We all like to look fantastic, but rarely stop to think about the origins of the products that we know and love. Many of our favourite high street brands are tested on animals and it can be hard to find cruelty-free beauty brands. So we’ve put together a list of recommendations of affordable and fabulous ethical products – from beautiful body lotions to fantastic foundations; this is your go-to-guide for cruelty-free beauty.
Haircare
Cruelty-free haircare is one of the hardest things to find, with very few companies choosing not to test on animals.
Neal’s Yard is not only cruelty-free, but also organic and carbon neutral. Their unique range of shampoos and conditioners are full of beautiful essential oils that will nourish your hair, leaving it beautifully shiny and smelling great. Our favourites are their Revitalising Orange Flower Shampoo and Conditioner – at £11.50 a bottle they’re rather pricey, but worth it for the top quality ingredients.
For styling, Paul Mitchell has everything from Extra-Body Sculpting Foam to Volumizing Spray. Award-winning haircare at an affordable price, this brand is serious about protecting animals, becoming the first professional beauty company to publicly oppose animal testing back in the 80s.
If you’re looking for great haircare on a budget then all of Superdrug’s own-brand products are cruelty-free. Their shampoos and conditioners start from just £2.29!
Skincare
LUSH is probably the most well-known cruelty-free company. Famous for their handmade soaps that can fill a room with scrumptious scent,this shop is a favourite of A-listers including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Their wide range of products mean you can lather, buff, and scrub your body from top to toe, knowing that everything you’re using is both natural and ethical. Check out their number one product, Dream Cream – a heavenly body lotion, perfect for even the most sensitive of skins.
For blemish-free skin,try Amie Skincare. Created specifically for those in their teens and twenties, with natural ingredients and cute packaging, this award-winning range is definitely worth a try.
Winter weather can leave your hands and lips feeling dry and in need of a good hand cream and lip balm. Burt’s Bees delicious 100% natural Beeswax & Banana Hand Crème is thick, nourishing, and one pot will last you all winter. They also have a gorgeous range of lip balms and tints. Our favourite is their original Beeswax Lip Balm with vitamin E and peppermint, which will not only give you super soft lips, but the perfect pout as well. It’s a steal too, at just £3.69!
Make-up
Known for their edgy design, quirky shade names, and occasionally daring colours, Urban Decay is a company that is serious about being cruelty-free. A favourite of celebrities and make-up artists, this brand never compromises on quality. We love their eyeshadow range; they offer a palette to suit every style, with an array of mattes, shimmers and glitters to choose from. We recommend their ‘Naked’ palette – with neutrals for day, and smokier shades for night, this is a perfect all-rounder. The average palette will set you back around £35, but we think that they’re a great investment that will last for years.
A perfect accompaniment to Urban Decay’s excellent eyeshadows is The Body Shop’s‘Super Volume’ mascara, which gives amazing volume and intense colour. As well as a great selection of cruelty-free make-up products, The Body Shop also has a brilliant range of brushes. So if you’re looking to update your beauty tool collection then check them out.
For a flawless base, try Barefaced Beauty, an award winning mineral make-up brand. All of their products are made with 100% minerals,so they’re kind to your skin as well as being totally cruelty-free. If you’ve never tried mineral foundation before, then their ‘Absolutely Flawless’ or ‘Mineral Starter’ kits are a great introductory option.
Look out for the leaping bunny!
The labelling on beauty products regarding animal testing can often cause a lot of confusion. Statements such as ‘not tested on animals’ or ‘against animal testing’ do not guarantee that the product is truly free from animal testing. The Leaping Bunny logo is the only internationally recognised logo that guarantees that your product is cruelty-free.
For the full list of Leaping Bunny approved products then go to: http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/
Picture credits:
artofthestate.co.uk
paulmitchell.com
lush.co.uk
burtsbees.co.uk
urbandecay.co.uk
gocrueltyfree.org