Cruelty-free and Vegan make-up trend

During the early twenty-first century, the manufacture of beauty products had become a multibillion-dollar industry, with cosmetics lines featuring organic products as well as those labeled "not tested on animals" or "cruelty-free" generating a significant increase in sales.

Veganism is shifting from the once 'what we put in our bodies' to 'what we put on our faces'. According to Vegan Society, in UK alone, the number of vegans in UK increase from 150,000 to 540,000 in a decade, with millennials accounting for half of that number. In 2017, Mintel has pointed out a 100% rise in the number of 'vegan' claims for cosmetics; one of their associate directors of beauty and personal care, Roshida Khanom, stating that "it it definitely a growing trend" - following the "free-from" one from groceries.

People have become much more aware of what products contain. If before they would run away from 'nasties' such as preservatives, nowadays they are much more demanding of companies, driven by the consciousness of health and ethicality. And social media plays a big role in how the consumers express themselves and their values.

One of the most notable examples was the US brand Nars that, in June 2017, announced that they would go back on their cruelty-free stance to enter the Chinese market where the law demands that products are tested on animals, whereas in the EU it is banned. After a wave of criticism, the company release a statement on Instagram that explained that the company hears their complaints, but it is an important step to bring their products to China. This only angered the audience and confirmed that they choose "money over principles", using the hashtag #boycottnars.

References

Young, S. (2017) "Nars Cosmetics boycotted by consumers as it announces it's no longer a cruelty-free brand". Independent. Available here. [Accessed April 17, 2018]

Butterly, A. (2017) "Nars make-up boycotted, after cosmetics tested on animals in China". BBC. Available here. [Accessed April 17, 2018]

Saner, E. (2017) "Is there animal fat in your blusher? Why vegan makeup is on the rise". The Guardian. Available here. [Accessed April 17, 2018]

Riggs,T. (2015) "Cosmetics Industry". Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, 2nd ed., vol. 1, pp. 303-304. Available here. [Accessed April 17, 2018[