Clean beauty is officially on the rise. Where once being eco- and animal-friendly was niche, nowadays it’s becoming expected from consumers of the brands they purchase. And a whole new crop of vegan beauty brands are popping up as a result.

In a 2018 study done by Dalhousie University, it was revealed that 9.4% of Canadians call themselves vegetarian or vegan. Whilst it might not sound like a huge percentage, it’s a tremendous leap from previous years – in fact, more than one million more people identified as a vegan or vegetarian than 15 years prior.

On the beauty front, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, the vegan beauty market increased 175% from July 2013 to June 2018. The main driving forces behind the increased demand for vegan and cruelty-free options in the beauty industry are millennials and Gen Z. The new consumer is keen for products whose ingredients list they can actually understand, that aren’t tested on animals and don’t have a huge environmental impact.

Luckily, there’s an increasing number of brands entering the market delivering just that.

It’s also worth noting the differences between vegan and cruelty-free brands, and to highlight that one does not necessarily follow the other. Vegan options have no animal-based ingredients (such as milk, honey or lanolin), while cruelty-free options have not been tested on animals.

Curious to get in on the clean beauty trend? Or simply looking for more options to add to your beauty drawer? Whatever the reason, here’s six brands to keep your eye on…

Dermablend

In August, Dermablend became the first L’Oréal brand to receive PETA certification. The brand was founded by dermatologist Dr. Craig Roberts in 1981 and worked with the animals rights organization to completely transform its formulations to be 100% vegan. “We felt it was important to seek third-party certification to reinforce and validate our commitment to cruelty-free and to show our consumers that we’re listening to their needs,” said Malena Higuera, Dermablend’s general manger, in an interview with WWD. The brand is available to shop across Canada in Shopper’s Drug Mart.

Cake Beauty

Homegrown Canadian brand (Kitchener, Ontario to be exact) Cake Beauty offers 100% vegan products that are also 100% free from animal testing. Their extensive line-up includes dry shampoo, hand lotions, body creams and more in an array of insanely delicious scents that will leave you wanting more.

Milk Makeup

New York brand Milk Makeup has a whole list of ticks of next to its name: Vegan? Yep. Paraben-free? You bet. Cruelty-free? Absolutely. In fact, the brand is Leaping Bunny-certified which means none of its ingredients have been tested on animals anywhere in the supply chain. The brand’s MO is effortless makeup application — and they’ve got a tonne of shades on offer, too. Unsure of what your shade is? Just pop them an email and they’ll help get you sorted.

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury is 100% cruelty-free and 172 of its products are also vegan-friendly. Its top-selling Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder is one, alongside a huge number of its lipsticks, eyeshadows and skincare products. In fact, the brand has a dedicated page on its website outlining every vegan-friendly option they offer to date.

NUDESTIX

NUDESTIX is another Canadian brand doing right by the environment and animals. The buzzy millennial-focused brand is the work of Jenny, Taylor and Ally Frankel and is 100% vegan, cruelty-free and its multi-use products are formulated without parabens, sulfates or phthalates. Plus, each product is tested by dermatologists and opthamologists to ensure they’re safe for sensitive skin and eyes.

E.L.F.

Enviro- and animal-friendly makeup that doesn’t break the bank? Um, yes please. E.L.F. has top-notch options starting from just $6 – and its entire range is 100% vegan. There’s also no harmful ingredients used in any of their products so you can feel just as good as your bank account will when you shop the brand.

If you’re looking for more vegan-friendly options in Canada, Sephora has a dedicated clean beauty section in each of its stores, whilst The Detox Market has a bunch of storefronts in Toronto (as well as an online store with Canada-wide shipping) and is dedicated to offering consumers the best in clean beauty.

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