Embrace vegan haircare & skincare this Veganuary

19 Jan Embrace vegan haircare & skincare this Veganuary

As we step into 2024, Veganuary is the perfect opportunity to align your haircare and skincare routine with the compassionate vegan ethos 🌿

Protein is key to healthy hair

As a vegan diet excludes protein-rich meat and dairy, this can lead to weaker hair, shedding and brittle strands which are more likely to break. This is because over 80% of our hair is made of a protein called keratin.

If there is even a small deficiency in protein intake our bodies consider hair a non-essential tissue and prioritize the protein elsewhere, so our hair is the first to suffer on a low protein diet.

But don’t worry – it’s simple to adjust your diet to increase your plant-based protein intake and your new hair will usually start to grow stronger and healthier.

Good sources of protein for vegans can be found in legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas and peanuts, as well as quinoa, tofu and soy products and nuts.

Eat your way to healthy hair

Don’t binge on the chips and ultra-processed vegan food if you want strong, healthy locks or indeed glowing, radiant skin. Instead, eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds plus some healthy fats like olive oil.

A vegan diet can make it harder to get sufficient iron and B12 which can lead to thinning hair and shedding.

Vitamin B12 isn’t found in plants but milk and eggs are great sources if you are vegetarian. For vegans, try B12-fortified soy milks and cereals. Good plant-based iron sources include spinach, kale, watercress, beets, broccoli, almonds and pulses. And if you’re concerned, you could always take a supplement.

Eat your way to glowing skin

Leafy green vegetables and berries are packed with antioxidants – opt for darker colored plants as the darker the color, the more antioxidants you’ll get.

While olive oil and foods rich in ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), such as flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, soybeans and soy oil, pumpkin seeds and oil, tofu, canola oil and walnuts, have been shown to protect mature skin from aging and dryness.

Cruelty-free vs Vegan

Bear in mind a product can be vegan and yet still be tested on animals.  The ‘Leaping Bunny’ logo guarantees that a product has not been tested on animals but does not mean the product is vegan.

Vegan brushes

Hairbrushes may contain animal bristles and makeup brushes may also contain animal hair or fur so choose ones with synthetic bristles if you want to continue the vegan lifestyle after the end of January. Our Aveda paddle brush is vegan-friendly, so do ask.

Making the change

Feeling overwhelmed about making the switch? Take it one step at a time.  Start by using up what you have – no sense in waste – then gradually introduce vegan products into your haircare and skincare routines.

Here’s to a beautiful, vegan-friendly January and beyond 💚