Global beauty brands are in a race to supply the growing demand for products that are environmentally friendly and ethically produced. A report in the New York Times in August 2018, estimates that by 2025 vegan beauty products will be a R312 billion business. This incentive pushes global brands to think outside of the box to meet the demand. Vivienne Joseph, Group Head of Beauty at Woolworths says, “It’s no secret that many brands in the beauty industry have met their fair share of controversy due to unethical and environmentally irresponsible practices and are now opting to also go green”.
Locally, W. Beauty successfully launched their 100% vegan make-up and skincare products in 2019. Now, more South African brands are committed to meet the growing demand for vegan skincare, make-up and hair beauty products. And as cosmetic companies are forced to be more transparent about the ingredients they use, it can only be great news for consumers.
The “vegan” certificate guarantees that the product does not contain any animal ingredients such as beeswax, collagen, gelatin, honey, lanolin, carmine, cholesterol, or other animal- derived ingredients. But it must also be pointed out that not all animal products are “bad” or “harmful” says Fabian Franz, the director of organic brand Team Doctor Joseph. Vegan also implies that the product has not been tested on animals during the production process. So vegan-friendly products use natural, alternative sources such as plant or fruit extracts instead.
