How to Decode Cosmetic Labels for a Cruelty-Free Lifestyle

cruelty-free-cosmetics

If You Love Cosmetics and Hate Animal Cruelty, This Guide for Decoding Labels and Living Cruelty-Free is For You!

Animals are wonderful creatures, and they should be loved, appreciated and cared for. However, the harsh reality is that despite a strong and intense campaigning against animal testing, numerous cosmetics companies continue with this abominable practice. Companies are now using tricky tactics to lead you to believe their products are cruelty-free when in reality they are not.

One of the ways to put an end to this is to boycott such brands and commit to purchasing only products that come from companies that are truly cruelty-free. However, this is easier said than done. Seeing the words ‘cruelty-free’ or ‘not tested on animals’ followed by a bunny picture on the product label may seem convincing enough, but these labels are often misleading.

While the company in question may not be testing their products on animals, more often than not they rely on other companies to do the ‘dirty work’ for them. That’s why we are here today, to give you the full scoop on how to spot genuine and honest cruelty-free companies and make wise and conscientious purchases.

Be aware of the loophole

As the awareness on the cruelty of animal testing rises, companies do everything in their power to distance themselves from the controversy and negative publicity they would face if their participation in the practice transpired. Instead of choosing not to test on animals, these companies manage to find loopholes by using third party testing. This means that animal testing could be done by an ingredient supplier, a lab formulating the products, an affiliate company or a parent company. That way the company has the freedom to market the product as cruelty-free, because ‘technically’ they are.

Don’t trust the label

When you see the phrase “this finished product was not tested on animals” it’s time to become suspicious and ask, “Is this product truly cruelty-free?” This is again another way companies try to make you believe the product in question is safe. The reality behind this facade of a phrase is that is that while the combination of products that make the finished product wasn’t tested on animals, individual ingredients may have still been tested on animals.reading cosmetic labels for animal products

On top of that, companies will often resort to ingredient names that don’t seem suspicious but animal derivatives are lurking under those names. That is why organizations such as PETA, who are dedicated to abolishing all kinds of animal cruelty, have created an extensive list of such ingredients to help raise awareness and know what to avoid in your quest to buy cruelty-free cosmetics.

The list includes everything from A – Adrenaline, which is code for hormone from adrenal glands of hogs, cattle, and sheep, to W – wax that comes from animals and plants and is used in the manufacturing of lipsticks, depilatories and hair straighteners. Make sure to study the entire list, print it out if you can’t remember it all (it’s surprisingly and scarily long), and make smart and kind choices.

Know where to turn to

choosing cruelty-free cosmetics

For further guidance, always turn to passionate advocates and organizations such as The Leaping Bunny and PETA whenever you are in doubt as to whether your potential future purchase will bring revenue to a company that still upholds to cruel practices. For instance, The Leaping Bunny has created an extensive, all-encompassing list of approved brands, so you always have a safe and verified place to turn to in pursuit of ethical shopping.

Another organization, the one based in Australia, a country that has become one of the leading ones in uncovering animal-testing companies, is the amazing CHOICE that has conducted a thorough investigation and came to a startling discovery that a great number of companies conduct animal testing without telling the consumers.

There is hope though… using the resources now available, we can make conscious choices about the products we buy and the companies we support with our purchases. Case in point – Ultraceuticals, an Australian skincare brand which is truly cruelty-free and neither tests on animals nor uses animal derivatives. All hope is not lost, you just need to know where to look for a safe cosmetics heaven.

Not all bunnies are created equal

Cruelty-Free Labels

As CHOICE warns us, “just because they’ve put a bunny on it, doesn’t make it cruelty-free. Look for an official logo from one of the third party certifiers.” There are different kinds of bunnies, so the next time you go shopping, make sure you have this picture printed out, carry it around with you and trust only the product that have the bunny on the left.

 

 

 

Stella McCartney: Vegan Fashion Line

Stella-McCartney vegan fashion

I’ve been a fan of Stella McCartney since she launched her brand back in the early 2000’s and now even more after discovering that her line can be considered vegan fashion!

I had no idea…while her line might be a bit on the pricey side, I definitely think it’s worth the investment to snag at least a couple of her pieces for your closet. Her designs are timeless, colorful and super chic. I’ve put a couple of outfits together with peices from her newest ready-to-wear collection? You can shop them on her site. You can read more about Stella and her achievements in the fashion industry HERE.

vegan fashion

Buying Cruelty Free Made Easy

Cruelty Cutter

Buying cruelty free beauty products can be a confusing business. For many years I have being using certain products thinking that were cruelty free but they are in fact not. A company may state in black and white that they do not test on animals but this may mean:
a) The final product may not be tested on animals, but the ingredients within the product may be.
b) Product is not tested on animals unless required by law to do so. In reality what this means is that any product being sold in China will be tested on animals because the law requires it.
c) Product is not tested on animals but is owned by a parent company who does. A good example of this is MAC who started off as a cruelty free company, but is now owned by Estee Lauder.
d)Cruelty free.
Confusing right? To help sort all of this out I recently downloaded an app called Cruelty Cutter.

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Cruelty Cutter allows you to scan an item, from a large range of products (cosmetics, household cleaners, condoms and more!) and have an immediate response about it’s animal testing status. And the app purchase helps raise funds for Beagle Freedom Project a not-for profit organization that is dedicated to freeing beagles and other animals from testing labs. It’s a win, win!

In my search for cruelty free products I came across a company called Just The Goods and I ordered the following products: vegan face wash for normal/sensitive skin, vegan cleansing toner for dry skin, vegan facial scrub for most skin types and vegan deodorant in citrus blend.

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The cost of these products was very reasonable. The cleanser and the toner were $6 each, the deodorant $8.50 and the scrub, which I bought in a sample size was $3. And they are great! The cleanser is foamy, creamy and soothing. The toner is fresh but not too astringent. And the scrub, while more aggressive than I am used to, certainly made my skin very smooth. But for me the star of the show is the deodorant! I have never found any deodorant (cruelty free or not) that works as well as an anti-perspirant for me. But this one does! It’s citrusy and fresh and the essential oils last throughout the day and a tough workout!

Checkout www.justthegoods.net