Today, we had a chance to interview Liis Hainla, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of VeganAvenue.com, who thinks there is a long way still to go with ethics in cosmetics. Liis Hainla has been an animal welfare advocate and vegan for a long time. Her most recent venture, Vegan Avenue, focuses on vegan beauty and lifestyle.
Let’s start with an easy one: Where are you from?
I am originally from a magical city called Tartu, located in southern Estonia. I was born and bred there, but I moved abroad to study. And have been here and there ever since, but starting to put down my roots again in Tartu, where I spend a lot of time.
What is Vegan Avenue about?
Vegan Avenue is a vegan beauty and lifestyle magazine. Vegan Avenue was launched in 2021, and it covers everything about vegan beauty. In the future, it will cover more lifestyle aspects, such as vegan fashion and apparel.
Why did you launch Vegan Avenue?
The development of vegan products has been amazing in the last couple of years. I first became a vegan 8 years ago, and the products that were available were very few. So I started Vegan Avenue to give this fantastic vegan companies visibility they deserve. And also help fellow vegans find 100% vegan products they can depend upon.
There still seems to be room for development when it comes to animal welfare in cosmetics. Can you elaborate?
Yes, indeed, unfortunately. The vast majority of companies use animal-derived ingredients, even though there are vegan alternatives available. These alternatives are often as effective as the animal-derived version or, in many cases, even more effective. Also, many companies still test on animals where required by law, and actually, only a few years ago, US states started to ban the sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals. As of December 2022, there were only ten states that have these bans in place. So there is a long way to go still.
What has been your biggest obstacle?
Finding information. Many companies can be very obscure about what ingredients they use, and more specifically, which versions of ingredients they use: animal-derived or synthetic.
Also, companies are vague and very hesitant to say whether they still carry tests on animals. Usually, the companies use vague legalese about “conducting tests on animals where required by law” to leave an impression as if they had to. It is still a choice.
What does the future hold for Vegan Avenue?
We are expanding and writing more and more content, full steam ahead.
How can people reach you?
People can reach via the site https://veganavenue.com/about/liis-hainla/, through LinkedIn or Twitter.
Can Vegan Avenue be found on social media?
Yes indeed! Here are links to Vegan Avenue’s socials: Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, LinkedIn
Where is Vegan Avenue located?
Vegan Avenue’s address is 188 Grand Street, 2nd Fl #1016, New York, NY 10013.
What is Vegan Avenue Phone number?
+1 929 590-5993
Who operates Vegan Avenue?
Liis Hainla is the founder and editor-in-chief of Vegan Avenue.
