Worldwide vegan cosmetics launches have more than doubled over the past five years, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD). The global marketing firm details that new cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics launches represent a 175 percent increase from July 2013 to June 2018.
The growth of the vegan cosmetics market, which entails makeup, personal care, and hair care, indicates that more consumers than ever before are making a conscious effort to choose cruelty-free products that are free from animal ingredients. Carmine, bee’s wax, shellac, honey, and lanolin are among some of the most common animal-derived ingredients found in products.
The research shows that it is primarily younger consumers, including Millennials and members of Generation Z, who are driving the trend. These customers are also more likely to follow a plant-based diet and are also more likely to actively seek out brands that use natural ingredients and adhere to ethical values, such as being fair trade.
Despite the increase in new vegan cosmetics, Mintel indicates that there is still room for retailers to capture the burgeoning market. The company notes that UK-based grocery chain Holland & Barrett is among the leaders in the space, having announced last March that it will open a vegan supermarket, which will stock cruelty-free beauty products free from animal ingredients.
Individual brands are taking notice of the popularity of vegan cosmetics as well. Last March, cruelty-free beauty brand Milk Makeup announced that it would ditch all animal byproducts for good. The brand is also experimenting with products in the increasingly popular vegan CBD cosmetics market, with the launch of hemp-derived cannabis oil-infused products such as mascara and brow gel. Emerging brand Defynt Skin, which recently launched vegan CBD-infused skincare serum, along with select products offered at the online shop Kush Queen, are other examples of companies that are exploring the niche plant-based, cannabis-infused cosmetics market.
More customers are also increasingly aware of the cruel realities behind cosmetic animal testing, which was once thought to be a necessity in ensuring the safety of new products. In California, New York, Canada, and the European Union legislators and activists have all backed bans on the sale of beauty and personal care products that have been tested on animals.
