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Vegan skincare (along with cruelty-free - another cause at the beating heart of the KELSEY Brand), is one of the most searched for beauty terms and the movement is growing rapidly. Vegan beauty is where it’s at.

But what is it, firstly, and should you care?

Firstly, let’s clear up any confusion – vegan skincare is not the same as natural skincare or clean skincare, both of which can contain animal ingredients as long as they aren’t synthetic, and is not the same as vegetarian skincare which is allowed to contain by-products such as lanolin.

Secondly, if we’re talking personal values vs skincare results, vegan products can give seriously impressive results without ethical compromise. 

Plant-based ingredients are generally better absorbed back into our surroundings after use, breaking down into non-toxic compounds making them more planet-friendly. And typically the production of these uses less energy and avoids environmental impact. For example, the AHAs in our gorgeous Luminous Glow Cleanser are from fruit acids rather than milk sugars which, when traced back to their animal origins, contribute to greenhouse gases.

Plant-based and therefore vegan ingredients are also powerhouses for the skin - typically rich in protective vitamins, polypeptides, fatty acids and antioxidant rich anthocyanins. As an example, the raspberry plant leaves used in our Morn to Eve Global Protection Concentrate are packed with polyphenols – giants in the world of skin resilience and regeneration that help in protecting against free radicals.

Even better, plant-based oils vs mineral oils are more easily available to the skin.  Unlike synthetic mineral oils or animal-derived hydrating ingredients, they don’t block the pores and lead to breakouts. Our EZ Rubus ID®, a proprietary ingredient developed by KELSEY and world-leading chemists, and one of the key ingredient in our products and of course the signature oil in our Full Bloom Plumping Concentrate, contains an exceptionally high dose of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, plus proactive Vitamin E and alpha-linoleic acid. Also shown to have mild UVB absorbent properties, it’s the ally your skin has always needed. And in case you needed anymore convincing, our Full Bloom won Best Facial Oil in the Top Santé Beauty Awards last year.

Utilising the raspberry fruit for its richness in AHAs in our Three Moons Brightening Concentrate for example, gives the skin a glow, has a brightening impact and increases cellular turnover. Our Mother of Masks includes not only the raspberry fruit, giving the mask its unique and almost good-enough-to-eat pink colour but also fruit acids from sugar maple, lemon and orange. All adding to the cellular renewal of skin, revealing the brighter cells beneath.

While of course here at KELSEY we champion the raspberry, we’ve also included other clinically proven vegan ingredients such as a lavender complex in our award-winning (Platinum Beauty Awards – Best Overnight Treatment) Midnight Reset which helps reset the circadian rhythm of the skin leaving you looking refreshed and revitalised in the morning. Our Full Bloom contains a plethora of tree and seed oils to fortify the skin barrier and boost collagen production and we’ve included an incredible age spot defying plankton extract in our Three Moons Concentrate.

We’re hugely proud that all six of our products were honoured by the Vegan Beauty Awards in 2024, giving them the plant-based recognition that they deserve as efficacious, serious skincare. Be proud that you can be kind to the planet and your skin with KELSEY.

We’re big believers in the power of nature and science combined, especially when it comes to delivering on maximum glow with minimum impact. And this ingredient is one of our secret saviours.