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

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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!

Non-Vegan Beauty Ingredient Guide

Vegan certified products make shopping cruelty free a heck-of-a-lot easier, but what exactly makes your makeup not vegan?

Let me start with a quick reminder of the difference between certified cruelty free and certified vegan products:

• Cruelty Free: neither the ingredients nor the finished product has been tested on animals, nor will it be tested on animals where required by law.

• Vegan: cruelty free (see above) AND contains absolutely no animal derived products, directly or indirectly, nor were animal products used in the process of manufacturing any ingredients (for example, if sugar is an ingredient, it must not have been filtered with bone char).

That being said, there are still many beauty products out there that are cruelty free, but not vegan. Here's a brief list of major ingredients that are not vegan, unless otherwise stated.

Note: Vegan alternatives are available for most, if not all, of these ingredients.

Animal Hair Brushes

Makeup brushes can be made with many different types of animal hair such as, mink, squirrel, sable, horse, or goat, while hair brushes can be made with boar bristles. Make sure to look for certified vegan brushes as an alternative.

Beeswax

This is an obvious one and is sometimes debated. Beeswax does not contain animal products but is seen to be exploitive and even harmful to bees, therefore it does not fall under the definition of veganism. In my research, some companies have stated that the beeswax used in their products had been ethically or sustainably sourced. Beeswax can be found in products like lip care, skincare, eyeshadow, and eyeliner.

Carmine

Carmine is actually made up from the crushed and boiled bodies of cochineal beetles. Sure, that sounds like lyrics from a brutal metal song, but it's not something I want in my makeup, and quite frankly, bugs are friends. Sadly, carmine is used to make red pigments and is commonly found in eyeshadows and lipsticks.

Other names: cochineal, cochineal extract, carmine lake, crimson lake, natural red 4

Lanolin

This ingredient is derived from sheep wool. This is another one that is sometimes debated as far as if it's ethical or not, but cannot be considered vegan because it is an animal product. The practice of mulesing sheep in the wool industry is cruel and still used in Australia. The method of obtaining lanolin can also be a by-product of the meat industry, sourced from sheep that are slaughtered. It is an emollient used to moisturize and is commonly found in all different types of skincare, haircare, and makeup. There are now alternatives to lanolin derived from plants.

Shellac

This ingredient is created from lac beetle secretions (ew) and the method of collection can kill or injure the bugs. This type of resin can be found in products like nail polish, mascara, eyeliner, and hair spray.

Other names: lac resin, resinous glaze

Glycerin

This ingredient can be derived from animal fats (tallow), or plant sources, however products might not specify which is used. Glycerin is a moisturizer so it is found in plenty of skincare, haircare, and cosmetics. Vegetable glycerin is a vegan alternative.

Other names: glycerol, glycerolum

Squalene

This ingredient is derived from shark livers. You can read more about it in my other other blog post, Are There Sharks Lurking In Your Home? . To make things more confusing, squalane (with an 'a') is an ingredient derived from squalene, that is also an ingredient in cosmetics. Again, this is a moisturizing agent and can be found in many different cosmetic products. Squalane can be derived from plant sources.

Other names: squalane

Ambergris

Like squalene, this is a secretion taken from sperm whales. It is commonly used in perfumes.

Guanine

This ingredient is derived from crushed up fish scales. It is used to add a pearl-like shimmer to products like eye shadow, nail polish, and even shampoo.

Other names: pearl essence

Oleic Acid

This is another one that comes from animal fats (tallow), and is likely sourced as a by-product from animals slaughtered for meat. It use used in many cosmetics, skin care, and hair care. There are plant-based sources available.

Other names: oleyl oleate, oleyl stearate

Stearic Acid

Here we go again - this one also comes from the fat of cows and pigs. However, there are plenty of plant sources, and it's a major component of cocoa butter and shea butter. Stearic acid is commonly found in cosmetics, hair care, and skin care.

Other names: octadecanoic acid

Collagen

This ingredient is a protein sourced from the tissues of cows or fish. It can be found in hair and skin products, for the purpose of strengthening hair, and moisturizing and renewing skin. These days there are plant-based collagens available.

Other names: Hydrolyzed Collagen

Keratin

This ingredient, commonly used in hair treatments or nail strengtheners, is actually made from ground up animal parts. Keratin hair treatments have also been controversial due to the use of formaldehyde. Luckily, vegan alternatives to keratin are starting to pop up.

Other names: Hydrolyzed Keratin

Elastin

Elastin is similar to collagen, in that it is a protein derived from the tissues of animals and fish. It is commonly used in skin care products to restore the skin to a more youthful appearance. There are now plant-based alternatives to animal derived elastin.

Other names: Hydrolyzed Elastin

This is not a complete list but I will be updating as I do more research! Remember to always check the ingredients. Products not certified vegan might be accidentally vegan or even in the process of being certified. Also check products that are only labeled cruelty free, as they may not be vegan.

-Kat