The first ever insights report by The Vegan Society into the US beauty market – Vegan Beauty Takeover: USA Edition – has found that over half of consumers want to see more verified vegan labels across products.
Created in collaboration with the American Vegan Society, the report echoes findings from a UK survey which explored consumer demand for vegan cosmetics and whether shoppers understand the differences between vegan and cruelty-free labelling.
In an online survey, US cosmetic and toiletry shoppers were asked their perceptions of different labelling found on cosmetics and toiletries, including ‘vegan’, ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘vegan and cruelty-free’.
The results found that 19% of panellists incorrectly thought ‘cruelty-free’ meant the product did not contain animal ingredients; only 18.5% knew that ‘vegan’ means the product contains no animal ingredients and is not tested on animals; and 58% of panellists were aware that the ‘vegan and cruelty-free’ label meant the product contains no animal ingredients and is not tested on animals.
When asked how important certification by a third-party organization is for brands selling vegan cosmetics and toiletries, almost 90% of participants said it was important to them and of these, nearly 70% selected either ‘very’ or ‘quite’ important, while a further 20% selected ‘a little important’.
Interest in vegan cosmetics is higher than ever – there is no excuse for animals to suffer for our purchases
Panellists were also asked to select which of ten ingredients could be derived from animals, and although 48% correctly selected collagen, only 23% correctly selected cochineal dye and just under 3% correctly identified that all ten ingredients could be animal-derived.
The results showed that respondents would most like to see more vegan-verified options in ‘all toiletries and cosmetic products’ (56%), followed by skincare (49%), haircare (49%) and deodorant (48%).
“This is our first publication in collaboration with the American Vegan Society and we are delighted to have them on board as our US Vegan Trademark representatives to help educate and raise awareness of what ‘vegan’ means, and the need for clear labelling across consumer industries,” says Katharina Eist, international business development manager at The Vegan Society. “Interest in vegan cosmetics is higher than ever – there is no excuse for animals to suffer for our purchases – it’s time for the industry to make veganism the norm!”
You can download the Vegan Beauty Takeover: USA Edition report here.
