Create A Cruelty Free Home In 3 Steps

Going cruelty free is a process, but this guide to gradually ditch-and-switch your cosmetics, accessories, and household products can help make it easy.

The FDA regulates many commonly used items, such as food and cosmetics, using different guidelines and testing processes. This post focuses on how to ditch common households products, clothing, and accessories that were tested on animals or are made of animals in any way, including by-products (Note: I am not including medications in this particular list). As of now, cosmetics are not required to be FDA approved in order to go on the market, unless color additives are used. Therefore, it is important to do your own research and become knowledgeable about a company and their products before purchasing them.

Cruelty Free vs. Vegan, & Other Buzzwords

First, let's address the confusing mess of buzzwords that companies have been using to market their products. Organic. Sustainable. Cruelty Free. Vegan. Sure, it all sounds nice, but what does it all mean? Let's break it down.

Cruelty Free

• In order for an item to be certified cruelty free, the product and its ingredients must not have been tested on animals, nor is it tested on animals in countries where it is required by law. The focus is on animal testing and not whether animal products are used in the ingredients or manufacturing process.

• The gold standard cruelty free certifying agency is Leaping Bunny, so look for the leaping bunny logo when you go shopping for new products.

Vegan

• In order for an item to be certified vegan, the product and its ingredients must not have been tested on animals and it must not contain any animal products or by-products, or have used animal products in the manufacturing process.

• There are varying certifying agencies for vegan products and their logos are generally some form of a "V." The product is also often labeled vegan right on the front.

NOTE: Cruelty free products are not necessarily vegan. Learn more by reading Vegan vs. Cruelty Free - What's the Difference?

Bonus Buzzwords

Some of these terms are not regulated well or are used interchangeably. Certifying agencies are emerging to help clear things up, but never be afraid to question the validity of uncertified products using these labels and do some more research.

• Organic: The FDA does not have a definition for what is considered organic. The USDA has regulations and standards for organic products as it applies to agriculture. If cosmetics or personal care items are made of these agricultural products which meet their organic processing standards, then they may be certified organic.

• Clean: Generally these products are considered nontoxic and made without harsh chemicals, and are safe for people and the environment. Various agencies are popping up to offer certification, such as EWG.

• Sustainable: Similar to "clean," sustainable products are generally made with safe and eco-friendly ingredients, or ingredients that were sustainably sourced. The packaging may also be sustainable in that it reduces land waste or is recyclable.

• Natural: Again, natural products are made with safe, eco-friendly ingredients. The Natural Products Association offers a certification that also requires the products to be sustainable and not to have been tested on animals.

• Plant Based: You may see products labeled as being "plant-based" which generally means a portion of the ingredients were derived from plants

Decide what you're willing to live with.

I myself am vegan which makes it easier for me to look for strictly vegan certified products. I personally have the belief that a product is not truly cruelty free if it is still made of animal parts. Some prefer to focus on not contributing to animal testing. No matter your approach, my steps aim to cover going both cruelty AND vegan. The overall goal is to minimize the exploitation of animals as much as humanly possible.

Going Cruelty Free in 3 Steps

One of the first steps to switching to a cruelty free lifestyle is to start going through things you own or use often, and determine what is not cruelty free and vegan. You might be surprised!

Start with clothing and accessories, move towards personal products, and then tackle household products. You may want to keep your phone, laptop, or pen and paper handy for items you aren't sure of so you can do some sleuthing.

You can also check for a cruelty free or vegan logo from a certifying agency on the packaging, though I'd say it's best to go the extra step and look into some of the companies and what their policies are.

1. SORT IT

Here's a list of things to start going through. Sort out the items that are not cruelty free and vegan from the ones that are.

Clothes & Accessories

Pull out anything made of fur, wool, angora, leather, suede, animal skins like croc or alligator, etc. Check the tags because there are some convincing synthetic alternatives to suede, fur, and leather out there and these are ok.

• Clothes

• Jewelry

• Belts

• Shoes

• Wallets

• Handbags

Personal Products

If there is no certified cruelty free and vegan logo on it, chances are it has been tested on animals. Keep an eye out for major manufacturers who are known to test on animals.

• Hair care (shampoos, conditioners, treatments, styling products, dyes)

• Skin care (lotions, lip balms, body washes)

• Makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow, foundation, mascara, liners, blush, etc.)

• Deodorant

• Shaving gels and creams

• Perfume/cologne

• Nail polish

• Toothpaste/mouth wash

Household Products

This can get a little tricky since the focus for cruelty free and vegan products tends to be on cosmetics and personal care. There are also many chemicals in cleaners that likely were tested on animals. Again, keep an eye out for major manufacturers known to test.

• All-purpose cleaners

• Industrial cleaners

• Glass cleaners

• Laundry detergent

• Dish soap

• Hand soap

• Candles

• Air fresheners

• Glues & adhesives

Download my free cheat sheet on parent companies and their brands that test on animals here:

Click Me

2. PRIORITIZE IT

Once your items are separated, further sort through them by identifying things that are unopened, things that are opened, and whether these items are necessities or if you could go without them for now.

• If anything is unopened and you're willing to go without, consider donating to a homeless or domestic violence shelter. If that is not a possibility, you could always give them to friends or family or your local thrift shop if they accept those particular items.

• For anything that is opened, prioritize it. You can either use it up, then replace it with a cruelty free brand, or dispose of it - consider upcycling the packaging by repurposing it, otherwise always recycle when possible.

3. REPLACE IT

Do what is within your means. Do not break the bank to replace everything all at once, unless you can swing it and absolutely want to. For example, when I made the switch I had some makeup that was cruelty free, but not vegan. I decided to use it up first before replacing it with a fully vegan product. Other products I had that were old or almost gone, I just tossed.

Remember: change does not happen overnight. These steps are meant to be a guide to help you ditch-and-switch towards a more ethical lifestyle. Don't push it or break the bank. Take your time and enjoy the process!

Parent Companies That Test On Animals

There are a growing number of cruelty free and vegan brands on the rise - which is great! But did you know that some of these brands are owned by parent companies that still test on animals?

Rabbits are often used in cosmetics testing.

A parent company is essentially a company that owns and controls a majority of another company, usually a collection of them. Parent companies tend to be large organizations. The issue here when it comes to cruelty free living, is that even though a brand might be fully cruelty free and/or vegan, the parent company may still test on animals.

One perspective is that by supporting a cruelty free or vegan brand, consumers are showing a demand for it which could put pressure on parent companies to change their practices or create similar products. The other perspective is that your money is still supporting animal testing in a round-a-bout way.

When it comes to what "cruelty free" truly means, there is such a large gray area. Leaping Bunny is the gold standard certifying agency, but there are other agencies that do not require very much proof in order to give their "certified cruelty free" stamp of approval. This makes it even more difficult to navigate the already murky waters.

AND to make things even more confusing, being cruelty free only applies to animal testing. Certified cruelty free products can still contain animal parts or by-products within their ingredients, therefore they may not be considered vegan.

This guide can be used to more easily identify the parent companies that do test on animals and the brands they own, which are commonly found in stores. Brands that are considered vegan are marked with a V.r vegan

Click below for a free download to keep on hand while shopping:

CrueltyFree_Parent Company Brands

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Download PDF • 445KB

Simple Sustainable Swaps At Home

More and more people are becoming aware of the negative impacts our actions have on the environment. Check the news today and you're bound to see some horrible event that is either the direct effect of global warming, or a direct contribution to it. There is no doubt that things will be even more devastating than they already are if we continue on without a care.

With the magnitude of pollution humans have created on this Earth, many people think the actions of one person won't even make a difference, so why bother? I hear that time and time again. But what if everyone started doing simple things to help reduce their carbon footprint? Not only will that mean more people making a difference, but also increased activism and a shift in consumerism. We do not have control over what major corporations do but we can encourage them to evolve and make changes to their manufacturing practices and offer greener alternatives by way of demand. Worth a shot, right?

Why Swap?

If you've been paying attention, it's probably no surprise that non biodegradable materials, like most plastics, are bad for the environment. Many of these items end up sitting in landfills polluting the Earth because they cannot break down. Or they will end up in the ocean, which greatly endangers and kills marine life.

While recycling should be done whenever possible, keep in mind that not all plastics are recyclable. To make things even more complicated, some seemingly non-plastic items, like paper coffee cups, actually contain a layer of plastic inside, and therefore cannot be recycled either. That being said, it's a safe bet to avoid single-use items all together!

DITCH & SWITCH

Here are some simple swaps you can do for a more sustainable home.

Straws

If you were traumatized by the video of someone pulling a plastic straw out of a sea turtle's nose like I was, then you probably vowed to only use eco-friendly straws from then on. That is the sad reality of what happens when our trash ends up in the ocean. There are plenty of alternatives to plastic straws, like stainless steel and paper straws that you can buy to keep at home. Many restaurants have already made the switch too, and we love to see it.

Plastic Wrap, Baggies, & Containers

You can easily ditch these single-use food storage items and get glass containers and reusable silicone food storage bags and lids. This pack of silicone storage bags and lids came in all different sizes, which has been great for storing vegetables and freezing veggie burgers.

Plastic Bags

When checking out at a store, consider bringing your own reusable tote bags rather than getting plastic bags. I love using this tote that I got in support of all the rehab and rescue work that Sesame the Opossum does.

Produce Bags

Skip the plastic bags when you're picking out a fresh bunch of kale or a couple of avocados. Instead, bring your own mesh produce bags. I bought a pack with a few different sizes from The Vegan Warehouse, and they have been perfect for shopping and storing veggies.

Cotton rounds

Used in skincare routines, cotton balls and rounds are convenient, but they create a lot of waste. Ditch and switch to an alternative like these reusable cotton rounds I found at The Vegan Warehouse. They are washable and last a lot longer.

Plastic Water Bottles

While plastic water bottles can be recycled, replacing single-use water bottles is one of the easiest things we can do. There are plenty of reusable alternatives like stainless steel water bottles, and even ones with built in purifying filters. You can also replace paper coffee cups with a reusable alternative that will keep your drink nice and hot for hours, without the waste.

Toothbrush & Toothpaste

Did you know there are eco-friendly alternatives to plastic toothbrushes? Same goes for toothpaste tubes. Switch to a toothbrush made of biodegradable bamboo and toothpaste tablets instead.

Disposable Plates & Cutlery

For convenience reasons, paper plates and plastic utensils may be used when access to a dishwasher or sink is not available. They may be tempting for those who simply just don't want to do dishes (we have all been there). But did you know once they are contaminated with food, they cannot be recycled? Ditch the single-use plates and utensils and stick with ones you can simply wash and reuse.

Paper Towels & Napkins

Like paper plates, paper towels and napkins cannot be recycled after being contaminated with food. Besides that, paper towels, napkins, and tissues cannot be recycled due to the fibers they are made from. Stick with washable and reusable cloth napkins and eco-friendly alternatives to paper towels, like those made from bamboo or washable cloth.

These are just a few of the things we can do to start making a difference for a greener planet. Don't hesitate to ditch & switch to eco-friendly alternatives!

-Kat