5 Tips for Making the Switch to Cruelty-Free Cosmetics
You may have been looking to make the switch to cruelty-free cosmetics for some time. It’s also possible that you only recently realized that many beauty product manufacturers harm and torture animals to test their products. Either way, you might be wondering where to begin. The following 5 tips will make your transition to cruelty-free cosmetics as simple as possible.
1 – Don’t Make the Environment Worse
Do you feel the urge to throw out all of your cosmetics and beauty products and start over from scratch? Please don’t. Waste does not help you, your pocketbook or the environment. Pouring chemicals down your sink has a negative effect on the world. The same is true with plastics that go anywhere other than the recycle container. You have already purchased your current inventory of products, so just use them up before switching.
2 – Give Yourself Time to Make the Change
After years, or possibly decades, of using traditional cosmetics it is going to take some time to switch. Mentally and even physically this transition needs to be gradual to last. Once you start researching, you will find that a vast number of the products you use in your home are made by companies that test on animals. Start slow and replace products gradually.
3 – Get to Know Your Bunny Rabbits
Have you seen bunny logos on cosmetic products? That’s a good sign. There are organizations around the world dedicated to pointing you in the right direction when you are looking for products that don’t test on animals. Some bunnies will point you to excellent cruelty-free goods. However, not all bunny-bearing products are created equal. Look for these three:
• The Leaping Bunny Logo – associated with Cruelty-Free International and the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics
• The Caring Consumer Logo – PETA’s animal-friendly designation
• The CCF Rabbit – the Australian-based Choose Cruelty-Free organization
Tip (Perform a web search for those logo names so you can see exactly what they look like.)
4 – Get a Partner
You can make a bigger impact on the environment, animals and beauty product manufacturers when you double your efforts. It is also more fun when you get a friend involved in your environmentally friendly efforts. You may even consider forming or joining a cruelty-free consciousness group. You may find your efforts lead to very real change in your area.
5 – Look Outside Your Cosmetics
Dental care products like mouthwash and toothpaste are unfortunately usually tested on animals. The same is true with most dental floss, deodorant, and laundry detergent. To make a more powerful impact, adopt cruelty-free products all around the home, not just where your cosmetics are concerned.
