Beauty trends come and go. But beauty movements? These are the ones that make a lifelong impact and pivot the direction of the beauty industry in a *major* way. Recently, we’ve seen some incredible brands, like Cosmo ME fave, essence cosmetics, making their products completely with vegan ingredients.
We recently chatted with Kristin Jaskolka, Brand Director for essence cosmetics, to find out how essence cosmetics is taking sustainable steps to become a more eco-friendly and environmentally-conscious vegan brand.
So, what *exactly* makes a brand vegan?
Let’s start by defining what *actually* makes a makeup brand vegan. Kristin references People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) stance on the issue which is “vegan brands are characterised by a commitment to making or selling products that do not include any animal-derived ingredients.”
Vegan brands avoid using animal-derived ingredients like “lanolin, which is typically used in lip and hair products. Glycerine, made from animal fats, is also used in non-vegan make-up; and there is, of course, also animal hair, which is often used to make eyelashes, for example.”
When we think of essence cosmetics, cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly instantly come to mind, and turns out, we’re right.
“We believe, wholeheartedly, that animals should not suffer for our love of make-up, and our customers share this belief too. That is precisely why 100% of our products are cruelty-free and we have never conducted any testing on animals.”
They’re never (ever) looking back
To take it one step further, essence cosmetics has made a giant stride towards making its brand completely vegan. “We have always been a humancentric brand; a company dedicated to developing high quality, innovative, and performing products made with love and an unshakable belief in beauty without cruelty; in make-up without harmful ingredients. Last year, spurred by our values, vision, and mission, we fixed our focus on converting our entire range to 100% vegan ingredients and accordingly set autumn 2021 as our target date for the completion of this transition. We have not looked back since.”
“From the very inception of essence cosmetics in 2001, we have sought to be as caring, considerate, and environmentally friendly as possible. Being cruelty-free has always been a part of our identity, holding up a mirror to our principles to reflect who we are as a brand.”
And “from next year onwards, 100% of our products will indeed be vegan. Our entire range, including bestsellers, will be made up exclusively of vegan products. As part of this commitment, we will only re-release cosmetics that have no ingredients of animal origin.”
If that’s not exciting enough, essence cosmetics is elevating their clean beauty standards too. We’re “working diligently to make sure we provide access to a wider array of clean beauty cosmetics. That means using more natural ingredients and less non-organic ones.”
How to tell whether a product is vegan (or not)
We asked Kristin if we need to know every single ingredient in the product to understand if it’s vegan. Thankfully, it’s not as hard as it seems. “The most fool-proof way to distinguish a vegan product from a non-vegan one is to check for a requisite certification. For example, essence cosmetics products display a “vegan” logo to reiterate that they have been produced with no ingredients of animal origin.”
Three tips towards sustainable makeup shopping (that you can *actually* start using today)
Recycle and reuse
First and foremost, “it is decidedly important to be mindful of waste. We have always strived for general waste reduction and encourage our customers to do the same. As an avid make-up user, you can help create a healthier, cleaner, and greener future for all by recycling and repurposing your cosmetics containers and purchasing reusable products.”
Prioritise packaging
“To increase the use of recycled materials, we have set ourselves the ambitious goal of producing at least 50 percent of our packaging from recycled material or renewable raw materials by 2025. In our collaboration with the organization Plastics for Change, we promote plastic waste recycling and fair working conditions in India.“
Save water
“Though water is essential to every good makeup routine, taking care to conserve as much of it as possible is vital to our and the planet’s future.”
You can find essence cosmetics online and in retailers across the GCC.