Cruelty-Free Q&A

Following Last week's blog post "12 Cruelty-Free Drugstore Brands"  we've received a few questions about being Cruelty-Free, and How to spot Cruelty-Free Brands.

What Does Cruelty-Free Mean?
If a product states that it is Cruelty-Free it means that the products and ingredients of the products are not tested on animals.

Isn't it against the Law to test on animals?
Yes, testing cosmetics on animals in the UK and the EU has been banned since March 2013 (not that long ago). However, it is still legal in 80% of countries worldwide, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, India, Japan, New Zeland, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. It is even a legal requirement in China for most beauty products to be tested on animals.
A Company can claim to be cruelty-free in England or the EU but still test their products on animals to sell to other countries like China (there's a sneaky loop-hole somewhere in the laws that allow this).

How are Cosmetics Now Tested? Are they Safe?
 Most cosmetics should be safe to use but an allergic reaction can occur, which is why it's best and recommended to do a 24-hour swatch test first. Cruelty-Free companies use artificial human tissue grown in the lab, and/or a modern test tube method, both methods have proven to be more effective when testing for skin irritations and toxic ingredients. So it's safer for you and saves animals from being tested on.

Does Cruelty-Free Mean It's Vegan?
No, a product can be Vegan but tested on animals, and vice-versa a product can be Cruelty-Free but not vegan. If a product is labeled as Vegan it means that the product does not contain any animal by-products. A by-product can be an animal ingredient or animal-derived ingredient. If a product is labeled Cruelty-Free, it means the product nor any of its ingredients are tested on animals. Be careful with this as it can catch you out.

Does Cruelty-Free Mean It's Ethically Sourced?
No, a Cruelty-Free product can still contain unethically sourced ingredients and/or animal by-products. Ethically Sourced goods are produced and sold in a way that respects the people and the environment. For example, a Cruelty-Free product can also contain Mica or Palm Oil, which are being sourced unethically and damaging the lives of their workforce and the environment. Cruelty-Free means the product has not been tested on animals. Ethically sourced products should have an Ethically certified, fairtrade or fairly traded logo.

How Can You Tell if a Product is Cruelty-Free?
Most products will have a label on the back telling you it's Cruelty-Free, Often using the symbol or logo of a bunny. If However, if it states on the product "Unless Required By Law" then this product is not cruelty-free, because the company may sell in China or are open to testing their products on animals for "legal purposes". Peta and Leaping Bunny have their own certification labels that may also appear on the back of products.

What To Do If I'm Unsure it's Cruelty-Free?
If you're unsure about a product, ask, more often than not the shop assistants or beauty counter staff will know what they're talking about. Looking at the product is a great way to tell, a Leaping Bunny, PETA or Cruelty-Free international logo should be present on the bottle. You can Always Look online, type "the brand + Cruelty-free" or "the brand+ animal testing" into a search engine. If it's not easy to find an answer to your question online put the product down and walk away.

What To Do if I'm Unsure It's Vegan?
It's pretty much the same methods for this as for Cruelty-Free Products. Most Vegan products will be certified by the vegan society and have a logo somewhere on the product or it will state *suitable for vegans*. If no label or logo is on the product you can ask someone or search "the brand + vegan". Some brands may not be certified vegan but they may have vegan products, you can check this by looking at their ingredients.

What Animal Products Do I Need To Look Out For?
Checking ingredients can be tedious and tiresome, especially when in small font print, however, it's best to check the ingredients if you want to make sure your product has no animal by-products. I'm assuming this question is centered more for the vegan, but I will add some unethically sourced ingredients too:

• Beeswax (Cera Alba, Cera lava), or Honey are often used as ingredients for beauty and skin-care products 
• Carmine (cochineal, cochineal extract, crimson lake, natural red 4, C.I. 75470, E120 and carminic acid) is the red pigment that comes from a crushed female cochineal insect 
• Collagen is a protein derived from animal bones, connective tissue and skin, often used in anti-aging products
• Guanine (aka CI 75170) a compound that occurs in guano and fish scales, the fish scales are scraped to add an iridescent shine and sparkle to makeup and nail polish
• Keratin is a protein that's found in our hair, nails, the Keratin used in products is taken from mammal nails, hairs, feathers, hoofs, claws, horns
• Mica is a shiny mineral found as minute scales in granite and other rocks, or as crystals, it's often unethically sourced causing harm to workers and the environment
• Lanolin is a fatty substance made from the grease found in sheep's wool, it's usually found in ointments, lotions and lip balms
• Palm Oil is an oil derived from certain palm trees, the product of palm oil is unethical due it's damage to the environment and wildlife
• Squalene (squalus = genus of sharks) is made from the oils found in shark livers, often used in skincare and makeup

What is a Parent Company?
In the Legend of my Cruelty-Free Brands list, you will find "✖_ Parent company tests on animals", a few of you have asked what this means and why the product is still on my cruelty-free list. These are both valid questions, as I understand this can be confusing if you're new to the cruelty-free world. A Parent Company is a company that owns all of or the majority share of one or more companies, for example, The Body Shop and NYX cosmetic are two companies that do not test on animals nor do they sell their products in China. However, The Body shop and NYX cosmetics are both owned by L'Oreal (the Parent Company) and L'Oreal does test their products on animals as they sell in China.
Some people do not buy products from a cruelty-free company with a non-cruelty-free parent company. (Using the example above they will not buy from The Body shop or NYX Cosmetics because of L'Oreal tests on animals.)
However, I believe that consumer patterns change the way companies market and sell their products, so I will buy from products from The Body Shop and NYX Cosmetics but not L'Oreal. The rise in demand for Cruelty-free, vegan, organic and ethically sourced produce and cosmetics are already shaping a change in the cosmetics industry, even though L'Oreal still sell in China, they are actively working with the government to teach them about synthetic and test-tube testing to eliminate the mandatory animal testing.
At the end of the day, it's entirely up to you whether or not you choose to buy from a company whose parent company does test on animals.

Are You Completely Cruelty-Free?

No, I would love to be completely Cruelty-Free and have taken steps towards doing so. I switched my cosmetics, and skincare to cruelty-free options first, even my make-up brushes are cruelty-free (All cosmetic products shown on this blog and Youtube Channel will be cruelty-free). Household products and cleaning solutions are still tested on animals, (although there are a few cruelty-free options on the market now) and medications/vaccinations are still tested on animals, so, unfortunately, I'm not totally cruelty-free, but am working towards that lifestyle.

Are You Vegan?

No, I try to make sure to use vegan products (when and where I can), and I eat vegetarian and vegan as often as I can. Because I am on a Low FODMAP diet and currently not allowed to eat beans, pulses, Quorn, other meat alternatives and certain vegetables it makes it difficult to eat a balanced vegetarian and/or vegan diet, but I do my best and hope to start re-introducing those foods soon. 

How Did You Start your Cruelty-Free Journey?

I started my Cruelty-Free Journey in 2015, I came across an article that stated many of my favourite beauty brands (at that moment in time) were still testing their products or ingredients on animals, and most were also selling their products in China, where it's a legal requirement to test products on animals.

I was outraged and threw away any product I had from a company that tested on animals. I did my research and read up on Peta, Leaping Bunny, and the Humane Society International websites to see how companies found this loophole and which brands were, in fact, Cruelty-Free and not selling in China. I also started following Cruelty-Free based Blogs such as Logical Harmony, Cruelty-Free Kitty, Ethical Elephant and Cruelty-Free with Me (to name a few). When Checking brands I used the methods mentioned above and also used Leaping Bunny and Peta's cruelty-free brands' search engines and Logical Harmony's Cruelty-Free Brand List.

Has this inspired you to go Cruelty-Free? Do you understand more about being Cruelty-Free and How to get started? If you have any more questions please let me know in the comments below or get in touch, I'm always happy to hear from you and help you out where I can. 

Thanks for Reading,