With vegan diets on the rise, more and more people are seeking out plant-based options that extend beyond their food choices. This lifestyle has also trickled into the world of beauty, with a host of clean skincare brands embracing a vegan approach. Vegan skin care is defined as a beauty routine that skips all products containing animal ingredients or byproducts. That means no honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen *yup, the Fountain of Youth isn’t vegan*, squalene (oil extracted from shark liver), carmine, rennet or isinglass.
Many of these cruelty-free brands are also environmentally conscious, choosing to use renewable plant ingredients and employing eco-friendly manufacturing methods that leave a minimal carbon footprint. And they’re loaded with nourishing, natural ingredients that help your skin look healthy and glowing.
While most of us know that animal testing is a no-go, it may be less obvious that many beauty products contain animal products and byproducts. According to PETA, common animal-derived ingredients found in cosmetics include honey, beeswax, egg whites, glycerol (cow or pig fat), squalene (oil extracted by crushing up shark livers), ambergris (whale vomit), keratin (sheep hair) and rennet. The good news is that there are plenty of vegan-friendly products out there — including some from your favorite K-Beauty brands.
Heimish is known for its clean, vegan-friendly skincare and makeup products that deliver great results without sacrificing your skin’s health. The brand’s Heimish All Clean Balm is the perfect double cleanser for all skin types, containing oils derived from sesame, coconut and jojoba and shea butter to soften and nourish your complexion. It’s also packed with bergamot, orange and lime extracts for a zesty citrus fragrance that’ll leave your skin feeling fresh.
Other vegan skin care must-haves include Heimish’s All-in-One Cleansing Foam and their Vegan Water Gel Mask, both of which are formulated with cucumber and aloe vera to deeply cleanse your complexion while delivering a soothing treatment to your skin. Both are free of harmful chemicals and SLS and are also suitable for sensitive skin.
Another must-have for all skin types is the Heimish Vitamin C Serum, a lightweight serum that’s infused with rose hips and shea butter to reduce redness and soothe your complexion. The serum is also formulated with vitamin C and peptides to help improve skin elasticity, boost collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Whether you’re vegan, simply curious or a fan of clean beauty, incorporating some vegan-friendly products into your routine is easy and beneficial to your skin and the planet. Just make sure to check for a PETA-approved cruelty-free label and look for ingredients sourced sustainably.
In the 30 years that Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA, has been campaigning to end animal testing in beauty, she has noticed two industry-wide shifts. “The first was in the early 90s when Estee Lauder and Revlon stopped testing on animals, followed by consumers demanding that other brands stop,” she says. “Now we’re seeing a similar demand for vegan products, with brands like Wet n Wild and e.l.f. offering budget-friendly options.” Vegan skin care