These are the best vegan hair care brands and products to look out for in 2019
ACCORDING to The Vegan Society, veganism quadrupled in the 5 years between 2012 and 2017 as a Google search term, and beauty brands are responding – there was a 50% increase in the number of vegan beauty products launched in 2016.
While reports predict continued growth in this arena over the next five years, we’ve picked the best vegan hair care brands and products for you to know about – they suit every budget and you can buy them all online.
Why is veganism becoming so much more mainstream? In addition to concerns about animal welfare, opting for a plant-based diet and lifestyle can help protect the planet, reducing greenhouse gases exponentially as well saving trillions in damage to the planet and people’s health (according to researchers at Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford).
Without realising, many of us are using animal-derived products in our everyday haircare products: cysteine, shellac, wax and lanolin, to name a few. Keratin – a hair hero ingredient – is actually made of animal protein.
Hair care brands are responding to this increased demand for vegan products by launching new vegan ranges, vegan specific products or ensuring their entire hair care lines are vegan.
If a hair care product is labelled ‘vegan’ or ‘cruelty-free’, that means they contain plant-based ingredients and didn’t test on animals.
The belief used to be that vegan products didn’t boast ingredients that were effective for cleansing, conditioning and nourishing hair, but vegan brands like The Body Shop, renowned for its 100% vegan and cruelty-free ethos, are proof that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Their Banana range of products hydrate like none other.
Lush’s packaging-free vegan shampoo bars aren’t just kind to animals, they also eliminate the need for excess waste.
And new brands like Ethique and Only Curls London are also out to transform vegan hair care for good.
1. Aveda Vegan Hair Care
- Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo, £15.50 – buy here
- Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother, £22.50 – buy here
- Cherry Almond Softening Conditioner, £17.50 – buy here
- Limited-edition Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair, £40 – buy here
Aveda is a cruelty-free brand that’s overwhelmingly vegan, with the exception of a few products that contain beeswax or honey.
Their hair care range is renowned as one of the most delicious-smelling, soothing and nourishing collections with shampoo and conditioner for every hair type (including shampoos and conditioners that brighten up brunette and blonde locks), as well as nourishing hair masques and styling prep products.
Fans love the silicone-free Cherry Almond shampoo and conditioner; they contain 38 flower and plant essences like orange, ylang ylang and tonka bean.
Smooth Infusion is an effective prepping tool before heat styling while Damage Remedy Hair Repair is another hair saviour for coloured or heat-styled hair.
2. Lush Vegan Shampoo and Conditioners
- Veganese conditioner, £14 – buy here
- Seanik shampoo bar, £8 – buy here
- Wasabi Shan Kui shampoo, £18 – buy here
- New shampoo bar, £8 – buy here
Not all of Lush’s covetable hair care products are vegan, but the brand more than makes up for it with the healthy selection of shampoos and conditioners that are (bonus for those looking for sustainable packaging: lots of Lush hair products are packaging-free bars.
The brand is also taking great care to modify recipes in an effort to promote more sustainability; for example, they’ve recently stopped using eggs as an ingredient.
Lush’s solid shampoo bars are designed to suit a variety of hair types and scent personalities.
New shampoo bar stimulates the scalp with cinnamon, clove, peppermint and rosemary, while Seanik makes hair ultra-shiny with its combination of seaweed, sea salt and lemon.
Wasabi Shan Kui is a shampoo designed to stimulate hair growth with an exhilarating ingredient list including horseradish, caffeine powder and menthol crystals, while Veganese is a lightweight conditioner with seaweed, lavender and rosemary.
3. Noughty Vegan Hair Products
- To the Rescue Moisture Boost Shampoo, £6.99 – buy here
- Thirst Aid Conditioning and Detangling Spray, £6.99 – buy here
- To the Rescue Intense Moisture Hair Treatment, £8.99 – buy here
- To the Rescue Moisture Boost Conditioner, £6.99 – buy here
All Noughty products are vegan, cruelty-free and don’t contain any silicones, sulphates or parabens; even better, the brand is easy on your pocketbook – most products are under £10.
They have specific ranges targeting dry/damaged hair, curly hair, normal, sensitive, oily, fragile, limp, blonde and colour-treated hair, so there is a product for every hair need out there.
Thirst Aid is a new launch from Noughty: the detangling spray hydrates hair and gets rid of annoying knots.
To the Rescue is an award-winning collection of shampoo, conditioner and moisturising hair treatment, with nourishing ingredients like sweet almond extract and shea butter.
4. Redken Vegan Shampoo and Conditioners
- Nature + Science Extreme Conditioner, £20 at Look Fantastic – buy now
- Nature + Science Extreme Shampoo, £18.50 at Look Fantastic – buy now
- Nature + Science All Soft Conditioner, £20 at Look Fantastic – buy now
- Nature + Science All Soft Shampoo, £18.50 at Look Fantastic – buy now
Salon-favourite Redken has launched a vegan range of shampoos and conditioners, Nature + Science (the products are also packaged in recycled plastic).
The idea behind the new line is using vegan ingredients that still pack a punch.
the All Soft shampoo and conditioner contain birch sap as well as amino acids, sugars and enzymes for hydration and shine, while the Extreme range has Lupine protein to help restore damaged tresses.
5. The Body Shop Vegan Shampoos and Masks
- Strawberry Clearly Glossing Shampoo, £6.50 – buy here
- Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask, £12 – buy here
- Fuji Green Tea Scrub Shampoo, £15 – buy here
- Coconut Oil Brilliantly Nourishing Pre-Shampoo Hair Oil, £8 – buy here
The Body Shop has long been known as a brand that champions animal welfare, and the brand’s extensive – and cult – range of haircare goodies are, happily, vegan-friendly.
Strawberry shampoo gives hair a lovely sheen, the banana hair mask is a must for hydration and green tea scrub is the go-to for those needing to cleanse away oily hair impurities.
For those with truly parched hair, fans swear by the silky, glossy, nourishing coconut oil hair oil.
6. Only Curls London Vegan Conditioners
Curly-haired types have been raving about this new new sulphate-free vegan hair brand, featuring avocado and kukui oils to nourish the hair.
The curl-enhancing creme and gel are so popular, they’ve sold out online.
7. Umberto Giannini Vegan Hair Products
- Curl Care Enhancing Conditioner, £6 – buy here
- No More Frizz Curl Serum, £8 – buy here
- Curl Wash Enhancing Shampoo, £6 – buy here
We love it when we discover a favourite drugstore hair care brand is vegan, and the good news for Umberto Giannini fans is that all of their hair care products are vegan, including vegan hair colour and colour extension/care products.
Of course, it’s also your go-to for gorgeous, curl-enhancing, frizz-banishing and growth-stimulating products.
8. Ethique Vegan Shampoos and Conditioners
- The Guardian conditioner bar, £12.99 – buy here
- Tip to Toe shampoo and shaving bar, £12.99 – buy here
- Bloom hair mask, £12.99 – buy here
- Pinkalicious shampoo bar, £12.99 – buy here
Ethique is a zero-waste beauty brand from New Zealand that has recently launched its range of skin and hair care beauty bars in the UK – and they are delicious-smelling, soothing, cruelty-free and vegan.
The hair care range features shampoo, conditioner and masks – one Ethique shampoo bar is equivalent to three bottles of liquid shampoo, while a conditioner bar is the same as five bottles of liquid conditioner.
Pinkalicious is a fresh, citrsusy shampoo for normal hair, The Guardian is packed with cocoa butter to fight frizz and the Bloom hair mask is another saviour for dry, damaged hair (plus, it’s shaped like a heart. What’s not to love?).
One product men can’t resist? Tip to Toe is a shampoo and shaving bar in one.
MORE FROM SUN SELECTS BEAUTY
If vegan hair care is something you’re keen on, our best vegan beauty brands guide isn’t to be missed.
Planning a shopping spree? Check out Sun Selects’ dedicated beauty section.
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