The Rise of Vegan Personal Care Products: Understanding Ethical Choice
In today's world, where the ecological crisis and the instinct to protect living life have increased, people have begun to act with more ethical concerns in their consumption choices. The cosmetics and personal care industry also received its share of this transformation, and vegan personal care products began to gain popularity. Vegan product choice is more than just a dietary choice; It represents a stance against the exploitation of animals in all areas of life. Therefore, vegan personal care products are on the rise all over the world with increasing consumer demand. In this article, you will understand the concept of vegan, examine the rise of vegan personal care products, their impact on personal care, and discover the benefits of using vegan personal care products.
Understanding the Term Vegan
Although the word vegan refers only to a plant-based diet for many people, it actually has a broader meaning. Veganism, in its broadest sense, refers to a stance against the exploitation of animals. This means opposing animal testing, the use of animal-derived materials in consumer products, and any practice that may be harmful to animals. Vegan personal care products are products produced in accordance with these values. In these products, plant materials are used instead of animal-derived materials, and attention is paid to whether or not they are tested on animals.
Two Confused Concepts: Vegan and Vegetarian
Although veganism and vegetarianism share a similar level of awareness in ethical consumption, there are distinct differences between them. Vegetarianism is a diet that does not consume animal meat and products containing substances made from animal flesh. However, although vegetarians do not consume any animal meat or products made from meat, they can include animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs in their diet. Veganism, on the other hand, takes a stricter stance. Vegans refuse to consume not only meat, but also all animal products such as milk, butter, eggs, honey. Veganism represents a more radical stance against animal rights and the use of animals for consumer needs. For this reason, vegans reject the use of animals in every aspect of their lives, not only in their diets but also in many matters, from personal care products to clothing styles.
The Rise of Vegan Product Use and Its Impact on Personal Care
Traditional personal care products consist of products that can be produced by testing on animals (even though animal testing is banned in some countries, many large cosmetic brands continue animal testing) and raw materials of animal origin can also be used in production. According to 2023 data* of the international animal rights activist organization PETA, 286 companies worldwide, the majority of which are global cosmetic companies, continue to use animal experiments or ingredients tested on animals.
However, the vegan cosmetics/personal care industry continues to grow rapidly in recent years, a reflection of the ethical consumption trend. Consumers are turning to brands that respect animal rights, increasing the impact of vegan cosmetics on the industry. This growth is encouraging brands to adopt sustainable practices and offer consumers a variety of vegan product options. According to Fortune Business Insights data**, the vegan cosmetics industry will reach $18 billion in 2023, with nearly 35% of it in Europe. This figure is expected to exceed 27 billion dollars in 2030. The most preferred vegan cosmetic products are skin care products with 40%.
Benefits of Using Vegan Personal Care Products
The most important effect of the increase in the preference for vegan personal care products is that these products take a more sensitive approach towards animals, as plant materials are used instead of animal-derived materials and no animal testing is carried out. In addition, since animal production and consumption for the supply of raw materials will decrease, the environmental impact of the final product will also decrease and more sustainable production processes aimed at protecting nature and living creatures will be encouraged.
However, although vegan personal care products are produced with herbal ingredients, this does not always mean that they are produced with the most natural, organic or best ingredients for the protection of human health and natural life. Vegan products may also contain chemical components, preservatives, synthetic dyes and perfumes that may be allergenic, harmful to human health and the environment. For this reason, conscious consumers are recommended to examine the labels of vegan products.
Common Misunderstandings
There are many misconceptions about vegan personal care products. One misconception is that vegan products are ineffective. However, vegan personal care products can be just as effective as conventional products. Because aromatic plants, fruit extracts and oils, seeds and other herbal ingredients have been used throughout history as a source of healing in every field, from traditional medicine to modern medicine. What is important, as in every product, is the suitability and quality of the ingredients and formulation. Another misconception is that vegan products are expensive. However, there are many affordable vegan personal care brands available today and these products are easily accessible.
Vegan Certificates and Labels
When purchasing vegan personal care products, it is important to pay attention to vegan certifications and labels. These certifications and labels guarantee that the product is truly vegan and has not been tested on animals. Some common vegan certifications include Vegan Society, Leaping Bunny, and PETA Cruelty-Free. In addition, thanks to the registration we have as Rhaneva, which is provided by IFC Global all over the world and that the products are produced to certain standards, the existing product can be certified as vegan. These certifications allow consumers to reliably purchase vegan products.
RHANEVA, a Vegan Personal Care Brand to Consider
If you want to switch to vegan personal care products for ethical reasons, there are a few things to be careful about. Many brands use vegan or natural/organic product expressions in their communications. However, most of them either do not have the necessary certification or the chemicals they use have the possibility of harming nature and even human health. As we mentioned before, vegan certification alone does not guarantee that the product is natural, organic or with good ingredients. It is possible to see allergens such as heavy detergents, chemical preservatives used to extend the shelf life of the product, petrochemical components, synthetic dyes and perfumes in many vegan certified products on the market. For this reason, other components of the product should not be ignored in choices made with sustainability and ethical concerns. Because, aside from the fact that these types of components are not good for human health, they also have a high capacity to pollute water, air and soil.
For this reason, we produce all our RHANEVA products with the Cosmos Organic certificate, which determines international organic cosmetic standards, as well as the vegan certificate. In addition to all components of a Cosmos Organic certified product, the manufacturer's production and waste management systems are also inspected; Thus, the negative impact on natural life in the production and consumption of the product is minimized; You can be sure that at least 95% of the product ingredients are truly natural and at least 20% are produced through truly organic farming.
Vegan Cosmetics: A Closer Look at Ingredients and Production Processes
Cosmetics also have an important place among vegan personal care products. Vegan cosmetics are products that do not use animal-derived ingredients and are not tested on animals. Natural herbal ingredients, minerals and natural oils are generally used in these products, which appeal to an audience that considers animal rights and often the environmental impact of the product in their consumption preferences. And for the same reason, the production processes of vegan cosmetics tend to be environmentally friendly, and their packaging is often made from recyclable materials in line with the principle of sustainability. However, as we mentioned before, just because a product is certified vegan does not guarantee these. If you care about the products you use being good for your own health as well as ecological balance, we recommend that you examine their labels.
How to Switch to a Vegan Personal Care Routine?
If you want to switch to vegan personal care products, following a few steps can make your job easier. First, review your current personal care products and identify products that contain animal-derived ingredients. Research to replace these products with vegan alternatives. Second, discover vegan-certified brands and products. You can create your vegan personal care routine by using the products of these brands. Finally, consult resources to learn more about vegan personal care products and share your experiences with other vegan consumers.
The Future of Vegan Cosmetics Trends
Future vegan cosmetics trends may include the exploration of natural ingredients, the development of more effective formulas and the use of environmentally friendly packaging. It seems that the consumption trend that considers ecological balance with the concern of sustainability and leaving a better world to future generations will also lead to diversification in the vegan cosmetics industry. It would not be misleading to expect that natural, ecological, bio or organic certificates will be added to vegan certified products, which are increasingly taking their place in supermarkets day by day, but contain chemicals that may be harmful to both users and the environment due to long shelf life and less cost concerns. These trends, evolving in line with consumer expectations, seem to make the vegan cosmetics industry more diverse and innovative.
RHANEVA branded products, which we created with similar concerns and as a response to this transformation in personal care consumption habits, try to meet the needs of future generations with both Vegan and Cosmos Organic certificates.
References:
* https://crueltyfree.peta.org/companies-do-test/
** https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/vegan-cosmetics-market-106594