Would you consider yourself a conscious shopper? With hectic lifestyles and busy schedules, stopping to see whether what we are buying is of ethical and sustainable practices is often overlooked. For many people, another important issue especially in the beauty industry is testing on animals. The thought of our favourite brands testing on cute bunnies for the sake of soft skin is truly horrible yet in reality there are still companies globally that test on animals and are not fully informing its loyal customers.
Is a product really cruelty-free?
Despite the EU, and countries like Australia, Israel and Norway banning the sale and importation of cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients tested on animals, animals are still used in cosmetic testing around the world.
Cosmetic brands may advertise their products as cruelty-free in the UK but if they are also selling in countries like China, where animal testing on cosmetics is still a legal requirement, they cannot genuinely claim cruelty-free status. At the same time, many popular brands that are owned by larger, multinational ‘parent’ companies may sell other products in China – meaning that, for the ethical consumer, being genuinely cruelty-free can be extremely difficult.
How can we shop better?
There are lots of cruelty-free brands and ethical companies out there, you just have to know where to look. So to lend a helping hand, Naturewatch Foundation has done the hard work for you. Their Compassionate Shopping Guide which is now in its 14th edition has become the definitive guide to cruelty-free shopping for cosmetics, toiletries and household cleaning products in the UK. The charity are also running a #CompassionOverCruelty campaign to spread the message that buying compassionately doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. Check out the facts from this interesting campaign here and follow their latest updates on Twitter.
Naturewatch Foundation has the strictest criteria of any cruelty-free endorsement scheme in the world and they do not accept animal use in cosmetic testing at any level. They research companies thoroughly and only approve those brands that have a Fixed Cut Off Date animal testing policy in place. The same Fixed Cut Off Date must apply throughout the entire company range, including the parent company and any subsidiaries.
Here are just a few of the great brands that feature in the Compassionate Shopping Guide.
Brands featured include: Monuskin, Conscious Skincare, Paula’s Choice, Botanicals and Technic Cosmetics.
It’s not just your skincare and beauty brands to watch out for, there are lots of other brands that are not cruelty-free including household essentials such as cleaning and laundry products. So if you’d like a helping hand in discovering some of the best cruelty-free products on sale in the UK, get a free Compassionate Shopping Guide guide here and start making an informed choice when shopping for your everyday essentials.
