What’s next for vegan beauty?

How innovation, ethics and sustainability are reshaping the cosmetics industry

Since coining the word 'vegan' 80 years ago, The Vegan Society has witnessed veganism evolve from a niche concept to a mainstream movement. As public awareness of the use of animals and animal by-products in manufacturing has increased, so too has the demand for items that avoid animal testing and exclude animal-derived ingredients. Although food and drink tends to garner the most media attention, it is the beauty industry that has truly led the trend. Cosmetics and toiletries make up the most Vegan Trademark certifications with over 35,0000 of the 70,000 products registered in this category.  

Vegan beauty refers to cosmetics and personal care products that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and are not tested on animals. This customer base reaches further than those that identify as vegan, with 39% of British women who exclusively buy vegan beauty products not actually being vegan. With the global vegan cosmetics industry predicted to be worth $32.5billion by 2032, what is the future of vegan beauty? 

At the recent In-cosmetics Global event in Amsterdam, the Vegan Trademark team observed a significant rise in demand for vegan ingredients across the personal care sector. Several industry delegates shared their plans to phase out non-vegan products, especially those containing beeswax, driven by increasing consumer demand for ethical formulations.  

During a panel discussion hosted by the Vegan Trademark, Jo-Anne Chidley, founder of Beauty Kitchen, emphasised the importance of collaboration among ethical brands to accelerate growth in the sector: “For us, when it comes to third-party marks, it's not just about getting the certification - that's just opening the door. We've got to be able to nurture those certification marks and those communities. When it comes to the Vegan Trademark, that's the badge of honour, but what does the community drive? What does being a progressive industry mean? We've always been a progressive industry, but we have to be careful we don't go rogue, which is why verification marks are so important.” 

On the same panel Abi Fitzjohn, creative buyer at Lush, whose range is now 95% vegan and certified by the Vegan Trademark gave insight on their focus on replacing animal-derived and environmentally damaging ingredients with more sustainable options. She explained: "Keep the formulations simple, keep the information clear for the customer so they know what they are purchasing and make simple switches when moving from non-vegan to vegan formulations. That's what we have done at Lush when moving away from animal products and degenerative ingredients."  

Animal testing 

A big driver in the rise of vegan beauty is the public pushback against animal testing.  The awareness and negative perception of the practice has continued to grow over the past few years. This is something we’ve seen spread across all demographics and geographic regions. 

• 79% of American adults support a federal law to end animal testing for cosmetics. 
• 85% of Brits find it unacceptable to test cosmetics ingredients on animals. 
• 80% of Koreans support increased funding to replace animal testing with advanced methods. 
• 85% of Australians oppose the use of animal testing for the development of cosmetics. 
• 73% of Brits look for either cruelty-free or vegan certifications when buying cosmetics or toiletries, with 26% more likely to purchase a product that displayed both vegan and cruelty-free certifications.* 

With such widespread sentiment against animal testing, particularly when it comes to the development of beauty products, it is likely that the demand for products created without the use of animal testing is going to continue. As technology improves, an increasing number of laboratories are offering vegan testing. One example is the VeganSure test from  MSL Solution Providers, which enables brands to get more and more opportunity to remove the use of animals in the development of their products. Consumers are seeing that there is no longer an excuse – being able to put ‘vegan’ on the label is going from nice-to-have to a must-have. Whether looking to sell your brand domestically or internationally this is an expectation that defies borders. 

Natural and sustainable  

While vegan doesn’t always mean that a product is more sustainable, when it comes to an overlapping customer base sustainability and veganism go hand-in-hand. Consumers are often looking for brands that are good for the environment, planet and their skin. With the rise in clean beauty trends highlighting minimal, natural ingredients in products, shoppers are checking the labels more than ever: 

• 81% of consumers said that the cosmetic industry should actively reduce high levels of plastic packaging. 
• When buying cosmetics and beauty products 38.4% said the inclusion of ‘natural ingredients’ was an important consideration to them.* 
• 67% of global consumers now look for sustainable beauty products. 
• 68% of consumers seek out clean skin care brands. 
• 60% of consumers expect brands to disclose the source of their ingredients, while 72% want clear expectations of what ingredients do.  

What does this show for the future of vegan beauty? Brands that go the extra mile to embrace holistic messaging will be the winners. Consumers are looking at the whole picture: animal welfare, environmental impact, ingredient safety and brand ethics. The more brands show alignment across those values, the stronger their connection with their audience will be.  

Being vegan is their ticket into the conversation, but pairing it with the other ethical qualities is the key to making products shine. Consumers want to buy products that they can feel good about, and they will continue to support brands they feel an emotional connection to. We are in a time where people are having a more heightened emotional response to things they may never have considered before, and this is continuing to grow due to how quickly information spreads on social media. Shoppers are considering the impact of every purchasing decision they make. So let that decision be to buy your product by showing them how your brand’s values match their own.  

Honesty is everything 

It’s not enough to just talk the talk, if you can’t back up your ethical claims then using it as ‘just a marketing tool’ could do more harm than good. 

Misunderstanding around what ‘vegan’ means has led to unknown animal products, such as honey, being included in beauty products marketed as suitable for vegans. This can cause great distress for those shoppers buying a product that no longer aligns with their beliefs. 

Consumers are not fooled by false marketing claims – 52% of people globally say they have seen, or heard, false or misleading information about sustainable actions taken by brands. Whether this was an intentional misdirection from the brand or an honest mistake the damage to consumer trust is the same. With new legislation soon being introduced in the EU and UK, it’s not just reputational damage that brands need to worry about. With this in mind, it’s more important than ever to ensure you back up your claims with third-party certification from The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. Getting certified by the Vegan Trademark shows commitment. By working with our vegan experts to independently check ingredients and manufacturing processes to ensure that they fully meet our vegan standards brands can confidently talk about their vegan status.  

How to make your brand a future vegan beauty success story 

1. Create ethically – make sure your products and any products you have in your NPD pipeline comply with consumers’ ethical expectations. This becomes especially important when it comes to animal testing, but sustainability and ‘natural’ vegan ingredients are also important.  

2. Be transparent – let your consumer make conscious choices when shopping for your products by being open about their ingredients and manufacturing processes.  

3. Get certified – gain consumer trust by backing up your claims and showing your customers your practices are more than skin deep.  

Find out more about how you can get your products certified by The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark here. 

*Source: Survey run by Vypr for The Vegan Society April 2025, 526 respondents, 2024 Nat Rep age & gender