Vision of a kinder world

The personal care industry is fraught with more options than ever before, and has something for everyone, even vegans.

Homegrown Indian brands are catching on the trend, whether with entire vegan lines or a few products. But, why are they making the switch?

Phy, a vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand for men, finds the beauty industry changing rapidly.

"Consumers now are more mindful of their choices and they not only choose products beneficial to them but for the environment too.

Vegan beauty is one such segment where conscious consumers think about the wider consequences of their product usage," Shankar Prasad, founder of Phy's creator Pureplay Skin Sciences said.

The parent brand also has a skincare brand for women, Plum, founded in 2014.

Dipali Mathur, founder and CEO of a youth-oriented skincare brand Super Smelly claims that vegan personal care products are here to stay owing to increasing awareness and sensitivity in the new generation. Most vegan products have a go-ahead from dermatologists, too.

"Honestly, it's not a tough choice to make. Opting for vegan products is actually pretty simple and involves no sacrifice at all. On the contrary, the feel-good is huge because there is nothing but benefits attached to this conscious choice you make," she said.

Vegan personal care - a mantra which is slowly catching on commercial value as well - is not just limited to beauty and skin, but expands into fitness.

Aarti Gill, co-founder of OZiva, a clean label active nutrition brand that offers plant based and other nutritional products for everyday fitness finds veganism slowly spreading across the planet due to the irrefutable positive impact that it has on the environment.

"Plant based diet is not only beneficial to the human digestive system but can also result in less environmental and economic degradation. It's also cheaper & more sustainable to maintain."

What about an anti-hangover drink made from vegan ingredients?

Viraj Patel, director of Dot Shot, a drink made from natural ingredients, says that health and wellness is finding favour with a rapidly growing segment, especially the millennials. The vegan drink, which is a cure for a hangover after an evening of alcohol consumption.

The bottom line? Personal care industry is definitely echoing vegan sentiments, driven by market demand but also a vision for a kinder world.