HOW I’M TRANSITIONING TO CRUELTY-FREE PRODUCTS

For the past few weeks I’ve been actively making the transition to cruelty free make up and seeking out cruelty-free/vegan friendly brands. It’s been a super interesting time because tonnes of my die hard holy grail products are tested on animals booooo!

Step 1: read read read
I knew I wanted to make the switch for a few months - essentially since we went vegan - but I put it off because I didn’t really know where to start. I ended up reaching out to Kate from The Minted Blog and asking for some help and she pointed me toward Cruelty Free Kitty a great, comprehensive blog for finding lists of brands that are/aren’t CF. I spent hours reading the blog and then some more time googling brands that I use that weren’t on the list. The whole experience was totally overwhelming, sad and daunting because tonnes of my favourite products are in fact not CF.

Step 2: list
I then made a list of brands that I currently use that are not cruelty free and a list of brands that I already love that. Here is an overview of my list. This made things super clear for me (and helpful for a step four) so that I didn’t have to continuously be googling products or brands. It was pretty much a condensed version of the Cruelty Free Kitty list of CF brands and companies that do test on animals - just so it was more applicable for me.

There are a few brands like Maybelline, Avene, Benefit, LRP and Joico that I’m particularly sad to know that once I finish my current products I won’t be able to use again. The bulk of my routines are now ruled out so I’m a bit scared about changing things and I’m nervous! But also excited.

Brands I currently use that are NOT cruelty-free
Benefit
Bobbi Brown
Covergirl
L’oreal
MAC
Maybelline
Maxfactor
Revlon
Rimmel
Avene
Clarins
Jurlique
La Roche Posay
Vaseline
Joico
Matrix
Redken
Dove
Jo Malone
Sensodyne

Brands I currently use that are cruelty-free
100% pure
Ardell
Beautyblender
Charlotte Tilbury
Skinstitut
Kevin Murphy
Laura Mercier
Dermalogica
Hourglass
Jane Iredale
Lush
Oribe
Stila
Sukin
The Body Shop

Step 3: clear out any spare, unopened products
I’ve just finished doing a massive clear out and have boxes on boxes of products ready to be dished to family or friends so this is a step I’m slowing getting too. It seems silly to throw away products, and also wasteful, that are not CF so I’ll be making sure they’re either rehomed or used up but I will not be repurchasing.

Step 4: contact brands
This has been the hardest thing because I’m on some media lists and I literally don’t even know how! I’ve sent out a blanket email sharing MTA’s new direction of being cruelty-free. I have to admit it is scary because I have amazing relationships with some brand reps and PR so the transition is daunting. I’m excited to make new relationships with brands and know that I’m supporting ones that are cruelty-free.

Have you made the change to cruelty-free? How did you find the change?

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About Sarah
I'm a retail manager by day and a blogger by night aiming to bring you the newest beauty, fashion and lifestyle news. More Than Adored was created to help beauty lovers, like myself, make informed decisions when it comes to buying new goodies.

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melanie.sylvia

Interesting and annoying that most affordable/common brands are not cruelty free. I’m interested to know HOW these brands aren’t cruelty free? Like, what exactly are they doing? I guess I shouldn’t be so lazy and research that for myself lol.
It’s great that you are doing this and I will be checking out cruelty free kitty for sure! It’s so sad that in this day and age the beauty, fashion & food industry is still so awful and damaging. But with so much information out there its ridiculous that consumers have to spend hours and hours educating ourselves about these things in order to make good choices. It should be illegal to make products that test on animals and or damage the environment and it should be the brands responsibility and not the consumers to educate people.
- Kate Flint
  
  Totally agree that it should be made 100% illegal! Unfortunately the reasoning that a lot of brands aren’t cruelty free is because it’s mandatory to have animal testing in China. So if a brand wants to sell their product in China, then all their products or ingredients must be tested on animals to be able to be sold there. :( Hopefully one day with enough support China will change the law, or brands pull their support to China and become cruelty free <3
Katie M

I’m slowly doing the same thing, but I find being in Canada this is very hard. Because most brands we don’t carry and or I have to pay $$ for shipping and handling if I want to buy online. Slowly there are some brands in my drugstores that aren’t testing on animals but you have to really do some searching or know your products. I’ve got at least my makeup that I use on a daily to 50% percent cruelty free, I still need to find some products out there or dupes for my die hards trust me drug store mascara is my hard one. But these are some products that I’ve been switching too

Tarte
Live Clean ( for body washes and shampoo’s. etc )
NYX
Wet N Wild

I’ve been really into this blogger she is a Cruelty Free and she goes through brands and breaks it down. http://mybeautybunny.com/is-nyx-cruelty-free/ She is wonderful she has helped me for products I can switch out after I’m done that one product.

Hope this helps your with your transition please let me know if you have found a good mascara ?!!!

Katie | https://ktmcgworld.blogspot.ca
- Sarah
  
  Ooo thanks for the suggestions! I’ll defs check out My Beauty Bunny. Nope I haven’t found a mascara yet… Still searching! Will keep you updated xx
Heather McKnight

I’ve actually been planning a similar post, I’m not 100% sure that my collection will ever be completely cruelty free, but I am trying to get it to a point where it’s primarily cruelty free. I loved this post!

Heather, Heather McKnight
- Sarah
  
  Thanks Heather! Good luck with the switch over :)
Shell

I’m slowly but surely transitioning to using cruelty-free products only (I’m doing it as a matter of personal stance - whilst I’m not vegan, I don’t agree with defenceless animals being harmed just so we can have a pretty lipstick or something). Although most of my stash is CF anyway, there are several exceptions. It is hard (especially when you discover brands that you’re using are NOT cruelty-free - why oh why?), but it’s all about education really. Like Heather, I too am unsure as to whether my collection will ever be completely CF, but I’d like to get it to a higher percentage point.

Shell // The Novice Life
- Sarah
  
  That’s great to hear you’re making the change Shell! For me I just can’t separate the difference between consuming animal products and testing on animals. Animals are hurt either way and once I realised that I couldn’t even imagine NOT making the changes xx
Kate Flint

I’m so proud of you for making this step Sarah! It is especially daunting as a blogger to have to reach out to brands that you have built relationships with and essentially break up with them. Hopefully one day soon with enough support we can push for an end to animal testing <3 And totally understand about using up your current collection - I tried to use up as much as I could, and then gifted a lot of stuff away because I couldn't forseeably use all of it. You can do it girl!

Kate | themintedblog.com
- Sarah
  
  Thanks Kate! You were such a huge inspo for me!!!
Daniela

Hats off to you for going cruelty free Sarah! I can imagine how hard it would be. x

Daniela | MissNewBeauty.net
- Sarah
  
  Thanks gorge xx
Sarah | Bows & Pleats

I’m in the exact same boat as you at the moment! I have made a list of brands that I am currently using that are cruelty-free and ones that are not and I am in the process of doing a huge declutter I think which will make the process easier. The hardest items for me to part with will be my MAC items but I think I will keep some of my foundations and lip palette for free-lancing and just not repurchase as you said since they are $1000’s in investment. I hope I can do it! Honestly, I barely use drugstore products and prefer Milani, Jordana Wet n Wild over Covergirl, Rimmel and Maybelline so I don’t think it will be too hard! There are so many awesome alternatives out there. Perhaps we can help each other.

Sarah | Bows & Pleats
- Sarah
  
  That would be great Sarah! would love to be supported by someone else in a similar position :)