Another big step towards a vegan lifestyle is committing to vegan or cruelty-free beauty and hygiene products.
The difference? Vegan is not tested on animals and contains no animal products while cruelty-free doesn’t test on animals but may contain animal products such as honey.
Right now, all my beauty and hygiene products are cruelty-free and most are vegan. Here’s what I use:
Tom’s of Maine deodorant: I really like this company suggested to me by a friend. They are open with their sources and it doesn’t take a chemistry Ph.D. to determine if the product is eco- and vegan-friendly. This particular deodorant I use is vegan and I bought it for about $5 at C.V.S. (generic pharmacy, U.S.).
Tom’s of Maine toothpaste: Again, Tom’s to the rescue. Again, this particular toothpaste I use is both vegan and cruelty-free and goes for about $5 at local pharmacies.
Shampoo, conditioner and body wash: I’m not too particular about my hair care. Generic shampoo and conditioner seem to work fine for me. I was told that Superdrug brand does not test on animals and my current shampoo of avocado and manuka honey and its complementary conditioner seem to be free of animal products as well (£4 each). For shower gel, I’m also using Superdrug brand coconut shower gel. It, too, seems to lack animal products (but don’t quote me on that, the Superdrug website is a bit harder to understand than the Tom’s site) and is only £1. About once a week, I use Paul Mitchell clarifying shampoo, which is vegan and cruelty-free (£10).
Make-up and skin: My skin care routine is simple. First of all, what kind of vegan would I be if I didn’t give a should to Lush? All their products are not tested on animals and a good handful are vegan. However, my routine starts with my only non-vegan (contains honey) product: Mask of Magnaminty (£13). It makes my face so smooth. I then apply Grease Lightning (vegan) (£7), which acts as a light and airy base that also prevents break outs. My cruelty-free and vegan make-up brand of choice is e.l.f. I use their foundation, face powder and mascara. Finally, for make-up wipes, I’m currently using wipes from The Co-operative: again, both vegan and cruelty-free!
Photo by Pinar.
