The global spread of COVID-19 in 2020 represents a severe crisis for the human race, humbling the once proud human beings. The pandemic of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of how we, as humans, can coexist with other organisms. Environmental topics such as, green energy, animal friendly, renew and reuse, received attention and focus. At the same time, it brought about a global rise in vegetarian diets and vegan or plant-based lifestyles.
Why Vegan? What is the Difference Between Vegetarian and Vegan?
●Vegetarian –Someone who does not eat any meat, seafood or by-products of animal slaughter, such as internal organs, but includes products derived without the need to slaughter animals.
●Vegan – Someone who excludes all products and food derived from animals or requires the exploitation of animals. These include dairy and egg products such as cheese, milk, pudding, egg rolls, and to some extent, even honey.
(Pic: comparison of vegan and vegetarian)
Hence, veganism is also known as plant-based lifestyles. Vegans strive to use the most natural ingredients and avoid the exploitation of animals. Statistics show that in 2019, a quarter of Americans between the ages of 25-34 identify as vegan. In the United Kingdom, the percentage of vegans has grown by 360% over the last five years. The percentage of vegans in Taiwan is amongst the top 3 in the world. The rapid rise of veganism globally suggests growing awareness amongst human beings of our environmental impact and the need to cherish all life.
Veganism is More Than Just a Dietary Choice, it is a Plant-based Lifestyle.
Vegans seek to exclude the exploitation of animals for all purposes in their lifestyles. Therefore, they would forego clothes, accessories and furniture made from animal-derived materials, such fur coats, leather boots and leather couches. In terms of skincare, they select vegan products, with ingredients that are not derived from or tested on animals.
Why Vegan Skincare?
Vegan skincare follows the philosophy of not harming animals, so beauty does not come at the cost of animal exploitation, including:
1. No animal testing at any stage – from research to production to sales, animals are not harmed or exploited. As skincare products are applied directly on the face, many beauty brands conduct cruel animal testing to ensure the safety of products for human use, such as testing the products on the skin or tissue of animals to observe the effects!
Amongst the most controversial was the 1994 Draize test of a mascara product. After discovering that the rabbit test subject was not producing tears, researchers repeatedly applied the test product, mascara onto the rabbit eye up to 1000 times. As a consequence of the product testing, the rabbit’s eye became infected and rotted. Loss of sight and death followed.
From 2009 onwards, EU regulation forbids the use of animal testing. Taiwan followed suit in 2016, becoming the first country in South East Asia to introduce such regulation, outlawing animal testing (further reading: Taiwan Bans Cosmetic Testing).
2. No animal-derived ingredients – products do not contain any ingredients derived from animals, including by-products, such as milk. Many skincare products include milk as an ingredient for whitening and moisturizing results, but there are many substitutes available, which achieve the same or more superior results.
(Pic: Vegan requirements)
Our labs developed the Pomegranate & Yogurt Tinted Moisturizer with probiotics derived from the Yerba Santa Plant. The result is a highly stable product that is safe for pregnant women and sensitive skin. Although it is entirely plant-based, the sunscreen is non-sticky and moisturizing, maintaining an ideal moisture balance on the skin. As it is more hydrating than aloe vera, it gives your skin a beautiful glow.
How to Select Products That Are Vegan? Is Your Skincare Vegan?
For food products in Taiwan, we can check for TQF-certified products to ensure safety and quality. Similarly, we can select products with the Vegan Trademark from the UK's The Vegan Society to ensure that the products we use on our skin are 100% vegan!
The Vegan Trademark is an international standard. In order to be registered with The Vegan Society Trademark, products must meet the criteria of not using animal ingredients and not testing on or exploitation of animals at all stages of production. Every stage of production is assessed and approved by The Vegan Society officers before the sunflower symbol is awarded.
Aroce’b strives to create an entire line of vegan skincare with ‘no animal testing’ and ‘no animal products’ as our founding philosophy. Our Eternal Flawless Spatula Foundation and Cupuaca Treatment Essence have both received the Vegan Trademark. They are not tested on animals, made without animal products and are safe for vegans to use.
(Pic: Eternal Flawless Spatula Foundation and Cupuaça Treatment Essence)
Why Insist on Vegan?
In India, a pregnant elephant ate a pineapple filled with explosives given to it by humans. Consequently, the explosion caused several fractures and severe loss of blood on the elephant. Its wounds made it difficult for the pregnant elephant to eat and it later succumbed to its wounds in the river. Its one-month-old baby died with it. Local authorities were outraged by the case and there was a global uproar, with the hashtag #RIPHumanity trending on Twitter and extensive sharing on other social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram.
I only dared to skim through the video, not being able to watch in detail the final moments of the pregnant elephant. It is just too heartbreaking and cruel. Our customers should know that our team developed an eye cream named ‘Elephant Love Fruits’. We chose this name not only because fruits are rich in nutrients, but also as a tribute and respect to elephants and nature.
The marula fruit ingredient used in the product has a high sugar content. It is quite cute to watch elephants get high on them, often toppling over. Locals have termed such scenes as heaven on earth, and the marula fruit is also known locally as elephant’s fruit. We chose to use the name elephant’s fruit, instead of marula because we want you to have this beautiful image of harmony and happiness between animals and nature.
Even though the case of the pregnant elephant was the result of malicious behavior of a specific group in India, it prompted us to think if we could have done better.
Aroce’b is a Taiwanese brand. We are a vegan brand that does not test on animals or use animal-derived products. We wish to bring everyone together, whether you are a vegan or not, in the transition to vegan products and insist on no animal testing. Although increasing numbers of beauty brands are following the vegan trend, we at Aroce’b are not just following blindly. We hope that through the development of each product and the in-depth exploration of each ingredient, we are able to offer the purest and most natural experience without the need to harm others, to be able to exist in balance and harmony on this planet of ours.
When we talk about food, we select quality ingredients to promote our health, immune system and metabolism. Our team develops each and every product with the same guiding principles of food therapy – the right ingredients, the right quantity, and in-depth understanding of plants to derive suitable ingredients that do not burden the skin.
A vegan lifestyle is more than just dietary changes. It is also about caring and giving back to nature and our planet, allowing ‘compassion’ to be the guiding principle behind every decision we make. We do not want the selfishness of humans to be the cause of animal sufferings. We can coexist in harmony on the beautiful planet without the need to sacrifice animals.
Veganism is a lifestyle. It involves all aspects of lifestyle, including not eating, not using any animal products, and saying no to products that involve harming and exploiting animals. Let’s choose vegan skincare for our planet and create our own green philosophy!
Columnist：Amy Wong
Editor：Sharon Xu
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