Vegan Skincare
Earlier this month, the United Nations produced a report on climate science, warning the world’s food security is becoming under increasing pressure. The report highlights the urgent necessity (and benefits) of reducing global meat consumption and advocates the increase of plant-based foods in our daily diet. The suggestion is that rather than using land for grazing or production of animal food crops, we could potentially free up millions of square kilometres of land which, in turn, could be utilised for sustainable farming of food for human consumption.
When I was a child, I learned about a 19th century native American, Chief Seattle, who amongst many other things is remembered for his quotes and moving speeches and could possibly be described as the original eco-warrior. One of his quotes that made a lasting impression on me was ‘Take only memories, leave only footprints’. Whilst Chief Seattle was almost certainly not vegan, his wise words in many ways reflect the Vegan Society’s philosophy, which is to ‘exclude where possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals’.
The rise of veganism across the world, especially in recent years has been exceptional to say the least and the impact goes well beyond the mere food aspects, moving into overall lifestyle choices. It is estimated that more than 50% of the UK population, meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, are now embracing vegan criteria when searching on-line for products, including cruelty free skincare. Indeed, supported by celebrities (even Simon Cowell has gone vegan), vegan skincare products have become the new ‘must have’, prompting exceptional growth over the past years, resulting in even the large cosmetics brands becoming interested.
Whilst this rise in popularity must be applauded, industry transparency in respect of ingredients remains disappointingly, though perhaps unsurprisingly, low. It remains important to keep in mind that many producers very often pay little more than lip-service to their commitment to natural, organic ingredients or indeed the vegan cause, preferring to ‘talk the talk’ rather than truly making changes to their tried and tested, hugely profitable, products. This continued practice of ‘Greenwashing’ and ‘Angel Dusting’ highlights the importance of product certification and urgent need for consumer education.
More than two years ago, when we first embarked on the project that was to become Maiiro, our aim was to come up with a luxury range of natural skincare products, presenting a credible alternative to the mainstream cosmetics industry offering. Being animal lovers, we have chosen not to include animal derived ingredients and are proud that, with the exception of our lip-salve, our products are not only transparent in terms where our ingredients and packaging come from, they are also vegan[1] and 100% cruelty free, meaning no animal testing has taken place.
We want to live by Chief Seattle’s principles, minimising our negative impact on the environment and reducing waste through recyclable packaging and ethically sourced organic ingredients.
After all, your beauty should not cost, or harm, the earth.
[1] Note : Our lip salve contains beeswax. However, no bees are harmed in the harvesting of this component.