Welcome back for part two of our Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly, Ethical Weddings! Make sure to go back to Part 1, Fashion before we get started on today’s topic of beauty products if you haven’t read it yet.
When looking for eco-friendly beauty products, there are a lot of options but primarily brands that promote this are going to be concerned with sustainability of the ingredients, recycled or reduced packaging and sourcing organic ingredients. Additionally, many manufacturers are going a step further and even using renewable energy for their processes. This also typically includes products that are cruelty free and/or vegan. You’ll want to note that there is a difference because some brands may use animal derived products but not test on animals vs a vegan brand that not only does not test on animals but also uses only plant based ingredients in their formulas. It’s also not unheard of for some brands who hold these values in the US to allow animal testing on their products so they can be accepted into foreign markets that require it, such as China. In order to cover all the bases, the products in this article are all vegan which means they are also cruelty free, typically organic, sustainable, etc.
To get started, here are some common non-vegan ingredients to watch out for in your skincare & makeup:
- allantoin
- alpha-hydroxy acids
- ambergris
- arachidonic acid
- beeswax (cera alba)
- biotin
- caprylic acid
- carmine (carminic acid)
- castor (castoreum)
- cerebrosides
- cetyl alcohol
- chitosan
- cholesterol
- cochineal
- collagen
- cystine
- emu oil
- fish scales
- gelatin
- glycerin
- guanine
- honey
- hyaluronic acid
- keratin
- lanolin (including triterpene alcohol)
- lard
- L-cysteine
- lecithin
- linoleic acid
- mink oil
- monoglycerides, glycerides
- myristic acid
- nucleic acids
- oestrogen (estradiol)
- oleic acids
- palmitic acid
- panthenol (provitamin B5 and derivatives)
- polypeptides
- polysorbates
- pristane
- progesterone
- propolis
- RNA
- royal jelly
- shellac
- silk powder
- snails
- squalene
- stearic acid
- turtle oil
- urea (uric acid)
- vitamin A (retinol)
- vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)
Skincare is the first step in any pre-wedding regime and the brand I personally love & use is Urban Skin RX who call themselves the melanin experts. Their products are especially loved by those who have dark marks, freckles, acne scars, melasma or sun damage they are hoping to improve the appearance of. Urban Skin RX is readily available at Target or via their own website where you can take a quiz to learn which products best suit your skin type & needs. They also offer body products & microneedling rollers, which are a popular trend right now in the beauty industry.
Urban Skin RX
Skin Owl is another fantastic beauty brand who also offers products for the neck & body. Additionally, for you beauty addicts out there, they offer many different deluxe travel size options which is perfect for trying all of their different Beauty Drops, one of their best selling products!
If you want a vegan skincare line that offers fantastic sample packages based on your skin type, try Odacite either online or in a Nordstrom’s or Bluemercury near you. Make sure to take their skin care quiz to find out what products will best meet your needs.
It’s also important for men to have a skincare routine and the vegan products my husband loves are Bulldog which have a complete men’s line including face scrub, deodorant, shaving products & beard balm & oil. For anyone that doesn’t like having to wait on online products to ship to them, Bulldog is also available at Target, making it an easy, ethical option even if you are short on time.
Bulldog Skincare for Men
Every Man Jack has hair, body, skincare, beard, shaving & other items and was recently featured in Men’s Journal magazine for their volcanic clay face scrub.
Finally, it can often be difficult for men to find a good shaving brush that is vegan and also won’t break the bank so we love The Body Shop’s men’s wooden shaving brush which is also certified with the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes responsible management of the world’s forests.
Men, these upcoming makeup suggestions aren’t just for the ladies! Over the last 20 years I’ve seen many grooms use a bit of concealer (or more) especially to hide any imperfections on their wedding day so here’s the roundup of our top makeup picks.
Tarte has a huge & ever expanding list of vegan products including makeup, brushes, moisturizer, teeth whitening, deodorant & even glitter gel. Their Shape Tape concealer & Face Tape foundation are renowned in makeup circles for their natural looking incredible coverage, available in 50 shades with 5 undertones. This is a personal favorite of mine along with the Amazonian clay waterproof brow pencil which is foolproof for those of us who are just looking for something quick & easy to use.
Tarte Shape Tape concealer
Fyrinnae Cosmetics are known for their fully pigmented colors, vegan metallics & eco-friendly glitter. Best of all, these high quality products are all reasonably priced, making it easy for you to grab a lot of different colors to play with!
Inika is a well known vegan makeup brand that promises that all of their products contain at least 70% certified organic ingredients. One of their most popular products is their Liquid Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid which is vegan sourced! Their Face in a Box starter kit even contains eight face products plus a full size vegan kabuki brush to get you started.
If you’re a fan of the legendary Poreless Putty Primer by e.l.f. then you might already be familiar with this staple makeup brand. What you may not know is that their entire line is vegan friendly, including my personal favorite, the Matte Lip Color crayon which lasts me for months, is super long lasting and retails at just $3! This is what I wore on my own wedding day!
e.l.f. products
Finally, tattoo artist, tv personality & animal activist Kat Von D has an entirely vegan line of cosmetics & brushes, including perfume. Her Studded Kiss lipstick is available in 120 shades & is praised for it’s creamy feel & longevity. Her award winning Tattoo liquid eyeliner is another cult favorite that is known for giving a liquid eyeliner look without smearing when touched.
Kat Von D Beauty
Check back in for our next blog post where we delve into part 3 of our Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly, Ethical Weddings & make sure to sign up for our email list with news, helpful tips & notifications on upcoming blog posts!