Cosmetics consumers are drastically switching to cruelty-free brands, with more than half of UK women now switching to vegan makeup products.

A study by Cosmetify suggests far more women actively choose vegan products than are actually vegan themselves.

Researchers questioned 2,200 women aged 18-45, all of whom wear makeup regularly. More than half (56%) said they only buy vegan products, or at least buy them more than the used to.

But of this group of conscious consumers, 39% of them were not actually vegan.

‘Organic’ still seems to be the most popular term for cosmetics, bought by 68% of consumers, followed by natural at 61% and vegan at 49%.

Nearly half (47%) of women said they buy more vegan cosmetics than they did in the past, meaning this was the most popular changing trend.

In addition, 39% said they buy more ‘plastic-free’ products than they used to, the second most popular trend.

And nearly half of women said they would pay more for clean or conscious beauty products.

Isa Lavahun, Digital Brand Manager at Cosmetify, said: “It’s great to see consumers questioning certain packaging, and that movements like plastic-free are disrupting the landscape.”

In addition, Pinterest reported vegan skincare beauty searches are up 281% since 2017.

What do you think of this research? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

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