A lot of people ask us whether or not our products are vegan (or will sometimes use “plant-based”). I’m proud to say all but one of our products are vegan.
What does vegan mean to us? It means our products are not made with any animal products or byproducts, or any ingredients processed using animal products. We don’t test on animals either–in fact, we’re Leaping Bunny certified cruelty free.
This certification matters to us, because to earn it, not just the final skincare product can be cruelty-free; every single ingredient sourced must also be cruelty-free from start to finish. For example, we choose to use vegan squalane as an ingredient over squalene, which comes from shark liver and is extracted in a way that harms the animal.
But why did I want Graydon Skincare to offer vegan, plant-powered skincare? Well, it all started when two of my worlds collided. When the culinary-minded part of me met the wellness-oriented me, sparks flew!
From Culinary Creations to Skincare Formulations
My early career was actually spent as a pastry chef in fine dining restaurants. Baking, as you may know, requires a precision that sets it apart from cooking. People like to say cooking is an art, but baking a science.
I find that line between being exact and expressing your creativity a delightful one to bend, twist, and experiment with. That’s why I loved both cooking and baking; it was a way to not only explore all the ideas I had, but perfect them.
I found it easy to lose myself in the therapeutic alchemy of cooking. The kitchen was my lab, and I felt like I was transmuting simple ingredients into something much greater than the sum of its parts. It was a place to invent, explore, and push my boundaries.
It was easy to lose myself in the therapeutic alchemy of cooking.
When I moved to Southern California, I discovered holistic communities that embraced practices like yoga and vegan diets. It was worlds away from the formal, rigid atmosphere of the fine dining world. Exploring the spiritual and wellness culture in Southern California was like adding fuel to my already burning passion for the culinary arts–one that made my excitement for it and connection to it burn brighter.
I became deeply interested in eating vegan as I learned from the people I surrounded myself with. It was here I became fascinated with the concept of “superfoods” and getting creative with what goes into a delicious, filling, and healthy vegan meal. I even had my own vegan meal delivery company called Divine Dishes!
During this time, a friend of mine offered encouragement and advice to try something totally new: making DIY superfood skincare products and including them in the deliveries.
And… people loved them! Obviously, I’ve come a long way from making DIY vegan skincare in my kitchen, but it was my love of food and wellness spaces– spaces where people committed to their health through yoga and vegan diets–that I found myself in a place to discover a new passion: skincare.
Why Vegan Skincare Matters to Us
Creating skincare began as an extension of my love of vegan cooking. I set out to create skincare that was natural, cruelty-free, and effective because of the inclusion of ingredients like superfoods (and bust the myth that natural = less effective). As a result, the majority of my products were vegan as well.
Why does vegan skincare matter to me? It’s because I believe deeply in the restorative power of plants and love how they so beautifully nourish one's skin. I also believe in honouring the environment and always do my best to source ethically grown ingredients and offer sustainably developed products.
Choosing vegan represents a mindful way of living that aligns with sustainability, kindness, and respect for nature.
That’s why all but one of our products are vegan. I believe that in the skincare world, choosing vegan is about more than following a trend. It represents a mindful way of living that aligns with sustainability, kindness, and respect for nature.
If you’re curious about our one non-vegan product, that would be Putty, as it contains manuka honey. I know a lot of people don’t realize this at first, but yes, honey cannot be considered vegan as it is an animal product. So, thank you bees!
As a long-time sufferer of rosacea, I was genuinely overjoyed to learn that high-grade ethically sourced manuka honey, used sparingly, helped alleviate redness and inflammation on my face. That’s why I chose to use it in Putty. To me, our use of manuka honey still aligns with our brand values of choosing natural, sustainable ingredients for our products, but I hope to reformulate Putty in the future to make it 100% vegan!
Our Commitment to Transparency
It’s only right when creating vegan skincare products to be transparent and able back up any claims. That’s why we have on every product page a list of sustainability claims powered by Provenance. We submitted evidence to this third party platform to back our claims that our products (minus Putty) are vegan, and that every product is Leaping Bunny certified cruelty free.
Scroll down on each product page to find our sustainability section–it’s just above the product reviews! Here’s an example of what it looks like on our page for Face Foam:
As you can see, on the bottom we have our product sustainability claims. We also strive to be transparent about our sustainability efforts, which is why we include recycling instructions and a third-party sustainability report from Bluebird.
Proud to Be Plant-Based and (Mostly) Vegan
We’re vegan because we care about making skincare that’s good for you, your skin, and animals, and the planet. We’re plant-based because we know how clinically effective natural, superfood ingredients can be.
From the days in my kitchen to our modern lab, our products have always been crafted following these values.
