Aveda Just Reformulated Every Product to be 100% Vegan

Photo credit: Aveda
Photo credit: Aveda

From Harper's BAZAAR

Beloved beauty brand Aveda just made a massive change for 2021. The company just announced that every single one of its products—from haircare to makeup—is now 100% vegan. More than 500 products across online and brick-and-mortar locations were included in the groundbreaking reformulation process to exclude all animal-derived ingredients.

Although “largely vegan” and fully vegetarian before, according to Aveda’s Vice President of Research and Development Christine Hall, honey, beeswax, and beeswax-derived ingredients stood in the way of the title. “We have spent the last three years reviewing more than 900 ingredients to ensure that they were 100% vegan throughout the supply chain,” Hall tells BAZAAR.com. “When we first set out to make this transition, we began by looking at any possible animal-derived ingredient that could find its way into the supply chain. And there are a lot in the beauty industry—even I was surprised. For example, sugar can sometimes not be vegan, because it can be processed with bone char.”

Likewise, substituting animal-derived ingredients can be surprisingly difficult. “Our lipsticks used beeswax for product strength, color payoff, and smoothness. In styling products, beeswax provided structure and the ability to spread easily through your hair,” notes Hall. And petroleum-derived synthetic beeswax “wasn’t an option” for the natural-focused brand. One thing led to another, and Aveda ended up creating its very own beeswax alternative from “naturally derived waxes and butters,” says Hall. “It’s a beautiful formula and I’m so proud of the way the team rose to the challenge and truly knocked it out of the park.”

Does the word “reformulation” send a cold shiver down your beauty-loving heart? Aveda regulars shouldn’t be nervous about embracing the new formulas. “In the hair care category, our Light Elements Texturizing Crème was a challenge to reformulate as it had previously relied on the beeswax to provide texture and hold—but we were able to modify the formula to a point where I feel it performs even better now than it did previously,” explains Hall.

Explore the freshly reformulated and vegan beauty products on Aveda’s website right now. Click here to learn more about Aveda's partnership with Veganuary (a vegan January challenge) that will inspire you to go vegan for 31 days with helpful tips and suggestions.

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