As the benefits of a vegan lifestyle become more and more evident, companies and consumers alike are starting to think more about what ingredients go into the products we use every day. You may never have considered it before, but many shaving, grooming and beauty companies have been using animal-based ingredients in their products for years. But things are changing. Companies wanting to reduce the impact their production has on the planet and adopt more ethical and sustainable business practices have been reformulating to create animal-free products. As a result, going vegan no longer means compromising on quality. It’s now easier than ever before to achieve the same quality shave with plant-based products. Not convinced? Read on as we talk you through the benefits of a vegan shaving and grooming regime and how you can make a big difference by making small changes to your daily routine:
Although badger hair has been the traditional fill for shaving brushes for centuries, synthetic brushes have seen immense popularity lately as the world turns to using more sustainable alternatives to old classics. Thanks to recent technological advancements, it is now possible to get the same rich and luxurious lather and delicate touch from purely synthetic fibres. The manmade fibres are purposely arranged in the knot to effectively conserve moisture and trap in hot water for whipping up a rich and luxurious lather. However, unlike animal hair, synthetic fibres do not absorb the water, meaning the fibres dry much quicker and do not have a lingering wet smell, as can be the case with animal hair. Synthetic fibres are also designed to be more forgiving than animal hair and will not snap or shed in the way badger hair does. With proper care, a synthetic brush will last you years and years. If that wasn’t enough, synthetic alternatives are actually much cheaper than animal equivalents. Take this Chatsworth Barley Synthetic Silver Tip Shaving Brush from Edwin Jagger for example. It has been expertly engineered to match the elite performance of the equivalent Silver Tip Badger brush and costs almost £50 less. Who said you had to spend extra to go vegan?
Whether you prefer a solid shaving soap or a smooth shaving cream, it’s never been easier to whip up a fully vegan lather. Like many skincare products, a lot of high-street shaving creams and soaps contain ingredients extracted from animal fats. It’s important not just to check the ingredients, but to make sure that the product explicitly states that it is vegan-friendly. Phoenix & Beau makes no secret of its vegan range of shaving soaps, proudly stating it in the name on the box. All of Phoenix & Beau’s vegan shaving soaps are an opulent blend of oils, plant-based butters and other natural ingredients. These natural mixes create an exceptional cushion and glide with a delicate fragrance that won’t irritate the skin. For vegan shavers who prefer a rich shaving cream, we recommend Fine Accoutrements, which offers two different shaving creams formulated using stearic acid and coconut acid instead of animal-based tallow. The natural ingredients in these creams also reduce soreness, hydrate the skin and improve razor glide.
No shaving regime is complete without a good deal of styling and grooming. While plenty of common haircare products rely on beeswax, The Bluebeards Revenge has created both a matt paste and a pomade with a natural oil-based formula. The expert blend gives you barbershop-standard hold, shine and style and the absence of any beeswax or fatty animal products means these haircare products are easier to wash out your hair the next day. Keeping the hair on your face looking as good as the hair on your head, The Bluebeards Revenge also offers a range of cruelty-free beard oils with a vegan formula. The bold blend of natural oils and barbershop-inspired fragrances creates a fast-absorbing and non-greasy formula that promotes a healthy shine and softness and hydrates even the unruliest of beards.
Why stop at a vegan shaving and grooming routine when you can fully kit out your bathroom with entirely animal-free products? Many hand soap bars are produced using tallow, which is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat. As an alternative, Scottish Fine Soaps offers an exquisite Sea Kelp hand soap made from vegetable glycerol, which is particularly hydrating. Packed full of natural ingredients, this soap carries all the skin-nourishing benefits of a tallow-based soap while also actively softening, nourishing and detoxifying the skin. This soap has also been triple milled, making it much denser, silkier and longer lasting.
Squalene, lanolin, beeswax and keratin are just some of the common ingredients that are harvested from animals and frequently used in moisturisers, face creams and skin food. Thankfully, there are many plant-based alternatives that deliver similar results to these animal ingredients while also offering additional natural benefits. This organic face cream from Muhle contains shea butter and aloe vera and is gently fragranced with solely natural essential oils. Shea butter is incredibly nourishing and moisturising and has an excellent ability to penetrate the skin without clogging pores, allowing the skin to breathe. Aloe vera is excellent at repairing damaged skin and promoting healing due to its numerous anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties.
The English Shaving Company shares the environmental and ethical concerns of its customers. We are proud to stock a huge array of vegan products from some of the world’s most reputable brands. This is why we have added a Vegan section to our website, making it incredibly easy for you to find the very best plant-based and cruelty-free shaving and grooming products. You don’t have to be fully committed to the vegan life to feel the benefits of vegan alternatives. Check out the full range now.