the blog.
Ethical Beauty: Cruelty-Free and Vegan Brands
Whether you're taking the first step by going cruelty-free with your makeup, or choosing to go 100% vegan, I've compiled lists of brands to help you make informed decisions about your beauty! Every little bit counts, and every cruelty-free product you buy is making a huge difference to the animals that won't be tested on.
Whether you're taking the first step by going cruelty-free with your makeup, or choosing to go 100% vegan, I've compiled lists of brands to help you make informed decisions about your beauty! Every little bit counts, and every cruelty-free product you buy is making a huge difference to the animals that won't be tested on.
This list is a result of my research of brands and lists from reputable sources. I have done my best, but it may not be 100% accurate. Please let me know if you see a mistake so that I can correct it immediately!
First, I wanted to list some popular makeup brands that do test on animals. If you have makeup by these brands please consider using them up and not repurchasing!
Beauty Brands That DO Test On Animals
Almay
Aveeno
Benefit
Biore
Biotherm
Bobbi Brown
Burberry
Chanel
Chapstick Brand
Clairol
Clarins
Clarisonic
Clean & Clear
Clearasil
Clinique
CoverGirl
Dior
Elizabeth Arden
Essie
Estee Lauder
Garnier
Givenchy
Got2Be
Guerlain
Head & Shoulders
Herbal Essences
Inglot
L'Occitane
L'Oreal
La Mer
Lancome
Laura Mercier
MAC
Make Up Forever
Marc Jacobs Beauty
Maybelline
Nair
Neutrogena
New York Color (NYC)
Nivea
Olay
OPI
Origins
Pantene
Redken
Revlon
Rimmel
Sally Hansen
Sephora Collection
Shiseido
Shu Uemura
Smashbox
St. Ives
Stila
Tresemme
Victoria's Secret & Victoria's Secret PINK
Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Rocher
For more brands to avoid see this PETA Companies That Do Test On Animals PDF or use the PETA cruelty-free company search!
Now that you've gotten rid of all of your makeup that was tested on animals, what should you replace it with? Why not try some of these awesome cruelty-free brands, many of which are 100% vegan!
Beauty Brands That DON'T Test On Animals
All companies on this list do not test on animals and also carry some vegan products. 100% vegan companies are in bold! Brands that are cruelty free, but their parent companies are not (or the parent company owns other brands who are not), are indicated with an asterisk (*).
100% Pure
1121 Apothecary
1944 Vegan Skincare
19th Volume Cosmetics Corp.
2nd Love Cosmetics
21 Drops
2B
415 Labs
4mula
a.dorn
A Girl's Gotta Spa
ABBA Pure Performance Hair Care*
Acid-2-Alkaline
Acure Organics
Adorn Cosmetics
Aesop
AG Hair Cosmetics
Ageless Derma
AHAVA
Ahimsa Naturals
AILA Cosmetics
Ainhoa Cosmetics
Alba Bontanica
Alexami
Alima Pure
Ambre Blends
American Apparel Beauty
Amie Skincare
Amina Cosmetics
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Andalou Naturals
Annmarie Gianni Skin Care
Antonym Cosmetics
Arbonne International
Ardell
Aromi
Aster + Bay
Athar'a
Au Naturale
Aubrey Organics
Avalon Organics
Axiology
AYRES
Ayushi
AZATURE
B.
Balanced Guru
Balm Balm
Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals*
Barry M
Beautisol
Beaming White
Beautycounter
Beauty Blender
Beauty by Earth
Beauty Without Cruelty
Becca
BellaPierre
Bella Mari
Ben Nye Makeup
Besame Cosmetics
Biconi
Bio Follicle
Bioethique Organic Cosmetics
Biokleen
Blackbird Cosmetics
Black Dahlia Lacquer
Blinc
Blissoma
Bonne Belle
Botanic Organic
Box Naturals
Bronze Buffer
Burt's Bees*
ButterLondon
Buxom*
Bye Bye Parabens
Cailyn Cosmetics
Caitlin's Super Natural
Caru Skincare
Certain Dri*
Charlotte Tilbury
Cheeky Cometics
Ciate
Cocoon Apothecary
Cocovit
Colorevolution
ColourPop
ColorProof
Color Club
Conair
Concrete Minerals
Conscious Skincare
Coola Suncare
Cover FX
Crazy Rumors
Cross Creek Soaps
Crystal Body Deodorant
Cult Cosmetics
Dahliana Naturals
Daisy Blue Naturals
Deborah Lippmann
DermaE
Dermalogica
DermOrganic
Desert Essence
DeVita
Dickinson Brands
D I R T E A
DN-UNIK
Dose Of Colors
Dr. Bronner's
Dr. Hauschka
Drybar
DUO
Earth Diva Cosmetics
Earth Tu Face
Earthbody
Earthly Body
Earthwise Beauty
Ecco Bella
Eco-Dent
Eco Tan
Eco Tools
Ecover
ELF - all cosmetics are vegan, but not all brushes are
Elysian Nail Laquer
Elizabeth Mott
elizabeths San Francisco
Elixery
Ella + Mila
Ellovi
Emami
Enjoy Professional Hair Care
EO Products
Epic Blend
Epically Epic Soap
Epice International
Every Man Jack
Everyday Minerals
EVOLVh
Eye of Horus Cosmetics
Eylure
Face Atelier
Fairypants
Fairy Girl
FAR Botanicals
FiOR Minerals
First Aid Beauty
Flo +Theo
Flower Beauty
Foreo
Forager Botanicals
Forest Creek
Frank
Fyrinnae
Furless Makeup Brushes
FutureDerm
Gabriel Cosmetics
Garden Botanika
Garden of Wisdom
Geek Chic Cosmetics
Georgie Beauty
Gerard Cosmetics
Giovanni
GladRags
Glam Natural
GlowGenics
GOSH Cosmetics
Gourmet Body Treats
Green Beaver
Greenbody
Green Tidings
Green Virgin Products
Gressa
Gwen's Blends
Habit Cosmetics
Handmade Heroes
Happy Skincare
Harbingers of a New Age
Harvey Prince
Herman Cowboy
Hemp & Hempz Couture
Herbal-Medi-Care
Heritage Store
Herbal Choice Mari
Honesty Cosmetics
Honeybee Gardens
Hourglass
House of Lashes
Hugo Naturals
Hurraw!
IAH Cosmetics
Iconic Luxury Nail Color
Indie Lee
Inkling Scents
Inika Mineral Cosmetics
Innate Organic Body
Intelligent Nutrients
Illuminate Cosmetics
IsaDora
J.R. Watkins
Jack Black
Jan Iredale
Jason Naturals
Jersey Shore Cosmetics
Jing Ai
Jordana
Josh Polish
Josie Maran Cosmetics
Juice Beauty
JustNatural
Kaeng Raeng
Kaia Naturals
Kat Von D Beauty*
Kelley Quan
Kept Non-Toxic Beauty
Kester Black
Kett Cosmetics
Kimberly Parry Organics
Kimono
Kiss My Face
Kosi
Kryolan Professional Make-Up
KYPRIS
La Couleur Couture (LACC)
La Fresh Eco Beauty
Lamas Beauty
Lather
Laughing Devil Designs
Lalila Beauty
Lavanila
Lavina
Laurel Whole Plant Organics
Lime Crime Cosmetics
LimeLily Cosmetics
Lemon West
Lewin & Reilly
Light Mountain Natural Hair Color
Lily Lolo
Lime Crime
Lina Hanson
Lip Glosserie
Lippy Girl
Logona
Lotus Wei
Loving Tan
Lulu BLossom
LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs
Lush
LVX
Mad Hippie
Madam Glam
Made From Earth
Makeup Geek
Malin+Goetz
Manic Panic
Maple Holistics
Marc Anthony
Marcelle
Marnie's Body Care
Marie Natie
Marie Veronique Skincare
Maxim
May Lindstrom Skin
Me & You
Mehron
Mei Yin Naturopathics
Melanie Mills Hollywood - Makeup is vegan, brushes are not
Melt Cosmetics
Meow Cosmetics
Meow Meow Tweet
Metamour Skin Care
Method
Mi-Me
Michael Todd
Mineral Fusion
ModelCo
Modern Minerals
MOGI MOUSSE
Moni May Cosmetics
Montagne Jeunesse
Moroccanoil
Mount Purious Raw Skincare
Mr. Bean Body Care
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day*
Mullein & Sparrow
MUN
My Daughter Fragrances
My Konjac Sponge
MyChelle Dermaceuticals
Napoleon Perdis
NARS*
Natio
NatraCare
Naturopathica
Natural Glow Sunless Tanning
Nature's Gate
NCLA
Neal's Yard Remedies
No Miss
Nonie of Beverly Hills
North Coast Organics
Northern Star Cosmetics
Not A Sponge
Nourish Organic
Now Foods
Nui
Nurture My Body
NVEY Eco
NYL
NYX Cosmetics*
Nzuri Organics
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC)
OFRA Cosmetics
Ole Henriksen*
One Love Organics
Onesta
O.R.G. Skincare
ORLY
OSEA Malibu
Overtone
OVO Skincare
Own
Out of Africa
Overall Beauty Minerals
Pacifica
Painted Lips
Pangea Organics
Painkiller XO
Palate Polish
Parissa
Paul Mitchell
Paula's Choice
Pelle Beauty
Peony Cosmetics
Perfekt
Perricone MD
Personna*
Petal Fresh
Physician's Formula
PhytoVitamins
piCture pOlish
Piggy Paint
Pirouette Professionals
Pixi
Preserve
Priti NYC
Prospector Co.
Purbliss Candle Co.
Pure Chimp
Pureology*
Rainbow Honey
Rare Elements
Raven's Creek Soap Co.
RCMA Makeup
Real Purity
Real Techniques
Red Apple Lipstick
Reficis
Relogy
Replere
REVERIE
RevivaLabs
Rilastil
RMS Beauty
Rock Your Hair
Root Science
Rosebud Company
Rosemira ORganics
Rouge Bunny Rouge
Routine
Ruby White Tips
Saje Natural Wellness
Sante Natural Cosmetics
Sappo Hill Soapworks
Schmidt's Deodorant
Sienna X
Seventh Generation
Sevin Nyne
SkinAgain
SkinTea Ochaya Organics by Sayuri Marie
Shear Mineral Organics
ShiKai
Sibu Beauty
Shiro Cosmetics
Sigma
Silk Naturals
Sir Richards
Skin Dressing
skyn ICELAND
Soapbox Soaps
Soapwalla
SoapyLayne
Sonia Kashuk
Soultice Spa
SpaRitual
Sprout Skincare
Satrlooks
Styli-Style Cosmetics
Sunday Riley
Sugar & Oats
SUGARLOOM Cosmetics
Sugarpill
Sun and Earth
Suntegrity
Supa Herbal Greens
SVELTA Tan
S.W. Basics
Swagger Cosmetics
Sweet Anthem Perfumes
Swisspers
Tatcha
Tata Harper
TAY Skincare
The All Natural Face
theBalm
The Argan Tree
The Body Shop*
The Fanciful Fox
The Gnarly Whale
The Heritage Store
The Organic Skin Co.
The Soap Market
Thera Wise
Thesis
Tiki Bar Soap
Trader Joe's Brand
Tres Pure
Triumph & Disaster
True Natural
Trust Fund Beauty
Tom's of Maine*
Tome Kobo
Too Faced (scroll down to see the list of vegan products)
Ulta Collection
URB Apothecary
UTEKRAM
Ursa Major
Vapour Organic Beauty
Vitacare
VoilaVe
W.S. Badger
washbeautyco. by MaskerAide
Well Scent
Wen by Chaz Dean
Wet'n'Wild
Whitening Lightning
Whole Foods Brand/365
Xenca
Yaby Cosmetics
Warok
Yes to Carrots
Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics
Yu-Be
Zoeva
Zoya
Zurvita
ZuZu Luxe
Don't see the brand you're looking for on either of these lists? Try searching the PETA database, check out the PETA PDFs (DO test or DON'T test on animals), or take a look at Logical Harmony's comprehensive list!
I hope this post can serve as a guide for you to transition your beauty to a 100% cruelty-free and vegan zone! I know it can be hard to get rid of some of your favourite products or shades, but remember, this is a great opportunity to find new brands, and new products, that are not only ethical but incredible! You never know what you'll find when you widen your horizons and try something new. You just might find your new Holy Grail product!
Check out Rhian Hy (WifeLife), Tashina Combs (Logical Harmony), and Leticia (xoloveleti) on YouTube for endless reviews of cruelty-free and vegan products if you feel overwhelmed and would like a starting point. Also, let me know if you'd like me to do reviews on the blog of some of my favourite vegan beauty products!
Until next time,
Is your favourite product missing? Want me to do vegan beauty reviews? Let me know in the comments below!
Why My Home is a Vegan Zone
I've been thinking about this a lot in the last couple of weeks and really wanted to share my thoughts on it with all of you. The other day Jason was recording tracks for a friend of ours in our home studio. Our friend and those who were singing on the tracks got hungry and decided they wanted to order a pizza. They offered to order one to share with cheese, and to order a separate vegan one for Jason. He reluctantly agreed. When I got home and he told me about it I expressed that if I had been there I would have said no, point blank. He agreed with me saying that it made him very uncomfortable and he wished he'd said no. Why would we feel the need to keep our home a 100% vegan zone? Let me count the ways.
I've been thinking about this a lot in the last couple of weeks and really wanted to share my thoughts on it with all of you. The other day Jason was recording tracks for a friend of ours in our home studio. Our friend and those who were singing on the tracks got hungry and decided they wanted to order a pizza. They offered to order one to share with cheese, and to order a separate vegan one for Jason. He reluctantly agreed. When I got home and he told me about it I expressed that if I had been there I would have said no, point blank. He agreed with me saying that it made him very uncomfortable and he wished he'd said no. Why would we feel the need to keep our home a 100% vegan zone? Let me count the ways.
ONE Animal products have a strong smell that doesn't go away quickly. Not only do I find this smell middle nauseating, but it is also a constant reminder of the pain and suffering of countless millions of animals. Not really something I want to be thinking about every minute of the day, especially not in my own home.
TWO My house, my rules. Some people don't allow smoking. Some people don't allow drinking. I don't allow murder, of any species. Plain and simple. If you want to do it I won't stop you. But try to bring it into my home? That's a no go.
THREE I don't want to eat off of plates that have had dead animals on them, even if they've been scrubbed with bleach.
FOUR I'm not going to support the exploitation of animals, even second hand. If I don't allow animal products in my home friends and family may choose to eat vegan foods while they're here rather than going hungry, and every single vegan meal makes a big difference to the animals and our planet!
FIVE My home is my safe place. Animal products don't make me feel safe.
SIX I try not to say anything to people who eat animal products in front of me (They're living their lives according to them. I have no right to judge them for where they are currently in their journey. I ate animals at one point, too!) but it does make me very uncomfortable. Once you recognize meat for what it really is, the flesh of a slaughtered animal, and dairy, the products made from milk stolen from the babies who it was intended for (and who were brought into the world against the mother's wishes, then taken from her), it's not a pleasant experience to see them being consumed without a second thought. When you live your life surrounded by these countless actions of secondhand cruelty, having once place that is free from them can be the difference between being constantly stressed and agitated, and being able to find a semblance of balance in your life.
Living in my home with my fiance is the first time since I went vegan that I haven't lived with a non-vegan. Being able to say as a couple that our home is a 100% vegan zone feels good. And that won't change any time soon.
Until next time,
Did any of these points surprise you? Are there things you don't allow in your home? Tell me about them in the comments below!
Happy Halloween!
Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. I mean, that's not overly surprising, given I'm an actor (so duh, I love dressing up), but ANYWAY... dressing up for Halloween is the best! I love crafting, but almost never have time for it, so Halloween is the perfect excuse to get creative.
Hi, guys!
Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. I mean, that's not overly surprising, given I'm an actor (so duh, I love dressing up), but ANYWAY... dressing up for Halloween is the best! I love crafting, but almost never have time for it, so Halloween is the perfect excuse to get creative.
So from my happy ghoulish heart straight to yours,
The month of October has been pretty crazy for me, but Jason and I still made time for our second annual Autumn Date! It's becoming a tradition for us to go pick out pumpkins, grab supplies, and carve them in a park, then have a fun photoshoot. I hope we keep doing it every single year!
Here are a couple of the shots from the day (I worked hard on that kitten pumpkin!):
But on to the fun, creative, DIY part of Halloween. The costumes! Last year I was Jessica Rabbit:
I bought the dress at a vintage shop and cut off the straps, bought gloves and a wig, and had loads of fun with the makeup! It all worked surprisingly well, especially the dress which I taped to myself with approximately 29 pieces of double sided tape!
The year before that I was a unicorn:
My favourite parts were my homemade horn out of rolled up foam paper glued to a headband and my tail made out of 3 pastel boas tied to a fanny pack! Any excuse to wear a fanny pack and I'm there.
And the year before that I was Minnie Mouse:
I had the dress already from a dance costume, but painted the trim, added the bow and buttons, and sewed it up into a bustle over my tutu! I also made my ears from foam attached to a headband. Anyone sensing a trend?
What am I this year, you ask? I've been dressing up for the past couple of weeks at work, since I work at a costume shop, and have been having lots of fun trying on the wigs especially!
I LOVED this green one:
And I had fun with this little Miss Monroe cut:
But my very favourite costume was this one:
Here's the caption I wrote on Instagram for those of you who don't do the whole Insta thing! Though you should. Really.
"Spokescow to the rescue! Just casually being the voice for the voiceless today at work. 🐮 Cows are beautiful, loving, and intelligent animals, just like you and I. I want you to imagine that your neighbour, a woman you don't know well but seems nice, was forcefully artificially inseminated. Would that make you angry? What if, after nine long months, she gave birth, only to have her baby taken away from her forever so that machines could be hooked up to her breasts to extract the milk meant for her child. Would you be angrier still? And what if as soon as her milk dried up she was artificially inseminated again, and so on, until she was unable to conceive. I bet you'd be fuming. And what if, when she was finally unable to become pregnant, she was killed and her body parts used to make clothing and glue and other products. I bet you'd be disgusted. And what if you learned that her female children were subjected to the same fate, while her male children were killed to be eaten as a delicacy. I bet you'd stand up. I bet you wouldn't be able to stay silent. So how come when it happens to a female cow it's ok? What is it about a cow that makes us feel justified to systematically torture? The dairy industry is NOT blameless. Far from it. If this post makes you angry, as it did several customers at my store today, ask yourself why. Why should someone pointing out the obvious, that a cow's milk is meant for that cow's children, not for human consumption, make you so mad? Is it that you don't like thinking about it? Does it make you feel guilty? It's time to look inside yourself and decide if you can be responsible for the immense physical and emotional suffering that these beautiful creatures experience every single day of their lives. And you are responsible if you're consuming the result. It's not ME you're mad at. It's you."
But what am I going to be today, for the real Halloween? You'll have to watch the video below to find out! I wanted to take this opportunity to finally talk to you (out loud!)... in my first YouTube video in years! Check it out below and don't forget to subscribe as I plan on uploading more videos for you in the very near future :)
Until next time,
Do you have a YouTube channel? I'd love to subscribe! Comment below and let me know a bit about you and leave your channel's name and I'll check it out :) And subscribe to each other, too! I want us all to get to know each other :)
Also, I REALLY want to see all of your Halloween costumes!! Tag me @elizabethturn on instagram and twitter and Plant Based Bride on Facebook!
Oh, and also:
22 Things Not To Say To A Vegan
When people find out I'm a vegan they tend to have a lot of opinions. And questions. And jokes. Want to know a secret? I've heard them all before. Here's a list of 22 things not to say next time you're talking to a vegan.
When people find out I'm a vegan they tend to have a lot of opinions. And questions. And jokes. Want to know a secret? I've heard them all before. (Really!) Here's a list of 22 things not to say next time you're talking to a vegan.
- Where do you get your protein? Plants.
- Just have a little of this (non-vegan food), I won't tell anyone! No, thank you. I'm not vegan for my "image", I'm vegan because I believe deeply in living compassionately and saving the planet. I'm not going to cheat on my fundamental beliefs, and I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that.
- I just love a rare steak. I prefer it still mooing! Really? You would rather bite into a living cow? You want to eat warm, uncooked, flesh? Are you sure about that?
- God wants us to eat animals. It says so in the Bible. Well, kind of. Jesus did state that eating meat was not an unclean act (Mark 7:19), but nowhere in the bible does it demand, command, or ask you to eat it. It does, however, state that no one should look down on or condemn someone who eats/does not eat everything (Romans 14:2-3). So, make your own dietary choice, but take responsibility for it rather than blaming it on God.
- How can you live without bacon?? Easily and happily, thanks for asking!
- You don't make friends with salad. Weird, I'm pretty sure I've made new friends since going vegan...
- Don't you care about people? What about the immigrants that harvest your fruit and vegetables? Or are animals more important than humans? Because you ONLY eat animal products and no vegetables or fruit or grains... And the animals you eat also don't consume any plant foods... So vegans are really the cruel ones in this scenario... Right.
- How do you know someone's a vegan? Oh, they'll tell you. Maybe we wouldn't have to bring it up if you didn't push dead animals in our faces within 5 minutes of meeting us.
- Human beings were MEANT to eat meat. It's the circle of life! Yeah, we're just like the lions in the wild who catch antelope and keep them in captivity for their entire lives in horrific conditions and then slaughter and eat them while keeping giraffes pregnant all their lives, taking their babies away, and making their cubs drink the milk meant for the giraffe babies. That's nature, for you.
- Just a taste! I made it especially for you. I'd really rather not. Usually when someone makes something especially for someone else they take their beliefs and preferences into account.
- You must be great at yoga. There's no law forcing vegans to do yoga. But yes, I am.
- Is breastfeeding vegan? Of course. Because feeding my babies is literally the only reason I produce milk. Just like cows produce milk to feed THEIR babies, and only their babies.
- Do you swallow? I'm not sure why you think this is an appropriate question for casual conversation with a stranger.
- So... what do you eat? A rich diet made up of a variety of delicious, whole, plant foods in incredibly satisfying quantities.
- Vegan. Is that the same as gluten-free? ...no, it's not.
- What would happen to all the animals if we stopped eating them? They'd get to live. How horrible, right?
- Aren't you worried you'll get osteoporosis? No.
- You would rather waste good food than eat animal products? First world problems, much? If you eat animal products with the sole intention of not wasting it, you're good intentions are misguided. All you're doing is sending a message to the establishment selling the food that animal products are in demand, initiating a chain reaction causing more animals to be held in captivity and slaughtered.
- Plants can scream and feel pain, too, you know. At least they aren't systematically tortured and the largest cause of global warming and environmental destruction. I will continue to live my life in the way I feel is the most compassionate, ethical, and environmentally responsible.
- You don't smell as bad as I expected. Um, thanks? I do still practice personal hygiene...
- You're vegan? I'm basically a vegan. I only eat chicken, fish, turkey, ham, red meat when I go to restaurants, eggs, and dairy. Right. Our diets are so very similar.
- Animals have the perfect complement of amino acids for us. Why would I eat plants, even if they DO have protein? Fine. If you're eating meat because you feel it has the most optimal amino acid profile for your muscles, I can understand that. But if that really is the reason you eat meat, shouldn't you be eating human flesh instead of that of a cow or pig? It is arguably the perfect proportion of amino acids for our uses...
Now that I've listed 22 things NOT to say, here are a couple that many vegans would welcome (and be happy to answer!):
- Why did you go vegan?
- What do you like most about being vegan?
- How long have you been vegan?
- What are your favourite meals and/or restaurants?
- Have you noticed any changes in yourself since going vegan?
Ask questions from a positive, genuinely interested place and anyone is much more likely to be open with you. I know that I love to have honest conversations about veganism, just so long as I don't feel attacked or judged by the person who is asking my help to inform them! I love educating people about the positive impact of veganism on health, the animals, and our planet, but some people don't. And that's ok! Not everyone wants to be a spokesperson for their lifestyle, and it's not their responsibility to be. If you really want to learn about what veganism is all about, feel free to do research on your own and then ask your vegan friends for clarification or further details when you feel you need to! (You can start on my resources page for tons of books, films, and podcasts to get educated!) I hope you enjoyed this list!
Until next time,
Have you asked a vegan any of these questions before? Or, if you are a vegan, which do you hear most often? Let me know in the comments!
Don't forget to subscribe at the bottom of this page for a weekly newsletter, exclusive freebies, and more!