Veganism has grown in popularity over the last several years as more and more people are choosing to give up meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products. Some are making the change for health reasons, some for environmental reasons, and others for ethical reasons. This trend is not only happening in the food industry, but it has also begun to spark change in the beauty industry.

In the latest edition of The New York Times, fashion writer and editor, Andrea Cheng, writes about vegan beauty, what it means, and how this will affect the future of the beauty industry. There are several disturbing traces of animal found in everyday skincare and makeup products, including cow urine, cow and pig bones, sheep organs, and even whale vomit. Nobody thinks about the fact that they are smearing these animal parts onto their face when they put moisturizer on before bed, but many people just don’t realize that vegan options exist.

“This demand for all things vegan has made industries take notice, especially beauty.”

But what exactly does vegan beauty mean? According to Cheng, it means that a product is free of any animal ingredients. However, this is not to be confused being with “cruelty-free,” which just means that a product has not been tested on animals. As this becomes more popular, it will be crucial that brands do a better job of labeling to make it easier to differentiate vegan beauty products from non-vegan ones. We have seen this with vegan food products as the vegan diet has grown in popularity.

Cheng suggests that consumers start carefully reading labels and looking for natural ingredients. It’s helpful to do some research to see what brands and products are out there. She urges consumers to know how to assess the ingredients and question what they are buying. Plus, vegan beauty brands have exploded. There are many convenient and inexpensive options on the market. You can find vegan beauty products at the drugstore for a very affordable price, including the brands Pacifica and Derma E for skincare and Wet n Wild and e.l.f. for makeup.

According to Cheng, consumer demand has been the driving force behind this sudden growth in the vegan beauty industry. Consumers, specifically Millennial’s and Gen Z’s are fighting for big companies to make changes regarding the ethical and environmental impacts of their products. These consumers only want to support companies that align with their values. This has forced big companies to change their ways, empowering consumers to continue pushing for change.

For more on this, check out, Andrea Cheng’s “Taking Animals Out Of The Makeup Aisle,” The New York Time (Feb. 26, 2019): D4