Back in the summer I decided to go cruelty free. The thought that I was putting my makeup and skincare preferences above the welfare of innocent animals was just too much for my conscience to bear. So I said goodbye to some of my favourite cosmetics and hello to a new cruelty free life. Six month later, I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’ve come a long way. Here are some of the things I’ve come to realise about a cruelty free lifestyle in my six month update.
It’s more than just makeup
When I first made the decision to go cruelty free, the idea of giving up Estee Lauder, L’oreal and Maybelline loomed over me like a dark cloud. I knew I’d have to restock my entire makeup bag, but what I didn’t stop to think about were all the other animal tested products I used every day without even thinking about it. My deodorant, my toothpaste, my laundry detergent and even my toilet cleaner had all been tested on animals! Who knew that cruelty free makeup was only the tip of the iceberg?
All my favourites were bad guys
One of the reasons I didn’t make the commitment to go cruelty free sooner is because I didn’t realise that the products I was using were being tested on animals. I assumed that animal testing was some obscure, barely heard of, outdated practice used by sketchy brands you can only buy in bulk on Ebay. The reality is, the majority of my favourite high street and high end brands were testing on animals and only a very small number of my favourite cosmetics were cruelty free.
You might not be ‘cruelty free enough’
Something unexpected happened recently over on my Youtube channel. I was accused of not being cruelty free because I was using a product from a brand that was owned by a non-cruelty free parent company. For example, NYX is a cruelty free brand, but it’s owned by L’oreal, which isn’t. Some people avoid these brands because they don’t want to support the parent companies and that’s fine. The way I see it, every £1 I spend is a vote and I want companies like L’oreal to see that I’m choosing to spend my money on their cruelty free brands and not on their animal tested ones. It all just come down to personal choice.
But this was my first experience of hostility from someone in the cruelty free community and it made me a little sad. After all, we’re all just doing our part to reduce the suffering in this world and finger pointing doesn’t achieve anything. On the flip side, I’m glad to say that on the whole the cruelty free beauty community has been extremely welcoming, supportive and helpful.
I’ve stepped outside my comfort zone
Before I went cruelty free I’d been using the same Maybelline concealer for… oh, I don’t know. 6 years?! Having to overhaul my makeup collection was a little intimidating at first, but I’ve come across some truly amazing products that I never would have tried if it wasn’t for going cruelty free. It’s definitely a good thing to venture outside of your comfort zone!
I’m certainly no cruelty free expert yet. I still pull up Google every time I want to try a new brand, just to check if it’s cruelty free or not. I’m still making my way through the last dregs of my old cosmetics so I can say goodbye to all my animal tested products once and for all. But, while I’ve still got a long way to go, I’ve learned a lot in the last six months and I feel very happy knowing that no animals were harmed in the making of my face.
