By Miriam Christie
Want to reboot your regime? Here are some simple vegan beauty swaps to help you on your way...Vegan oral hygiene
Vegan toothpastes are free from fluoride, harmful chemicals and bleaches that are often incorporated into tooth whitening products. You don’t have to sacrifice a white smile, however: White Glo’s Pure and Natural toothpaste is a vegan and organic formula, which whitens teeth with all-natural ingredients.An estimated one billion plastic toothbrushes end up in landfill sites across the US alone. Plastic toothbrushes take an estimated 400 years to decompose. To combat this, opt for a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush that will decompose naturally, such as Boobalou’s Environmental Toothbrush.
Vegan cosmetics
Switching to vegan friendly cosmetics means that products are 100 per cent cruelty free; using vegan cosmetics also helps you to swerve animal by-products, such as lanolin, which can block pores and encourages acne.Vegan cosmetics are also a good choice for those with sensitive skin, due to the limited number of ingredients used to formulate them, making them less likely to irritate. The naturally sourced plant ingredients used within vegan cosmetics means that inherently vegan formulas contain greater amounts of vitamins to help keep skin supple, healthy and bright.
Brands such as KVD Beauty, Inika and Cover FX mean you don’t have to scrimp on choice or luxury to take your beauty regime vegan.
Vegan haircare
Currently, non-vegan shampoos contain sodium lauryl sulphate, which has been proven to encourage hair loss. Natural plant-based alternatives such as tea tree oil and jojoba extract stimulate hair follicles, while the paraben-free formula incorporated into vegan shampoo further reduces hair damage as opposed to non-vegan alternatives.Avalon Organics has a range of cruelty-free vegan haircare, designed for all hair types and concerns. A simple and effective vegan swap is to substitute your plastic hairbrush for a more sustainable alternative such as bamboo and rubber, both of which are biodegradable. Hair brush bristles are often made with boar bristle, so look out for brushes with nylon or bamboo bristles.
Stockists like Planet Organic and The Body Shop have a range of vegan hair brushes to suit your style. Small modifications can have a long list of advantages, from protecting the environment to improving your own health and appearance. Time to get swap-shopping!
