Each year, Veganuary becomes more popular, with an increasing number of people embracing a vegan diet.
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Whether you’re wanting to reduce your impact on the world or are simply looking to set yourself a new year challenge, James Dutton, founder of PATCH, the world’s first compostable and vegan plaster tells us why we should make the switch to vegan-friendly products – starting with household staple, the first-aid kit.
It works
When you first start thinking about making changes in your lifestyle, many people are convinced that vegan equivalents won’t be as effective and that you have to compromise on taste or quality.
A decade ago, that might have been true. But today, there are so many incredible vegan products out there. Don’t rule things out before you’ve tried them and do your research! There are often strict guidelines and accreditations products have to abide by – like our PATCH strips that are both FDA and TGA approved as a class 1 medical device.
It’s good for your health
Many healthcare products contain chemicals and ingredients that can be harsh and abrasive on skin particularly a chemical known as thermisol/merthiolate that’s present in a great deal of traditional wound care products. Many people have a reaction to this chemical, leading to itchy, red and sore skin. Stocking your first-aid kit with vegan products means that your skin will only be exposed to natural ingredients that benefit you.
It’s good for your skin
Because vegan health and skincare products tend to contain natural ingredients, they are better positioned to be kinder on skin and suitable for all types – even those with sensitive skin. We’ve carefully formulated ours to lower the chances of problems such as rashes, allergies and skin inflammation.
It’s good for the earth
No surprises here – but Vegan products tend to be more conscious of how their products and packaging are made. With excess waste resulting in more landfill and more harm to our precious environment, it’s important that we reduce our packaging where it’s not needed. Not only are they packaged in a compostable tube, but PATCH strips are made from organic bamboo fibre which is a rapidly renewable resource and doesn’t need pesticides or herbicides.
Shopping vegan means your favourite brands don’t contribute to animal cruelty
One of the main reasons that people go vegan is to protect animal rights, but what we can sometimes forget is that animal cruelty is evident in healthcare, as well as food! Opting for products which aren’t tested on animals and are officially marked as vegan and cruelty-free is a great way to be sure that you aren’t contributing to unnecessary animal cruelty.
Nature is healing
One of the best things about natural products is that they benefit from ingredients which are ‘naturally’ beneficial to the skin. Extracts such as Activated Charcoal, Aloe Vera and Activated Coconut are associated with having unique properties, which is why the gauze on PATCH plasters are specially enriched to help aid the healing process.
You can help to reduce plastic waste
Plastic pollution is a global problem that needs addressing and unfortunately many healthcare products available on the high street are hidden contributors – even traditional fabric plasters contain plastic! Where possible, try to buy vegan products that are plastic-free. Not only is this better for the environment, but your skin and health, too!
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