Treating our skin kindly is a major part of making sure we have beautiful, healthy skin for years to come. But it isn’t just our skin that matters. How our skincare products are made and what they were tested on is just as important as what they do for our skin. Don’t you want products that you can feel good about using?
Having a guide to an all-vegan skincare routine is a great place to start. You may be wondering why we are even thinking about vegan skincare. What does that even mean? Many people don’t take into consideration that there are animal products and by-products used in some of the skincare products stocking our shelves.
Another aspect of this that we are going to explore is animal testing when it comes to what we put on our faces. If the product you’re using says cruelty-free then that means there is no animal testing but more on that later. We are also sharing with you some steps we like to take in our vegan routine.
What Does Vegan Skin Care Mean?
Like we said just a minute ago you may be wondering what vegan skincare means and why it even matters. It isn’t like there is a hamburger in our face wash so its fine right? Well not exactly. There are a few things that have to be true in order for something to be considered vegan and it isn’t just about what you consume.
If you are a serious vegan than you will care what is in your face wash and moisturizer just as much as what is on your plate. Because for most vegans it isn’t just about being healthy, it is about the welfare of animals.
No Animal Products
When a skincare product claims to be vegan what does that mean? Well for starters, it means that they do not have any animal products in their product or their product line. If you are using a skincare item that has something like milk or honey in it then you are not using a vegan product.
Milk, honey, and eggs, among other things, are considered animal products. Even though these gathering these products don’t harm the animal to harvest them, it doesn’t matter. If you want a vegan product they can’t have anything taken from an animal in it.
No Animal By-Products
By-products are different from animal products because they are a secondary result. For example with the chicken industry, the actual eggs or chicken meat are products while the feathers are a by-product. A by-product in skincare would be something like lanolin or keratin.
Both of those items are derived from animals but are not the first product that the producers were after. Lanolin and keratin are both very common in skincare products so make sure you are looking at ingredients and searching for truly vegan products.
What Else Can Vegan Mean?
While it true that the only thing that really qualifies a product as a vegan product is the absence of animal products and by-products, many people that live the vegan lifestyle do so because they can’t bear cruelty to animals. They also want to live as holistic and chemical-free as possible.
It is possible for a product to be vegan while being tested on animals and being full of chemicals but those that take the vegan life seriously will likely not buy them. They tend to be very aware of what ingredients are in the products they use in all areas of their lives. This can be skincare, food, or cleaning products.
Chemical Free
Chemical-free just means that the product does not have any harmful or synthetic chemicals. It also typically means that the skincare item doesn’t have preservatives either.
Like we said above, this is not a requirement for a product to be vegan so pay attention. Just because the label says it is vegan doesn’t mean it is good for your skin.
Cruelty-Free
A product or company can, sadly, claim that a product is vegan and yet test their product on animals. This does not go well with the vegan lifestyle. Make sure whatever product you choose is not just vegan but is also cruelty to animals free.
Vegan Skin Care Routine
A vegan skincare routine is not all that different from any other skincare routine. There are similar steps and many of the differences are the products that are used as well as a more natural approach to how they care for their skin.
A vegan routine takes things like diet, hydration, and caring for the products they use to apply make-up to their faces. This is a very holistic approach to caring for your skin and will result in glowing, healthful skin.
Wash Your Face
This is one of those steps that is really the same as a non-vegan routine. You have to wash your face twice a day with a high-quality cleanser. However, with a vegan lifestyle, your face washing step will look different for one main reason.
The cleanser you choose needs to be plant-based and gentle as well as being 100% vegan and cruelty-free. There are some very good vegan products out there and one we like because it hits all of the high points is anything by BioClarity. But really anything vegan and cruelty-free that will work with your skin tone will be great.
Use a Toner
Toning your skin is important even when you are on a vegan skincare routine. However, depending on your skin type you may not be able to do this step twice a day. It may be a night time step to your routine to help clear out the debris from the day. If you have an oily skin type then do this step twice a day to help remove excess oil without over-drying.
For this step to be vegan your toner has to be animal product, by-product, and cruelty-free. A really good toner is the Cocokind Rosewater Toner but there are a number of great products on the market. BioClarity has great vegan skincare products as well.
Moisturizer
Moisturizing is so important for your skin. Your skin drys out very easily because it is made up of mostly water, to begin with. But due to environment and other damage, our skin does not hold moisture as it should.
Finding a vegan moisturizer shouldn’t be hard but you have to be vigilant and read labels because animal fats and other by-products can be hiding in there. There are great plant-based face creams that use things like shea butter or coconut oil. You can even use those two things by themselves.
One thing to consider is that shea butter and coconut oil may not work well as a base for make-up products so you might need a different lightweight moisturizer for when you wear make-up.
Sunscreen
Keeping your skin from being damaged by the sun is important whether you are a vegan or not. So find a vegan sunscreen or a vegan foundation that has SPF and use it every day. UV rays can damage our skin with any amount of exposure so stay on top of it.
Just like with anything else, you need to read the label on your sunscreen to make sure it is actually a vegan product.
Vegan Make-up
There are actually quite a few makeup brands that have gone cruelty-free and vegan so you have a much larger selection than years past. This is great news for those that live a holistic vegan lifestyle but also love makeup.
There are some up and coming brands that are trying to make their mark but also very established brands that have a cult-like following. Cover FX, Inika, and PHB Ethical Beauty are just a few of the brands that are committed to making truly vegan and cruelty-free products.
Facial Treatments
Who doesn’t love a good face mask to help repair damaged skin or give a deep cleaning to the pores? But many masks and treatments are not vegan. So what do you do? Well you could make a DIY mask from a recipe you found online, or you could try a vegan facial treatment product.
A few notable vegan masks that you can try are the Restored Self-Warming Clay mask or the Harmony Rose Petal Face mask. Both of these are not only vegan but are also cruelty-free, which we love.
Don’t Over Scrub
So now that we have talked about the products that you can use in your vegan skincare routine we can move on to some other things that you need to consider as well. Over scrubbing is not good for your skin no matter what kind of routine you use.
It is important to be gentle with your skin when you scrub your face. We don’t love regular washcloths because they can be harsh on your skin. A good konjac sponge is effective but gentle.
Pay Attention to Eating Habits
What you put in your body is just as important to the health of your skin as what you put on your face. Eating vegan is inherently healthy because it is full of vegetables but it can also be full of treats and sugar. Eating a vegan diet isn’t a sugar-free diet or a soda-free diet.
And sadly it isn’t always a preservative-free diet either. Living a holistic vegan lifestyle means that you are healthy from the inside out and pay attention to what you put in your body and on your skin.
If your skin is dull and your skincare routine doesn’t seem to be working, it may be time to evaluate your eating habits to see if that might be the root cause of it.
Hydration is Important
As we stated before, your body and skin are made up of mostly water. Because of this dehydration will have negative effects on your health and your what your skin looks like. Making sure that you are adequately hydrating all day will lead to beautiful skin that is not dull or aged prematurely.
This is a very important part of your vegan skincare routine if you want the best skin you can have.
Try Not to Touch Your Face
Your hands touch all kinds of surfaces during the day. Sure we wash our hands and use hand sanitizer but even the air has germs that can land on our hands. Not only that but we can transfer oils from our hands onto other surfaces including our faces.
Trying your best to not touch your face during the day will help you keep your complexion clearer. We know that this is hard but it will make a difference along with your vegan skincare products. It will definitely keep the bacteria and germs that live on your hands away from your pores, and this can only be a good thing.
Make-up Brushes Need Cleaning
Let’s not forget about your make application utensils. Those brushes come into close contact with your face, mouth, nose, and eyes. Not cleaning them weekly or at the very least every other week won’t be good for your skin or your overall health.
Germs and bacteria can grow freely on poorly cared for brushes or other skincare tools that are used regularly. Taking care of these brushes is absolutely imperative to have a well rounded vegan skincare routine.
What Now?
Remember that you need to know the facts about vegan skincare products so you don’t end up using products that go against what you believe in and your vegan lifestyle. Non-vegan products are automatically evil and vegan products aren’t automatically the best. Vegan products can still be tested on animals and carrying a lot of preservatives and chemicals.
Carefully read labels and make an informed decision before you buy any products that claim to be vegan. Also, take into consideration that a vegan skincare routine is not just about what you put on your skin but about a lifestyle so your approach should be holistic in every aspect.
