3 Tips for Ensuring you are using Cruelty Free Makeup
One of my reasons for starting Glow Organic, is to encourage women to think more carefully about where their beauty products have come from. I want women to consider all the processes that have had to have been made to get that product to market. This includes everything from testing the ingredients, to ensuring the packaging has been sourced sustainably. I want to ensure we provide products that have been created using ethical processes, every step of the way.
It can be quite daunting to start your cruelty free journey or making the switch to natural and organic products. There are many brands that will use clever marketing techniques, or manipulate their wording on labels to make consumers believe their products are not tested on animals.
To help you navigate the minefield of cruelty free makeup, here are a few of our top tips to ensure you are not hurting our furry friends in the name of vanity!
1. Look for Cruelty Free Certifications
This may sound like an obvious one, but there are many brands that will write statements on their labels such as ‘Final product not tested on animals’. This is misleading, as most animal testing occurs on the ingredients of the product and not the final product itself. The only way to be 100% sure that you are using a cruelty free brand is to look for cruelty free certifications on the brands packaging. Here are some of the logos to look out for that will give you piece of mind.
PETA
If you find either one of these logos on the products, they have been certified by PETA as part of their Beauty Without Bunnies program. The cruelty free and vegan logo means that the product contains no animal derived ingredients such as Carmine or Beeswax.
Leaping Bunny
If you find this logo on your products, you can guarantee that the company has not tested any ingredients, formulations or the final product on animals. To be certified with this logo, the company also has to prove that they have not commissioned any third party company to test their products for them.
Choose Cruelty Free
CCF will only accredit companies with their logo if they can prove that none of their products or ingredients have been tested on animals within a period of 5 years. CCF also have a strict policy on animal derived ingredients. They will not accredit any companies that use ingredients that are available from animals being killed for other purposes, for example slaughterhouse by-products.
2. Check if the brands are sold in China
Whilst animal testing for cosmetics is now banned in the European Union, unfortunately it is a different story in China. China have a legal requirement that all cosmetics sold in their country, have to be tested on animals. This includes products that are manufactured outside of China, therefore any brands selling their products in China, are still subject to being tested on animals in Chinese laboratories. While the brand itself may consider themselves to be cruelty free, and claim to not test on animals, there is no guarantee that they have not commissioned a third party to test their products on animals.
There is such a grey area with this subject, and it is difficult to know which brands to trust, as no company will want to actively admit that they test on animals. With this in mind, it is best to avoid ALL brands that sell their products in China.
3. Do your research
There are plenty of sources online that will help you choose the brands you feel comfortable using. If you are unsure on a particular brands ethics on animal testing, try searching for it in the websites below. Be aware that not every brand you come across will be on these databases. If you cannot find a particular brand when searching, it is best to head directly to the brands website and look to see if they have any certifications. If the brand are not proudly stating that they do not test on animals, it would be best to avoid.
You can also download apps on your phone to use when you are shopping. There are a number of organisations with apps you can download to check whether the product or brand you are thinking of buying is cruelty free or not. Our favourite is the app by PETA as it also allows you to actively partake in putting a stop to animal cruelty. Through the app you can sign petitions and send emails directly to companies who are known to cause animal cruelty. You can also directly donate to PETA and even gain points to encourage you to actively contribute to making the world cruelty free.
