Going Vegan with Your Hair Care Products

Many people are looking for ways to make their lives more environmentally friendly and cruelty-free. Veganism is one of the best ways to do this because it eliminates all forms of animal exploitation, including those in the food industry and clothing industries. One area that many people overlook when going vegan is hair care products, but there are many great options out there.

Haircare products are often tested on animals, so when you’re going vegan, it makes sense to switch your hair routine as well. A recent survey conducted by AllThingsHair showed that 53% of respondents found it very important that a hair product is cruelty-free. 

Whether you dye or highlight your hair regularly, use a lot of styling tools that could cause heat damage and breakage in the future, have naturally oily/dry scalp issues, or just want something different, there are vegan hair care products out there to help you achieve the look and feel that you’re after.

The transition to a new routine may be overwhelming at first, but it gets easier with time. This article will talk about vegan hair products, how to transition into a vegan hair routine, and the environmental impacts of switching to vegan hair products.

Vegan Hair Products – What are they?

Vegan hair products are an alternative to non-vegan hair products. They are made of all-natural ingredients, making them more environmentally friendly than their counterparts. The term vegan refers to the absence of any form of animal product in the product. 

For example, if a person with curly hair wanted to use a vegan product, they would need to find one not made with lanolin or beeswax. These ingredients are derived from animal products and thus make the product non-vegan.

In contrast to most hair products, vegan hair products do not contain any fragrances or dyes that may irritate a person’s scalp. Instead of using these types of chemicals in their products, companies often use essential oils instead. Essential oils have several benefits to the health of hair. Some common oils used include rosemary oil, lavender oil, and peppermint oil.

Some vegan hair products also contain soy protein or rice proteins as an ingredient. These proteins help strengthen a person’s hair follicles so that they are less likely to break off during washing/styling processes. In addition, the combination of essential oils and proteins often makes a person’s hair more robust, more manageable, and shinier.

Why go vegan with your hair care products?

There are many reasons to switch your shampoo, conditioner, and styling products over to vegan alternatives. But, even if you’re not vegan yourself but still want sustainable haircare that’s good for the environment, this is for you too!

The first reason why someone should go vegan with their hair care products? To save animals from suffering, of course! There’s no need to test your products on animals, and we know that these tests can be cruel. So cruelty-free is the way forward!

The second reason why someone should go vegan with their hair care products? To help save our planet from further destruction caused by harsh chemicals in shampoo, conditioner, and styling product formulations.

Last but not least, vegan haircare is better for your hair and scalp. Without the harsh chemicals, it can allow your natural oils to stay on your head and not be washed away because of a shampoo formula that’s too stripping or has sulfates in it, which can cause dryness.

How to transition into a vegan hair care routine?

Transitioning into a vegan hair care routine can be easy and rewarding, as it’s more environmentally conscious than other hair care routines. However, a common question that vegans commonly ask is how to go about transitioning into a vegan hair care routine. Many factors need to be considered, including hair type, personal preference, and quality of products. Here are some tips for making the transition: 

Replace your shampoo with a vegan-friendly option.

If you’re considering transitioning into a vegan hair care routine, the first step is to replace your shampoo with a vegan-friendly option. You can find an array of high-quality and effective shampoos that are specifically manufactured for vegans. The choice of replacement depends on personal preference as well as the type of hair. Some common types include:

• Aloe Vera shampoo for dry scalps.
• Tea Tree Oil Shampoo for thinning hair.
• Oat milk shampoo for sensitive skin or scalp conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.

Switch to non-animal hair products, including conditioner and styling products

Apart from replacing your shampoo with a vegan alternative, it would be best if you also considered replacing other hair products as well.

These products include conditioner, styling cream, hair masks, etc. Conditioners are essential for women because it helps prevent hair breakage and split ends. It also makes the hair softer to touch without weighing down your locks.

Styling creams and gels may be replaced with plant waxes that provide similar holding power compared to non-vegan alternatives.

Avoid using hair brushes made from animal hair or fur

Hairbrushes are very often overlooked as a significant source of animal hair and fur. So if you are looking to move away from these products for ethical or environmental reasons, consider switching your brush as well.

Many vegan options are available on the market today, with more and more companies offering brushes made out of synthetic or plant-based fibers.

Check the ingredient list for any animal ingredients

Reading the ingredients of each product is vital when switching to a vegan hair care routine. First, you must know which ingredients to avoid to determine whether a product is vegan or not. Some of the most common animal-derived by-products used in the manufacture of traditional hair products are:

• Sodium lauryl sulfate
• Lanolin waxes
• Beeswax
• Glycerine
• Stearic Acid
• Keratin

These harmful ingredients are commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, and styling products for both men’s and women’s hair care needs. By simply checking the ingredient list of each product you intend to use on your own or with anyone else, you can quickly determine whether it is vegan or not.

Start using vegan hair dye.

Many hair dyes contain ammonia, but vegan alternatives tend to rely more on natural ingredients. There are plenty of organic, plant-based ingredients that will leave you looking your best, like raw bamboo fibers, vegetable colophony obtained from pine resin, and even seaweed. 

These ingredients not only feel better for the environment, but they’ll feel better for your scalp and can also deliver a luscious color without damaging or discoloring your natural locks in any way. In addition, when vegan hair dyes are used, your chances of reacting to them are reduced. If you suffer from allergies, organic dyes may thus prove better for you, although you must still take the necessary precautions.

The environmental impacts of switching to vegan hair products

Hair products are just one of the many things that people consume that affect the environment. Many hair products contain animal-derived ingredients, such as glycerin, which is usually derived from animals. The more people switch to vegan hair products, the less demand for products containing animal-derived ingredients. Less demand means less production and thus less environmental impact through emissions during production and disposal at the landfill.

Another benefit of switching to vegan hair products is that many vegan options contain organic ingredients. In addition, organic farming has a much smaller environmental impact than conventional farming because it doesn’t use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Therefore, if more people switch to vegan hair products, the demand for organic ingredients will increase, encouraging farmers to plant their fields with sustainable, organic crops.

Conclusion

Advocates of veganism argue that the best option for animal rights is to be completely vegan. If you’re not ready to go fully vegan, try using more natural and organic products. Doing this will provide a better environment for animals as well as make your hair healthier. 

And if you’re still on the fence about going all-in with your beauty routine, there are plenty of plant-based options available at most grocery stores these days which allow consumers to find their own level in transitioning from standard shampoo to cruelty-free shampoos without having to sacrifice quality or price.

Start your transition to a vegan hair routine today!