Are you looking to overhaul your makeup and skincare routine to be more environmentally and animal-friendly? If so, we’re glad you landed here and that you are joining a mission to shop for cruelty-free skincare products. Switching your products to cruelty-free not only stands to benefit your skin’s health and vibrance, but ensures that animals aren’t tested on to create the products you love applying to your skin. All in all, using cruelty-free beauty products is better for your skin and better for the environment and all its creatures. But before switching your products over to cruelty-free, let’s talk about the benefits of this skincare and cosmetics segment, as well as how to identify and shop for cruelty-free products.
What Is Cruelty-Free?
Cruelty-free makeup and skincare have been around in the industry for quite some time. But you may have seen the term rise to prominence more so within the past couple of years. There has been more information and transparency revealed in the beauty industry recently, which has caused cruelty-free, vegan, and clean beauty brands to become more popular and sought after.
This is because products that aren’t vegan, cruelty-free, or clean usually contain toxic and harmful ingredients while also being created with processes that are harmful to the environment and animals.
Cruelty-free beauty and skincare products have not been tested on animals. The term largely has to do with the testing process rather than the ingredients in the products, which leads us to our next point. You may have heard the terms cruelty-free and vegan being used interchangeably, but they do mean different things. While both segments are better for animals, your skin, and the environment, there are some big differences.
Vegan beauty or skincare products are made without animal products or animal-derived ingredients. And while cruelty-free products may also be vegan, not all cruelty-free products are made without animal-derived ingredients like beeswax, collagen, cholesterol, or honey—which disqualifies them from being vegan. However, using vegan makeup products usually guarantees that the product you’re applying is also cruelty-free. And not only do cruelty-free products help animals, but they are also better for your skin and body because they usually contain clean ingredients that aren’t toxic, disruptive, or harmful to your overall health and wellness.
How to Identify Cruelty-Free Products
Whether you’re shopping online or in-store, it can be difficult to find cruelty-free items unless they are in a special section or you’re shopping for a brand known to be entirely cruelty-free. As you look for these products, you can easily identify a cruelty-free brand by looking for the cruelty-free logo or icon on the back or the front of the product. This icon and logo do have a few different iterations, but you can expect it to include a bunny, a paw print, or the words “cruelty-free.”
Where to Shop for Cruelty-Free Products
Since cruelty-free products have become so popular, you can find them just about anywhere. Here are some of our favorite places to shop for cruelty-free products.
- Cruelty-Free and Clean Beauty Subscription Boxes – if you’re someone who loves to try new products, you should sign up for a subscription box filled with cruelty-free and vegan products from Kinder Beauty. This is a great way to learn about the latest cruelty-free products and find new products to add to your routine. This way, you won’t have to worry about going to the cruelty-free section at a store or scouring ingredient labels to learn whether a product aligns with your cruelty-free mission or not.
- Online – shopping for cruelty-free beauty and skincare products online is a great way to get the most accurate and relevant information, as well as find the product that fits your needs or regimen the best. While cruelty-free products are being carried in stores more now than ever, stores only have limited spaces for special sections and products like this, which means that they may not have as wide of a variety to choose from. This is where online shopping for cruelty-free beauty comes to the rescue.
Looking for products online gives you access to almost every option out there and allows you to take your time while looking through ingredient labels and learning more about the product. In store, you may feel rushed while looking through ingredient labels or trying to figure out if a product is truly cruelty-free.
- In-Store – While we love online shopping, nothing really beats the experience of being able to see and test products in real life. There are many different kinds of beauty stores that are dedicating prominent shelf space to cruelty-free and vegan brands and products, making it easier to shop (although you’ll still find more variety online). Some beauty stores may have dedicated sections for cruelty-free and vegan skincare and beauty products, while others may have the products scattered around the store.
Our advice: look for cruelty-free or vegan signage in the store to lead you to these products. You can also check the ingredients label and look for the cruelty-free icon, which will indicate that you have found the perfect product.
- Local Businesses – be on the lookout for virtual or physical local boutiques that sell cruelty-free products. It can be rewarding to shop small and support business owners who are making skincare and beauty safer. Shopping from small and local businesses may also give you more transparency into the product’s ingredients and the business’s practices.
Now you’re ready to start shopping for cruelty-free products that have the potential to positively impact the planet, animals, and your skin! It’s easier to shop for cruelty-free products today than it ever has been, so make sure you use all of your shopping options and opportunities to find the perfect product for your skin and routine.
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