advantages of utilising vegan and cruelty-free beauty products are covered below, so you'll be motivated to choose them the next time you browse through Intoxicate.
They Possess Fewer Synthetic Chemicals
One of the misconceptions about vegan and cruelty-free goods is that since they don't have chemicals added to lengthen their shelf life, they can't be as good or durable. It's possible that this isn't always true.
Vegan and cruelty-free products may still contain synthetic ingredients, although they are definitely less prevalent, than in the bulk of conventional cosmetics.
You should be convinced enough by this information, especially if you want to use fewer chemicals every day. Your body takes in what you put on your skin, and over time, those compounds may have harmful negative effects. The fewer chemicals you use moving forward, the better.
Making use of products with fewer chemicals is also good for the environment. As a result, there will be less hazardous waste released into the atmosphere, groundwater, soil, and landfills. In some cases it could also mean that less fossil fuel was required to produce the chemicals used in cosmetics.
They Are Animal-Friendly
This second benefit ought to be more than enough to inspire you to use cruelty-free goods if you're an animal lover. Just picture your adorable little hamster being held captive in a lab as others wait to subject them to grueling tests and trials.
When there are products that are just as effective as major brands but don't harm animals, why encourage this kind of cruelty in the name of beauty?
Not only do animals used in cosmetics research die, but they also go through excruciating suffering. For instance, according to reports, toxins might be applied to animals' shaved skin or leak into their eyes. As a result, the animals can experience excruciating pain, blindness, and organ damage prior to passing away.
They Heavily Contain Antioxidants, Vitamins, and Nutrients
Vegan cosmetics are made from plants, which means they include more antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients than cosmetics derived from animals. By battling the body-damaging free radicals, it is safe to say that plant-based beauty products may have a greater capacity to build and restore the body's cells.
Antioxidants provide a wide range of advantages.
Why wouldn't you want more antioxidants in what your putting on your skin? Antioxidants are packed full of benefits, such as reducing signs of ageing and promoting more youthful looking skin. By fighting dryness, increasing the skin's elasticity, and reducing excess oiliness, antioxidants help fight wrinkles! It doesn't just stop there, some contain good fatty acids that help fight scarring and prevent acne.
They Are Beneficial For The Planet
Did you know that another factor causing global warming is people's reliance on and use of chemical and synthetic cosmetic products? Remember that utilizing items that are good for animals also means using things that are good for the environment.
Vegan cosmetics and skincare products are free of all unsavory animal byproducts. These consist of the following:
- Beeswax, cows, and dead insect extracts are the main sources of uric acid.
- The irritant butylated hydroxytoluene irritates the eyes and skin.
- Asthma and the hazardous chemical formaldehyde have been connected.
By choosing vegan products, you can avoid using any pesticides that are used for farm animals. Only substances that have been deemed to be safe, well-researched, and essential for preservation will be used in your cosmetic products.
They Don't Include Any Hazardous Ingredients
You are aware that cheese is made from milk and that chickens lay eggs. But scientists have developed a plethora of dubious, frequently deemed undesirable substances for cosmetics.
If you still buy products made with chemicals and animal byproducts, take the time to carefully study the labels and ingredients this time. Several of the following frequently used animal-based substances can be found in cosmetic products:
Cochineal Dye - This dye, also called carmine, is made from crushed cochineal beetles. This is frequently used in blushes and lipsticks to make them emit that red hue.
Tallow - This is made of animal fat. But getting this requires a tough process. Animal corpses are boiled till they generate fatty material after being killed and then eaten. You are essentially slathering animal fat on your face when you use tallow-containing makeup.
Guanine - The raw material is crushed fish scales. Given that it creates the shimmering hue in eye shadow and nail polish, this is typically employed for those products.
Lanolin - It is a byproduct of wool-producing mammals. This is typical of lipsticks and makeup removers.
Gelatin - Other names for this include gel, halal gelatin, and hide glue. It is made from animals' boiled skin, ligaments, and tendons. Cream-based cosmetics are created using this.
These are just some examples of the animal-based components that can be found in cosmetic goods, but the general idea is that many of them can be obtained from animal waste, such as urine and manure.
Why would you use them if you wouldn't eat them? Even though they are present in very minute amounts in beauty products, your skin might nevertheless absorb them.
They Are Better For Your Body's Health
Using vegan and cruelty-free skincare products is actually quite beneficial for your body. Since the body is most accustomed to processing natural goods, they are healthier. The digestive process of plants is simpler for humans than it is for foods produced by animals.
It follows from this that it can process and absorb natural ingredients via the skin more easily. Because of this, you can trust that vegan and cruelty-free beauty products are as good for your skin as they are powerful.
The skin and brain may receive signals from beauty products more effectively when they are brought in by natural substances, regardless of the effect you want to have on your skin. Consider applying skin-damaging substances made from animal remains. Not only is it repulsive to consider, but it's also extremely harmful to your health.
They Are More Practical And Efficient
Certain people may object to this area since some vegan and cruelty-free beauty products can cost more than conventional ones. This may be true in some instances. And the reason is that there aren't many businesses that manufacture these kinds of cosmetics in large quantities.
However, you can be sure that each item has been carefully considered and that no animals were harmed in the making of it. Additionally, its packaging is typically environmentally friendly and made sustainably, having little to no detrimental effects.
Using vegan and cruelty-free skincare products, however, can end up being the more sensible and resource-conserving choice if you set the price tags aside. This is because you're less inclined to discard them due to odor, skin irritability, or other unfavorable skin effects.
Many common beauty products can still damage skin even after being tested first on animals because of the numerous chemicals they contain. Therefore, the likelihood that those skin irritations may occur increases as skin sensitivity increases.
They Convey A Positive Message To The Community
The world can be changed without you having to be a superhero. You can easily have a good impact on the world while you're still alive by changing your daily routine, especially your purchasing habits.
Supporting vegan and cruelty-free beauty products is essentially a way to say that you oppose animal abuse and are in favor of using substances that are derived from plants.
A domino effect might occur, for instance, if you have a sizable following on social media. People who look up to you might now think about imitating your actions so they can also join this lifestyle trend.
Nobody knows. You may be the change agent that persuades businesses who still use animal testing to adopt an animal-friendly and more environmentally sound strategy. After all, the ultimate objective of this movement is to increase the popularity and eventual acceptance of cruelty-free and vegan products.
It Reduces The Demands For Animal Testing
The need for cosmetics companies that test on animals will decline as more people opt to purchase goods that don't. Even while there is still a long journey to go before this kind of behavior is completely outlawed, it may at least serve as a wake-up call for businesses to abandon the antiquated practice of animal experimentation.
Not completely shutting down those businesses is not the aim. After all, there are well-known brands in the cosmetics and skincare sectors that have a long track record of producing high-quality goods. It's about letting those companies know not to test on animals. You could decide to start buying from them again when they do.
Already a significant enough cause for those businesses to choose the more environmentally and animal-friendly path is a decline in demand for their products. After all, lower profits result from this. When this occurs, it might well be a turning moment that motivates these businesses to alter their behavior.
They Also Frequently Use Sustainable And Environmentally Friendly Packaging
You'll be happy to learn that the majority, if not all, firms that create vegan and cruelty-free goods also finish strong by employing sustainable packaging, completing the full circle of advantages that these products have.
You no longer need to feel terrible about all the single-use plastic packaging you discard after using a product. If plastic is used for vegan goods, it is created from recycled materials. The most popular sort of packaging, on the other hand, is biodegradable.
So, what's next?
It might not be simple to switch to vegan and cruelty-free beauty products with so many items with animal byproducts on the shelves everywhere you turn. In fact, it might seem a little overwhelming at first, especially given that natural cosmetics still make up a tiny portion of the market.
Making this decision, however, shouldn't be too tough now that you are aware of all the advantages such products may provide for you and the environment. Spend some time selecting a reputable brand so that you can be guaranteed its high caliber.
The future? You can end up becoming a fervent supporter of vegan and cruelty-free beauty products as you use them and start to believe in their efficacy. Your own friends and relatives could then think about taking the same course as you do!
Intoxicate uses 100% natural Australian ingredients, you can browse our entire range of vegan and animal friendly products here.
