With the New Year, come new resolutions! Maybe you’re one of the thousands stepping out on a vegan journey, swapping out meat and dairy for nuts, pulses, veggies and grains? Veganuary – a commitment not to consume or use animal products for the whole of January – is increasing in popularity year by year, and there are also growing numbers of people who are making a permanent change to the vegan life.
For many people, veganism isn’t just about what you eat, but how you live.
It’s often said that vegan isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle. That means vegans make animal-friendly choices in all sorts of areas, such as wearing non-leather shoes and avoiding wool, as well as seeking out cruelty-free skincare. But unfortunately, it can be really quite confusing trying to work out which cosmetics and toiletries hit the sweet spot of being both vegan (ie contain no animal products) and cruelty-free (ie don’t contain ingredients that have been tested on animals).
No kitemark doesn’t mean not suitable for vegans
Not every product that ticks both boxes has a cruelty-free kitemark – such as the famous leaping bunny – but that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t suitable for vegans; it just means that the company who made the shampoo or the face cream has paid for certification. It’s no longer permitted in the UK to advertise the fact that your product hasn’t been tested on animals, as EU regulations mean that no product sold here is allowed to be tested like this anymore. But some skincare ingredients (especially synthetic additives) might have been tested in the past, and some brands do comply with compulsory animal testing in other countries – if they’re exported to China, for example.
Some products are labeled as natural but contain ingredients that have been derived from animals
It’s also possible to market a product as ‘natural’ but still be using animal-derived ingredients such as lanolin or keratin, or colours, preservatives and emulsifiers made from animals, rather than plant-based alternatives. At Purepotions, they are happy to say that except for the local beeswax they use in ointments, all of their oils and creams are free from animal-based ingredients and do not use any ingredients tested on animals.
That means they don’t use any ingredients made from cow’s milk; don’t add fragrances processed from living creatures; they chose alternatives to dairy-derived fatty acids, animal-derived glycerin, keratin, lanolin, tallow, ingredients made from fish or shellfish, or ingredients made from egg protein. In fact, all of their creams and oils, as well as haircare, are perfectly safe for vegans, as well as for anyone wanting to make sure that the toiletries they use are genuinely cruelty-free.
I have been trying out the Purepotions collection this month and they have some amazing ‘hero’ products that are perfect for taking care of your skin this veganuary and the winter months in general!
Both my husband and my daughter suffer with dry and flaky scalp so the Purepotions Natural Shampoo is perfect for them, and for anyone with sensitive skin. The Cleansing Oil and Handcream are definitely perfect for keeping your skin at its best this winter! To find out more about the collection, whether you are taking part in veganuary or not, head to: www.purepotions.co.uk
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