Vegan Perfume UK
Vegan Perfume UK – The Shocking Truth!
With the number of people in the UK identifying as vegan, quadrupling from 2014 to 2019 and over 600,000 of us trying Veganuary in 2022, it’s clear that the demand for vegan products is continuing to grow.
As this demand grows, retailers are offering an increasingly larger number of products suitable for a cruelty free lifestyle including food, drink and household items.
Despite this increase, shopping for beauty products, particularly vegan perfume, can still be a difficult task for ethical shoppers, with very few mainstream or designer fragrances being suitable.
Whilst it’s easy to assume that all perfume is vegan, this is unfortunately, not yet the case, as many fragrances available contain products derived from animals within their ingredients.
What’s more, because of the animal testing that is often involved in the production of perfumes, most fragrances that are found on the high street or on online shops are not vegan.
To help ensure that your commitment to a cruelty free lifestyle doesn’t limit your options at the dressing table, our latest blog post explains everything you need to know about vegan perfume and looks at the top vegan perfumes available to buy.
Are Any Perfumes Vegan?
Yes, there is a growing range of vegan perfumes from producers specialising in cruelty free fragrances. However, many fragrances available on the high street are not vegan.
However, popular fragrances often use animal derived ingredients including honey, milk, ambergris, hyraceum, beeswax, civet and musk from animals including deer and beavers.
In many cases, these ingredients will not be made prominent within the ingredients list, meaning it can be difficult to find out whether the scent is suitable or not.
When shopping for perfumes, it’s important to remember that even if the scent contains no animal derived ingredients, it may still not be considered vegan due to animal testing.
Animal testing is unfortunately still a common practice for cosmetic products and involves animals such as rabbits and rodents undergoing cruel procedures to assess any negative effects the cosmetic may have, most animals are then ‘destroyed’ after the testing.
The most common sign that a perfume has not been tested on animals is by looking out for the Leaping Bunny Logo or PETA Approved Beauty Without Bunnies often found on the back of the bottle.
If you cannot see a label or text on the back of the bottle, a quick Google search for the product or brand should reveal whether or not the brand uses animal testing as part of their production process.
Additionally, there are several dedicated websites and social media groups that have information about whether products and brands are truly vegan.
Best Vegan Perfume
Without further delay, let us take you through the best vegan fragrances from specialist producers of consciously created scents.
Floral Street Perfumes
Michelle Feeney – Founder: “My mission is to bring fine fragrance to the modern woman – so that she might build an entire fragrance wardrobe which can express the many facets of who she is. Since the age of three, when I first smelt the gardenias in my great grandmother’s cottage in Ireland, I’ve been captivated by the power of scent and how it links to your personality.
I find urban, British women so inspiring: they are strong, confident and inquisitive, so I decided that Floral Street would be a collection of incredible fragrances built with them in mind and created by one of the best noses in the world. And, it was important to me that it should be accessible and affordable, too.I think of Floral Street as an ‘up-start’ brand.
Yes, we’re a start-up, but we’re also doing everything differently, from making recyclability and sustainability the core of our brand, a first in fragrance. I’m also against the use of using sexuality to sell scents – it’s degrading and old fashioned- we want to change the conversation around that.”
What Popular Perfumes Are Vegan?
Whilst many popular perfumes do not contain ingredients that are derived from animals, the animal testing that is involved in their creation means they are not considered vegan or cruelty free.
Mainstream vegan perfume ranges are limited but have grown in recent years. Popular brands such as Yardley, GHOST and Moschin now all offer selected fragrances which are suitable for vegans but there is a caveat!
It’s important to note that for the most part, only a small selection of the product range offered by these brands is suitable and whilst the products may be classed as ‘vegan’, the company itself may or may not not be considered truly cruelty-free.
This can be confusing when shopping, as online retailers such as The Perfume Shop list products from brands including Paco Rabanne and Calvin Klein as vegan.
Whilst selected fragrances from these brands may be free of animal products and even involve no direct animal testing during production, both of these brands are not cruelty free as a result of animal testing through their parent companies, suppliers, or a third party.
Are Any Designer Perfumes Vegan?
A designer fragrance is one that is sold and branded by a fashion designer brand, rather than a company that solely makes perfumes or other beauty products.
As a result of their link with high end fashion companies, designer perfumes are usually endorsed and worn by celebrities and therefore, attract high demand from consumers.
Given that so many designer labels have made the decision to drop fur from their clothing lines in recent years and with ethical fashion becoming more popular, shoppers may assume that their entire product range is cruelty free.
Unfortunately, very few designer perfumes are considered to be vegan, with brands including Chanel, Guerlain, Calvin Klein, Dior, and Ralph Lauren all using animal products in their fragrances or testing on animals as part of production.
Which Perfumes Are Vegan and Cruelty-Free?
From the small selection of popular vegan products that do not include animal derived ingredients, fewer still are also cruelty free due to animal testing.
Despite brands such as Calvin Klein using terms like ‘vegan’ and ‘clean’ on their packaging because there are no animal derived ingredients in their products, animal testing is unfortunately, still a common occurrence in the creation of popular perfumes.
One of the key reasons that many brands do not make fragrances that are cruelty free is due to current regulations on animal testing for products sold in mainland China.
Currently, if a brand wishes to sell their products in mainland China, they must submit a sample to a Chinese laboratory which would then test the products on animals.
This gives brands the choice of choosing between profits or upholding their ethical values. Unfortunately, many brands choose to continue selling in China whilst also using misleading terms within their packaging to appeal to consumers.
In May 2021, China implemented changes to their animal testing laws which meant some products would be exempt from their animal testing requirements, this was met with hope that animal testing would soon be phased out of mainstream perfumes entirely.
However, whilst this news came as positive, it’s important to note that if the product is sold in physical stores in China will still require animal testing unless the company obtains a certificate from the local government cosmetic authority and provides a safety certificate.
Furthermore, any product that includes a new cosmetic ingredient must undergo mandatory animal testing, even if the product as made in China. Equally, products that ‘claim new efficacy’ must also be tested on animals if being sold in China.
Whilst this paints a slightly more positive picture for the future of vegan cruelty-free perfumes in the UK, with companies often choosing to put profits before ethics, the regulations and rules companies need to abide by to avoid animal testing may mean it’s an uphill struggle time before we see fully cruelty free ranges available.
Shop Our Range of Vegan Perfumes
As you can see, whilst the amount of vegan products has come a long way in recent years, there is still, unfortunately, a long way to go for popular and designer fragrances.
Fortunately for conscious shoppers, there are dedicated vegan perfume brands who create only 100% vegan and cruelty free fragrances, so there’s no more squinting at the label or being misled by unclear company policies.
The Fragrance World – Designer Dupes
At Vegan Supermarket UK, we offer a wide range of vegan perfumes from specialist UK-based perfume companies along with our other vegan friendly products including food and drink, household items, and clothing. No waiting around for your perfume to arrive from the USA!
That means you can be assured that every item you put in your basket is 100% vegan, there’s no animal products included and absolutely no animal testing in any of the items available on our store.
