Cruelty-free and vegan beauty has become popular over the last few years but despite this, there are still plenty of brands that test on animals and/or use animal ingredients in their products.

If you want to make the switch to cruelty-free and vegan beauty products but don’t know where to begin or how to start, then here are some simple tips on how to make the transition. Bear in mind: this is a process that’s slow and steady and takes time, so don’t expect it to happen overnight.

Four ways to transition to cruelty-free and vegan beauty

1. Start phasing out your current collection

Take a look at your collection and identify the products that are vegan and cruelty-free, then separate those from the ones that aren’t. Then, you can either use up the items that aren’t cruelty-free and vegan or you can give them away or donate them. You should also try phasing out your non-cruelty-free and non-vegan essentials, such as body butter, shampoo, conditioner, soap and toothpaste.

To identify cruelty-free and vegan products, look out for the cruelty-free and vegan logos. Also, look out for animal ingredients such as collagen, beeswax, carmine, keratin, lanolin, squalane and guanine.

2. Do your research

Knowledge is power and Google is your friend. There are plenty of online resources to help you educated yourself, such as articles, YouTube videos, podcasts, forums, social media channels and blogs (check out Cruelty-Free Kitty, Cruelty-Free Becky, Ethical Elephant and Vegan Beauty Girl.) Be aware of brands that portray themselves as cruelty-free and vegan (when they aren’t) and read up on the policies of your favourite brands to find out about their stance on ethical topics.

3. Switch to dupes

Some of your favourite beauty products in your current collection may not be cruelty-free and/or vegan, but that’s okay. You can search for cruelty-free and/or vegan dupes or similar items. For example, if your favourite lipstick/nail polish/mascara isn’t cruelty-free, then you can search for cruelty-free beauty brands that sell a similar shade.