Here’s How Vegan Beauty Became a Rising Trend

Let's take a look inside the vegan cosmetics market that is projected to reach $21.4 billion by 2027.
Here’s How Vegan Beauty Became a Rising Trend

Have you ever looked at your beauty shelf and noticed that some of the products you own have the Leaping Bunny and Vegan Society logos? Unless you are consciously purchasing those products because they are labeled vegan, you probably don’t even notice. But if you do have a look at your shelf now, chances are you see at least one product with the said label staring back at you. 

But what are they exactly, and what makes them different from the ‘regular’ beauty products?

Below, we are going to take a look at the vegan beauty trend and how the industry is bound to thrive.

Table of Contents

1. What is vegan beauty?

2. What’s the difference between vegan and cruelty-free beauty products?

3. Why are consumers moving towards vegan beauty?

4. What does this rise in vegan beauty mean for businesses?

5. Where can you get vegan beauty products?

6. Want to start your own vegan beauty brand?

What is vegan beauty?

Over the last few years, the word “vegan” has been used so often in various different industries that it has become a common word. And whenever you hear the word, the first thing your mind immediately thinks about is most likely food. But veganism is more than a dietary practice. Veganism is a way of life that, as far as possible, excludes any animal products from clothing, and household products, to cosmetics. 

If you’re used to wearing beauty products with animal-derived ingredients like honey, beeswax, lanolin, squalene, keratin or collagen, then vegan beauty products are the ones that are void of any of those. You can also verify whether an ingredient is vegan by looking it up on vegan.org.

What’s the difference between vegan and cruelty-free beauty products?

Although you may hear these terms used in similar ways, they aren’t interchangeable. Beauty products are considered cruelty-free if they don’t conduct animal testing on their products, nor outsource animal testing with third parties. 

A product that is guaranteed cruelty-free isn’t always vegan. While at the same time, a product can be vegan but not cruelty-free, which means the product is tested on animals. But fret not, there are many products out there that are both vegan and cruelty-free!

Why are consumers moving towards vegan beauty?

The vegan category was once considered a niche in the beauty industry. But having approximately 80 million of vegans around the world that are expected to accelerate in numbers is one of the major factors that are fuelling the growth of the vegan beauty market. 

Even if the vegan population only covers 1% of the world population, pieces of information about the environmental damage caused by the industry, as well as the benefits of using vegan products, are easily accessible for people to look for. The said factors have made consumers put more thoughts into what they put intoand ontotheir bodies and look for alternatives to try, be it for environmental or health reasons.

According to a survey conducted in 2021, compared to their older counterparts, Millennials and Gen Z are more willing to buy cruelty-free and vegan products. Another survey also shows that 50% of Gen Z respondents say that they are not willing to purchase beauty products that are not certified as cruelty-free.

And since the younger generations are putting money where their mouth is, it only makes sense for brands to innovatively market their products or services, and show efforts to attract Millennials and Gen Z.

What does this rise in vegan beauty mean for businesses?

While the majority of consumers may not be vegan, over the past few years, there has been a rising demand for cruelty-free and vegan beauty products, with the vegan beauty market projected to reach $2.4 billion by 2027. Moreover, a report suggests that Europe is anticipated to overtake Asia and emerge as the leading market of vegan cosmetic products. Following this shift in consumer behavior, the beauty industry is compelled to adopt a more sustainable approach. 

For instance, Milk Makeup, a New York City-based cosmetics and skin care company, went fully vegan in 2018 after announcing that they discontinued and reformulated their non-vegan products to be free from animal-derived ingredients. Another example is, at the start of 2021, Aveda announced that they have removed all the bee-derived ingredients from their products, making them a 100% vegan brand. 

This trend could change the dynamics of the beauty industry as the growth in consumer demand for vegan products doesn’t appear to be temporary. With more environmentally conscious consumers entering the scene, it is expected that the interest in vegan beauty products is growing worldwide, and this is creating new opportunities for brands to tap into the vegan trends to capture a growing segment of the market. 

Where can you get vegan beauty products?

Around ten or even five years ago, finding vegan beauty products wasn’t nearly as easy. But now, we can shop for ethical and vegan beauty products just about anywhere. From retailers like Boots and Sephora to your nearest local supermarkets, you will most likely find a wide array of vegan options.

The good news is, you can also find vegan and cruelty-free beauty products here on Kaufpedia! Whether you’re just starting to venture into veganism or simply interested in vegan beauty products, you sure want to see a variety of products worth checking out curated by Sinless Beauty here.

Want to start your own vegan beauty brand?

With so much potential and opportunity at stake, there’s never been a better time to get into the industry. If you have an idea and want to start your own vegan beauty brand, we’d say go ahead and try! Yes, starting a vegan beauty brand, like any business, will require you a great deal of effort, time, and passion. But it’s not impossible. Aside from finding the right manufacturer and creating formulas that are 100% kind to the animals and the planet, be sure to also check our previous article on starting a business where we share a startup guide for entrepreneurs to start a small business. Good luck!