Veganuary... that time of the year when veganism buddies up with New Year's resolutions! Running since 2014, the event challenges the world to make changes that benefit you and the environment by following a vegan lifestyle.
Often, people think that veganism is only about the food you eat, making sure none of it comes from animals. Bigger than what you chew on, it is a healthy lifestyle choice that can even support your skin’s health in the long run.
In fact, more and more people continue to limit the amount of meat and dairy in their diets, while looking for other simpler ways to bring vegan choices into their daily lives. But why talk about veganism in a skincare blog?
Back to basics
Using the term vegan means removing any animal-derived ingredients from the things we use on a daily basis. But when we're talking skincare, it's hard to tell whether these products are actually plant-based or simply synthetic ingredients made in a lab, that are free from animal origin. This can be misleading at times, especially when "vegan" is used in marketing blurb.
In truth, nature is filled with wonderful alternatives that can benefit your skin, without needing to take anything from another living creature.
The sweet spot? Doing both.
The main reasons why people opt for a vegan lifestyle are; to protect animals and their habitat, to protect our planet from the impacts of livestock farming, and to improve physical and mental wellbeing. These are choices full of compassion for animals, our planet, ourselves and each other. Imagine the benefits could be taken a step further?
Well, they can. By embracing the world of brilliant botanicals, you can put the building blocks in place for a vegan and natural bathroom routine, which is good to your skin and the planet.
Benefits of a vegan and natural lifestyle for your Skin:
Reduce blemishes
The consumption of dairy products, like milk and cheese have repeatedly been associated with acne across wide ranging scientific studies. Simply, an excess of the proteins and hormones found in animal milk can be problematic for the human body. Moving away from these products and replacing them with plant-based alternatives like oat drink, or oat-seed oil can have potential benefits for spot-prone skin.
Improve skin elasticity with Antioxidants
Fruits and greens are highly rich in natural antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. These are the ultimate way to hydrate, nourish and protect our skin from the inside, and the outside too! For example, the use of ingredients derived from citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruits which are high in Vitamin C help maintain elasticity in our skin. Their consumption along with a natural-based skincare routine can help to keep your skin healthy and balanced.
Nourish a Stronger Skin barrier
Natural products promote wholesome skincare, even if you have sensitive skin. Plant oils contain the same fatty acid building blocks that naturally occur in our skin. By carefully selecting the best plant oils for your skin type, you can introduce the right fatty acids that can help restore and maintain your skin's natural barrier.
Good Plant-powered Alternatives to common skin care ingredients
So... here are 3 easy ways that you can introduce vegan alternatives to your skincare routine.
Animal Wax vs Plant wax
These are used in products to smooth and soften your skin as well as to give a desired thick texture to finished products like lip or baby balms. The most commonly used wax might be animal waxes like beeswax. These can be replaced with plant-based oils and waxes like sunflower oil. It not only smooths your skin, but the fatty acids and vitamin E it contains have anti-inflammatory and calming properties.
Shark sourced vs Plant Derived Squalane
This is used as a skin conditioner and is usually extracted from shark livers. It can now be derived from plant-based sources like sugarcane. It has excellent moisturising properties and can help trap hydration in the skin. It can also increase firmness in our skins and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. We use squalane in the Skin Sapiens Hydrate Facial Oil to help maintain hydrated, smooth and supple skin.
Your choice of Surfactants
These are the primary components of cleansing products. They bubble up on the surface of your skin to help trap and remove dirt, and they come in two types. Ionic surfactants contain charged particles in their structures and non-ionic surfactants which contain neutral particles. The gentlest cleansers for your skin are non-ionic plant-based cleansing agents like disodium cocoyl glutamate which can be obtained from coconut and can be found in our Facial Cleansing Gel.
Read more on our plant-based ingredients and their benefits here.
JOIN THE PLANT POWERED MOVEMENT
Veganuary gives us an opportunity to think and take care, not only of what we put inside our bodies but also what we put on them.
So whether you're a full-blooded vegan, occasionally vegetarian or just dabbling in veganism this Veganuary, welcome to the club.
YOUR INTRO OFFER
Browse away and enjoy our natural and vegan swaps for your skin, with the code VEGANSTARTER for 20% off any order this January. T&Cs apply.
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