Interestingly, I've had 3 friends from completely separate social circles ask me about cruelty free cosmetics recently. I supposed now would be the opportune time to share some of my personal experiences as well as a butt load of resources for people interested in supporting the Cruelty Free Cause!
For years and years (and years) I was a die hard MAC girl. I loved their products. Loved. And it was a company I could easily feel good about supporting because they were cruelty free. And then a sad, sad, sad day came. MAC changed their policy regarding animal testing, and by my standards (and the standards of many other cosmetic enthusiasts) I decided I could no longer purchase their products. Thus began my awareness on the issue and my slow transition to going completely cruelty free.
I'm gonna be totally up front right now, it's not easy. That being said it's not hard, it just takes some work.
Let's talk personal decisions. Cruelty Free means a lot of different things to different people. For me it started with cosmetics. Then I got to thinking... What about all the other personal care products in my house? And what about all the cleaning products in my house? And what about all my leather shoes? And what about the eggs and milk I still consume? The further down the rabbit hole (bunniiiieeeesss!!) I went, the more I realized how important it was for me to support companies I could feel good about. I wholeheartedly believe though, that ANY step into the cruelty free world is positive. If it's just cosmetics for you, that's AWESOME. If it's cosmetics and avoiding leather, that's AWESOME. If it's just talking to your friends and doing a little research on animal testing, that's AWESOME.
With all that being said and without further ado, here is a list of Cruelty Free Resources I use on the regular:
- PETA's Cruelty Free Company Search
- Leaping Bunny's Cruelty Free Shopping Guide
- Go Cruelty Free's Cruelty Free Product Search
- My Beauty Bunny's Cruelty Free Brands Resource Page
- Logical Harmony's Cruelty Free & Vegan Brand List
- Phyrra's Cruelty Free Beauty List
People process change at totally different rates. If you slip up, don't beat yourself up, we all slip up. Just get back on the wagon and forge on. Know that there is a HUGE community out there to support you if you have any questions. Me especially! Tweet at me, Email me, Post questions on my Facebook page, Follow my Pinterest boards. I am more than happy to help where I can.
xoxox kat
**Just a note to clarify, terms like "cruelty free," "vegan," and "not tested on animals" are not necessarily interchangeable. For example, some companies may not test on animals, however have animal byproducts in their cosmetics (or other products) making them NOT vegan. Many people feel that to be considered truly cruelty free a company must be vegan as well as not test on animals. Feel free to ask me questions if you need more info**
