To my mind, a vegan beautyproduct doesntclue you in on anything about it other than the obvious:that its animal-product free. A beauty product being marketed as vegandoesnt tell you if itsnatural or petrochemical, clean, sustainable, or environmentally friendly, or whether it includes or excludes any known bioaccumulative and/or sensitizing ingredients.

But heres the problem.

As a consumer, youthinkit does.

Veganism sprung from the food world and it is where the association still most commonly lands. Where it so often does mean natural, plant-based, sustainably sourced, and responsibly farmed ingredients. Veganism as a concept is intertwined and indistinguishable from ethical consumption.

For the purpose of clarity, practicing veganism is the avoidance of eating or consuming any material derived from animals, including meat, dairy, and eggs, as well as leather, fur, wool and lanolin, silk,pearls, all bees products (honey, propolis, beeswax et. al), and some glues (gelatine).

As a vegetarian for over 20 years,Im in the knowas to why I, and many of my friends, stopped eating meat and using animal products. Ididnteat meat not because of the ethics of killing animals (thoughI wont denythat was a consideration); I did it because the climatic implications of humanitys consumption of meat are earth-shatteringly stratospheric in their impact.

One of the primary causes of climate change is agriculture, accounting for approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as contributing to 7 (out of just 9) planetary boundaries. While meat and dairy provide just 18% of the worlds calories, theyoccupy 83% of the worldsfarmland, which contributes an eye-watering60% to agricultures total greenhouse gas emissions.

For me, not eating meat was about theenvironment first, ethics second, and I know Im not the onlyone who came to veganism this way (Disclaimer: I was a much better vegetarian than I was a veganthough I did try!).

But to the crux of my threadfor a consumer, there is a subconscious presumption that veganism is natural, plant-based, and environmentally friendly. Because that is what being vegan is in practically every other domain except beauty.

A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way toreduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use, wrote Joseph Poore, at the University of Oxford, UK.

Usurping the implied ethics of veganism for profit over sustainability is a worrying trend when ourindustrysalternatives, often petrochemical, can be worse once chemical pollution and biodegradability (or lack thereof) is factored into the equationa core criterion of the planetary boundaries.

It is also worth bearing in mind that beauty and personal care consumption is far less than food: anequivalent dietary portion of honey will provide several months worth of moisturization whenblended into a skincare product.

Let me be clear, Im not anti-vegan at all. Ive workedwith several brands where veganism is a core pillar of their brand proposition and, done responsibly, it absolutely can be. Buttheres so muchmore to social purpose and sustainable brand development, andif thatswhat you are relying on to sell your product?Theres somethingimportantmissing from your message. AndIma little tired of its overuse in being offered up as a main, and sometimes sole, USP.

Perhaps I am alone here, but I never really had a problem with sustainably sourced beeswax or honey in my mascara or lip balm(though I do think its a tad too comedogenic for leave-on skincare and will avoid it for that). I do have an ethical dilemma, however, with an entirely petrochemical formula including known bioaccumulative materials such as silicones or microplastics marketing itself as vegan and expecting kudos for it, or to acquire the conscious consumer as a result.

My point to you?Nothingreally changed when vegan beautybecame a thing.It was a seemingly natural-enough trend ripe for the picking by big business jumping on board for their own benefit, pulling on the compassionate heartstrings of Gen Z and the Millennials (thosegenuinedemanders of transparency and authenticity), without having to do a thing to actually improve the ethical or ecological impact of beauty and personal care products.

This is exactly the type of greenwashing we as an industry should strive against. It dilutes the very progress we are trying to achieve as a whole regarding sustainability and transparency.

So next time, when someone tells you their brand or product is vegan? Please ask,And what else?

And that, is how the beauty industry co-opted the vegan movement.

Photo: Ivana Milakovic via Unsplash

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How the Beauty Industry Co-Opted the Vegan Movement - BeautyMatter