UK meat-eaters seek out vegan alternatives for milk, skincare products and wine, poll suggests

Almost half of those polled said they would like to try vegan products where possible

Man serving organic vegan salad with wine (Alamy/PA)

Britons are seeking out vegan alternatives for milk, skincare and even wine, according to a poll.

A survey of 2,000 adults found that while only 16 per cent consider themselves to be completely vegan, 45 per cent would like to try vegan products where possible.

Of those, 38 per cent are concerned about the environmental impact of using non-vegan items while 35 per cent worry about animal welfare.

As a result, many look for plant-based alternatives for skincare, make-up and leather accessories.

It also emerged that one in six are more willing to try vegan skincare products than plant-based milk - with the same percentage of people claiming cows’ milk negatively effects their skin.

These issues include dry skin, acne and puffiness.

But almost six in 10 adults claim they don’t even know that vegan skincare exists, with the price, natural ingredients and whether it is cruelty free among the top considerations when buying beauty products.

Of those who do look for vegan skincare products, 64 per cent do so as it’s good for the planet while 68 per cent prefer that animals aren’t usually harmed during the production.

Nora Zukauskaite, spokesperson for vegan skincare brand Skin Proud, which commissioned the study, said: “The study shows how vegan alternatives, are on the rise, but there are still some who are hesitant to make the change.

“It’s sad to see so little people know how dairy cows fare when it comes to farming.

“It can be both emotional and physically harmful to the animals as well as have a devastating impact on the environment.

“Interestingly, women are more likely to try alternatives to men, but this is still a good start in the right direction.

“Our hope in 2022, is that vegan options should become the first and only consumer choice for skincare and beauty products to help with animal and environmental impacts.”

The study also found one in five adults would be willing to switch to an alternative milk choice if they knew more about the health benefits.

But one fifth have never tried anything other than cows’ milk – because they fear that plant-based alternatives may taste ‘weird’.

And 39 per cent haven’t tasted an alternative due to the price, according to the OnePoll study.

Almost half of adults are unaware of the impact of dairy farming on cows, but of the 52 per cent who are, more than half said knowing this makes them more inclined to try dairy free milk alternatives.

SWNS