If you have recently become vegan you will probably be feeling overwhelmed and checking product labels.
That was me a few years ago, once I had sorted out my food it was time to take control of my beauty products.
Food is just a small part of becoming a vegan. There is no rush to change everything in your life but I just wanted to share a few tips of vegan-friendly hair products I have tried and tested. In my search, I have found you do not have to spend a huge amount. There are some fabulous products out there that are great and even beat some of the more pricy ones.
It is so important to our environment to use less plastic especially single-use plastic, we need
- Less waste in our landfills
- Reducing packing means fewer carbon emissions during the manufacturing process
- Less plastic pollution in our land and sea which leads to injury and kills marine creatures and birds
Things to consider
When you are switching to vegan hair products there are a few things you need to consider and check.
- Always check the labels to make sure they contain the green leaf label to certify it is vegan and look for the leaping bunny. If these logos are missing it does not necessarily mean they are not vegan. Companies do have to pay a fee to add this to their products. Do a little research online or contact the company.
- Look for ingredients like gelatine, derived from skin, tendons and bones of animals. Biotin from yeast or milk, also keratin and hyaluronic acid.
- Cruelty-free does not mean vegan, it just means the products are not tested on animals but could still contain non-vegan ingredients.
Procoal Moroccan shampoo egg 100g £7.99 at Amazon
This was the first shampoo bar I tested as it was recommended by a friend. I was so impressed. I could not see how a bar could do the same job as my bottled vegan-friendly shampoo. I colour my hair which can lead to dryness. This not only left my hair feeling silky smooth but it smelt divine. You have the choice of 5 different scents.
Maui shampoo and conditioners £5.65 for 385ml
To me the Maui hair products have the most delicious and exotic aromas, my favourite being the shea butter. They are all eco-friendly and vegan and great for the bank balance.
Nutmeg conditioner and shampoo bars, Morrisons £3.00 each, lasts for 30 washes
Morrisons becomes the first supermarket to launch its brand vegan-friendly shampoo and conditioner bars. At only £3.00 each, they are an absolute steal. They are also marked with an S or C. They had a creamy texture that smells of coconut when lathered up. Unfortunately for my hair type, once dried my hair felt quite coarse. If you are a vegan household and on a tight budget these are perfect for everyday use.
Beauty Kubes made in the UK £9.50 for 27 cubes
https://beautykubes.co.uk/collections
These gorgeous little plastic-free packets contain 27 gorgeous singular use cubes. They come in both shampoo and conditioner to suit all hair types. Made in Cornwall in the UK which is quite local for me.
I love their products and they also do individual samples, this is perfect if you want to test a product first. I tried and got hooked. They include a range for both men and women. All it takes is a little bit of water to make a paste in your hands and a little more to produce a luxurious lather. These are also great if you are going on holiday to just take the number of cubes you need.
Faith in Nature twin pack of shampoo and conditioner £7.59 from Amazon
This was the first brand of vegan shampoo and conditioner I used and I adore their range of scented hair products. I wanted to stop using the plastic bottles but then I saw that they also did their range in bar form. You also can purchase 5-litre containers across their range, this means less plastic for landfill.
Their products are cost-effective and great for all the family.
They also come in an 85g bar at around £3.85
Nature box avocado repair shampoo bars 85g and under £5.00
The first thing I notice as well as the price is that clearly across their boxes it says plastic-free.
On first use of the bar, I found the smell very familiar and it foamed gently onto my hair. Once rinsed my hair felt squeaky clean and had a lovely shine once dried.
It may only be 85g but it lasts longer than a bottle of vegan shampoo. I think one season is we tend to pour too much from a bottle. With 2 people using this regularly it lasted 8 weeks, which in my book is economical.
Priced at under a fiver a bar it is kind to your bank balance.
Leeds Soap Opera Lime and mango duo pack 85g per package £4.95 Amazon
I got excited when I saw these and thought wow, what a great price for a pack of both conditioner and conditioner bars. I saw the weight and somehow I thought they were 85g each (I blame a senior moment).
When they arrived I realised the whole pack was 85g. They are small. the conditioner bar is only 5cm long and the shampoo 6.5cm long.
Never mind, time to try them. The scent from these are beautiful, the shampoo lathered up well and the conditioner was creamy. They held their shape well and did not disintegrate. My main problem was the size, not as in value for money but I am disabled and these slipped out of my hands.
They come in two other different scents but one the honey and argan oil duo are not vegan, because honey is not considered vegan. The other is lemon and tea tree.
CoCo LoCo coconut shine mask £6.95 for 200ml
Although this is not a bar I just had to include this fabulous product by Lee Stafford. I have tried so many hair masks but I always come back to this one. It smells incredible and leaves your hair feeling luxurious. I use this once a week on my hair, wrap it in a towel and then relax for an hour and then rinse in cool water. If you are in a rush, just 10 minutes on your hair is still lovely.
Lacura mighty conditioner or shampoo £0.99 for 300ml
To me nothing beats this product at this price. At just 99p for each bottle is an absolute steal. It is very reminiscent of the famous other brand from the land down under, with the exception that this one is both cruelty free and vegan. This is my everyday shampoo and conditioner if I am using a bottled one. If you have some adult kids in the house they will plough through it too. This is easier to bear than spending £9.99 and only getting to use it once. There is just no need to spend a fortune. I am hoping soon that they will do a bar version.
Obviously, there are so many to choose from and these are just a few I have tried. It is less expensive, and easier to buy ethical beauty products. In my opinion there is no need now to choose products that have been tested on animals for our vanity, they have no choice but you do. Supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl sell affordable beauty products which do the job.
I already use & sell the best vegan hair products from Friendly Soap. They really are amazing. x http://www.skinkiss.org.uk Lesley
I will have a look this week, thank you Lesley