vegan shampoo by Love beauty and planet // feature friday
Shopping for vegan groceries and meat alternatives, we’ve got that nailed. But vegan beauty products can be a little tricky at the best of times. It’s pretty easy to spot MILK in the ingredients list, but how many people actually know what choline bitartrate or caprylic triglyceride are? If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say these terms aren’t that common in most people’s vocabulary. And that inevitably means some research is needed before dishing out on new cosmetics. Fortunately, things are getting better and we’re now seeing the introduction of more and more cruelty-free cosmetics, vegan shampoo being one of them.
Aside from Body Shop or Lush (both of which sell a substantial number of plant-based goodies), most vegan shampoos are found in health food shops. Whilst that’s great, it isn’t always ideal and can be limiting in terms of the range of products available. Luckily, the big-name brands are starting to catch on; the rise of veganism is, naturally, going hand in hand with an increase of food and beauty products.
Cosmetic giant, Garnier (owned by L’Oréal), recently launched a vegan shampoo and conditioner range – while we certainly don’t condone the animal testing that L’Oréal practices, it is nevertheless good to see vegan products making an appearance in the ‘mainstream’ beauty world. L’Oréal has a fair way to go before they can label their products as truly ‘vegan’ but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Love Beauty and Planet – The Product
The Love Beauty and Planet range is pretty extensive, catering for all types of hair. We opted for the volume and bounty which is made with coconut water and mimosa flower and it smells absolutely divine. According to their website, they track down the finest ingredients from all over the world, ensuring they are responsibly and sustainably sourced. This does come at a slightly higher cost to the end-user (about £7.50 for a 400ml bottle), when compared with your staple brands like TRESemmé (priced at around £5 for 900ml). But for the quality of the product, and to support a brand that is both environmentally friendly and vegan, the price difference is a lot easier to swallow.
The Packaging
The company, Love Beauty and Planet, is committed to reducing their carbon footprint by 20% before the year 2020. And they’re making strides to reach that goal. Not only are their bottles made from 100% recycled plastic, they are also 100% recyclable. Currently, the caps and pumps that make up the final part of their packaging aren’t made from recycled materials – but they’re working on a fix for that too.
By now, the majority of us are aware of the plastic problem we’re facing. This is why companies dedicated to reducing plastic waste and encouraging recycling are so crucially important. We really hope brands like Love Beauty and Planet will help pave the way for others to adopt similar practices.
The Results
Boasting a formula with no colourants, parabens or silicones, we were eager to see how this vegan shampoo and conditioner would stack up against the mainstream brands. Overall, we’d say the results were great; our hair felt shiny, soft and really nourished. The fragrance of the products is incredible and we even found that this shampoo and conditioner combo toned down any second-day greasiness, meaning you can wash your hair every other day as opposed to every day.