How to transition to cruelty-free and vegan beauty

Over the years, the cruelty-free and vegan beauty worlds have grown, and more brands are now emphasising their cruelty-free and/or vegan stance.

Despite this, there are so many products out there that contain animal products or are created by brands that still testing on animals.

Because of this, beauty shopping can be overwhelming at times, and you might be thinking, “What should I do? How do I carefully select beauty products that are cruelty-free and vegan?” You may have decided that you want to switch to cruelty-free and vegan products (in that case, good choice!) But you might be feeling unsure about how to proceed.

Well, this guide will help you. Switching to cruelty-free and vegan beauty products is a lot easier than you might think. Here are our top tips on transitioning to cruelty-free and vegan beauty.

How to transition to cruelty-free and vegan beauty

Understand the definitions

Cruelty-free and vegan are terms that don’t mean the same thing. Having said that, many cruelty-free products are vegan too.

Anyway, a cruelty-free beauty product is an item that has not been tested at all throughout the production and manufacturing process. A vegan beauty product is an item that contains no animal ingredients.

Start small

Switching to cruelty-free and vegan beauty is a process, so take it step by step and take your time. Don’t expect to be cruelty-free and vegan overnight. However, keep up the work and stay consistent so that you can transition quickly.

Do your research

Knowledge is power and Google is your friend, so utilise these resources. Read up articles, blog posts and guides for more information. Consume content – i.e. watch YouTube videos – that focus on cruelty-free and vegan beauty. Research brand with this stance. It’s so easy to find the facts and expand your expertise.

Use up what you have or donate

If you have non-cruelty-free and non-vegan beauty products, don’t throw them away. Yes, you are transitioning and you might want to dispose of those items, but it’s better to use them up or give them away instead of allowing them to go to waste. Once you’ve used up these products, replace them with a cruelty-free and/or vegan alternative.

Check the labels and look out for the logos

When shopping for cruelty-free beauty, you should look out for the Leaping Bunny logo. When shopping for vegan beauty, you should look out for the Vegan Society logo.

Vicky Ly, Creator of Ethical Elephant, provides a detailed explanation about cruelty-free and vegan logos.

Look out for animal ingredients

When shopping for vegan products, look out for animal ingredients such as collagen, beeswax, carmine, keratin, lanolin and guanine.

Join online communities

There are websites and social media accounts that are dedicated to sharing reviews and recommendations on cruelty-free and vegan beauty products and brands. Join them, get involved and interact with other like-minded users.

Switch to dupes

There are beauty products that you may love but are not cruelty-free or vegan. This might be disappointing but you can find dupes or similarities. For example, if you see a bold red lipstick that’s sold by a brand that’s not cruelty-free, but you find a cruelty-free beauty brand that sells a similar shade of lipstick.

Switch up your essentials

It’s good that you’ve chosen to make the choice to transition into cruelty-free and vegan makeup and skincare, but don’t forget your essentials too. Start buying cruelty-free essentials such as toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body cream.

Check your makeup tools

Your tools for makeup application should be cruelty-free and vegan, so update your collection with items such as makeup brushes and beauty blenders.

Be conscious when shopping

Don’t make impulsive purchases! Think before you shop. Shopping for ethical (and eco-friendly) beauty products means being mindful of what you’re buying and what you’re applying on your body.

If you follow these tips then you can be sure to successfully go down the wonderful path of cruelty-free and vegan beauty. Most of all, have fun! Switching to cruelty-free and vegan beauty should be enjoyable.

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This blog post was originally published on Nanshy.