Vegan Beauty with Grace Cicely
Vegan Beauty with Grace Cicely
This month we caught up with Vegan Beauty Influencer, Grace Cicely and discussed what Vegan Beauty means to her and how the beauty industry is adapting to veganism…
What originally inspired you to become vegan? Was this more for health or more of a lifestyle choice? Feel free to expand as much as you like!
My initial reason for becoming a vegan, is that I had a health scare during the first lockdown which meant I had to switch my diet and lifestyle. I then decided to document this journey on social media. Six months later and having noticed the benefits of this change, I am now inspired to continue to lead a healthier lifestyle, plus also educate myself and grow. I had always been curious when it came to having a plant based diet but had never made the effort to follow this through. The health scare forced me to make the change but I’ve now realised this was the best decision not just for my health but for the animals and environment. I would never go back.
To anyone who doesn’t understand or is slightly unclear – what does vegan beauty mean?
It’s important for people to understand that a vegan lifestyle doesn’t just end with food. Making a conscious effort to buy cosmetics and skincare that don’t include any animal-derived ingredients, is a key part of being a vegan. I call this clean beauty that doesn’t have to cost the Earth.
Why is being vegan so important to you?
Being a vegan is important to me for both health and environmental reasons. I think in the past there was a stereotypical view when it comes to veganism ie that it was a very restricted diet and lifestyle. However things have really changed and there are just so many options now available, which is really exciting. So I want to be a real advocate for being a vegan and I hope that I can influence others to try it too. I think it’s vital people wake up to the health and environmental benefits, especially during this time.
Do you have any advice for people who want to become vegan?
Introduce it gradually if that helps. Make some simple and achievable switches to your diet slowly and don’t be hard on yourself if you slip up, just keep going with the changes. Take time to look up your vegan options and also how research how you can make your favourite meals into vegan ones. There are lots of vegan influencers who can really help when it comes to seeking out new recipes or signposting you to good vegan products.
Where do you see the beauty industry heading in terms of veganism?
Vegan products are just going to grow and grow, so it I’ll get to a point where vegan products are in the majority not the minority. At the moment the beauty industry is saturated with lots of choice in terms of the effectiveness of products, so to differentiate I think as consumers we will all become more alert when it comes to what goes into those everyday purchases. I regularly ask myself questions – Do I need this, Can I source this locally and is it vegan and cruelty free? I realised that I can purchase all my beauty products ethically and if everyone starts to do the same, it will make a big impact.
Can you recommend any resources for individuals who would like to understand the world of veganism more?
If you’re like me and spend too much time on Netflix, I definitely recommend ‘what the health’ I also love youtube, articles and TED talks, to understand everything I need to know when it comes to clean and green beauty and also just putting into practice everyday marketing tools for beauty blogging. I definitely had to do my research and I’m still learning something new everyday.
Just remember to not be so hard on yourself and do the best you can because that still has a great impact.