The beauty industry is full of buzzwords that are hard to define or verify. That said, while a lot of the terms are confusing and not clearly defined, one that is very easy to describe is vegan.

It simply means a product that was developed and manufactured without the use or animal products. Period. Or is it?

If we’re being transparent, this definition hasn’t stopped people from using the vegan label in potentially misleading ways.

At Project bYouty, vegan means vegan — in every way. Here’s a few of our top picks.

Rahua Founder's Blend

Forget the products for just a minute (which are next-level fantastic) - Rahua and the founders Anna and Fabian are game changers. After several trips to the Amazon Rainforest they were inspired to do anything and everything they could to help with the environmental devastation they saw.

We love: The innovative Rahua Founder's Blend Scalp & Hair Treatment, a powerful plant-based, non-toxic scalp treatment cream that brings balance back to the scalp’s microbiome. This topical skin and scalp emollient has the power to strengthen your hair roots as well as balance scalp moisture levels to soothe the scalp. Plus, it is resourced, tested and manufactured entirely with plants.

UpCircle, Coffee Body Scrub with Tangerine

Given the folks at UpCircle have made headlines repurposing ingredients that are commonly thrown away — we’re talking coffee grounds, brewed chai tea spices, discarded fruit stones — it’s safe to safe being vegan is in the brand’s DNA.

We love the exfoliating coffee body scrub with tangerine, grapefruit and coconut oil which leaves skin soft, smooth and revitalised.

Founded by Anna and William, a sibling duo who are determined to reduce the beauty industry's environmental impact, there's something pretty special about this one.

Davines’ The Let It Go Circle Hair Mask

OK, so this one is a little bit of a grey area and we’d prefer to be honest about it.

The brand has an impressive stance on sustainability, their carbon neutral production of packaging and commitment to renewable energy, top of the list. And while 99% of the products are vegan, the brand fell a tad short of picking up official vegan certified status because a few of the products contain keratin (being a hair brand), and the Nourishing Royal Jelly Superactive, contains royal jelly.

The difference here is Davines isn’t trying to cover anything up and all information is available on the products or on the World Wide Web, meaning at least there’s no room for error.

We love The Let It Go Circle Hair Mask, a complete repair and protection package, as much as we love the honesty of this brand.

This Works, Deep Sleep Bath Oil

Any brand that has a 750 women-led panel at the helm, declaring what works and what doesn't, has our full attention.

The ingredients list for Deep Sleep Bath Oil reads as follows: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil, Vetivera Zizanoides (Vetiver) Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora (Ho Wood) Oil, Chamaemelum Nobile (Roman Chamomile) Oil. Yep, think we’ve ticked the all-vegan box!

A true bedtime indulgence, it’s a sumptuous bath oil that will help you unwind, calming your mind as you rest and relax.

Björk & Berries Never Spring Hand & Body Wash

The term “eco” for this brand means carefully selecting the most potent ingredients that nature has to offer to develop clean, non-toxic formulas that are kind to skin, people, animals and nature.

“We create sustainable - socially, ethically responsible, planet-friendly alternatives,” it claims.

The founder of Bjork and Berries, Isabelle, still lives on her family farm in Lewenhaupt, Sweden, where they have their own mountain garden and grow select ingredients to experiment with during the season. This is a truly family affair and you feel the sincerity the moment you unpack your product from the box.

We love: Spring Hand is a rich and hydrating natural hand and body wash with a fresh scent of Spring. Enriched with Björk and Berries organic complex with nourishing organic sea buckthorn, purifying organic birch and soothing organic chamomile, it is quite remarkable.