Cruelty-Free Shopping
The goal of this page is to educate the William and Mary community so it can make its informed consumer choices. Below, we have collected some tips and tricks you can use to stay animal-friendly. Head to our page on animal testing to see why it's so important to go cruelty-free.
Is it really cruelty-free?
Even though a company may claim to be cruelty-free, many get by with ambiguous policy language. Be sure to carefully read their animal testing policies. Here are some things to consider:
-
Are their ingredients tested on animals by any third parties or by their suppliers? Most companies don't test on animals themselves, but will have others do it for them.
-
Are either their ingredients or final products tested on animals? Make sure they don't test on animals at any point in their production process!
-
Do they test on animals when "required by law?" Do they sell to countries where this is required? While animal testing is not required in the U.S., it is in other countries, like China. Because China has such an enormous and fast-growing market, many companies will choose to sell there. In doing so, they are sacrificing their value as an animal-friendly producer for easy money.
Bunny Approved?
For a quick check, look for one of the logos to the left. Organizations like the Humane Society and PETA have already done the research for you! Each organization has different criteria for which companies make their list, so take a look at their guidelines. Keep in mind that some companies will create look-alike bunny seals to fool you. Here are some symbols to look for when shopping: Caring Consumer by PETA, the Leaping Bunny by Cruelty Free International (widely regarded as the go-to for a reliable reference) and the CCF Rabbit by Choose Cruelty-Free.
Double Check Packaging
Keep in mind that some cruelty-free brands are owned by parent companies that test on animals like Unilever, Johnson and Johnson or Procter and Gamble. Ultimately the revenue from these products can fund animal testing. At the same time, it is important to remember that these cruelty-free brands have decided to remain cruelty-free despite having a non-cruelty-free parent company. As consumers, we show support for this humane decision by choosing cruelty-free products over other options, regardless of their parent companies' policies. We at SFA, believe that completely cruelty-free is always best, but cruelty-free with a non-cruelty-free parent company is at least a step in the right direction.
Did you know that rabbits are used in cosmetics testing because they are one of the few animals unable to flush toxins out of their eyes? They have no tear ducts and are small and easy to control. This is a rabbit during a draize test, a common cosmetics procedure
Smartphone Apps & Helpful Websites
Like we stated above, other people have already done the research for you! Go ahead and embrace the multimedia platforms of the cruelty-free movement with these great applications and websites!
Leaping Bunny "Cruelty-Free"
The Leaping Bunny "Cruelty-Free" application is one of our personal favorites. It's great for on-the-go, especially if you didn't get the chance to do preliminary research about a specific product. The database includes a list of animal-friendly companies that can also be sorted by product. Avalable for iPhones and Androids. They also have a pocket guide that you can download here.
Bunny Free by PETA
PETA's "Bunny Free" application is another great resource for your phone. One of the cool features on this app is the barcode scanner: if you can't find the parent company on the packaging, just scan the barcode and product information will pop up on your screen. Also available for iPones and Androids. If you happen to be on your computer, you can check out whether a company is cruelty-free with their extensive online database.
Cruelty Cutter by Beagle Freedom Project
Beagle Freedom Project is another great animal advocacy group focused on eliminating beagles from corporate and university laboratories. They have a great application called Cruelty Cutter that offers a database similar to the other two. Check out their website for more on their amazing work saving beagles!
Cruelty Free Kitty
Self-proclaimed as "the place for sassy animal-lovers," this blog has solid reviews on skincare and beauty essentials. She does a lot of "top 10" posts, which we love, and has a whole section called "Cruelty-Free 101" where you can find the answers to most if not all of the questions you ever had about animal-friendly shopping.
The Good Trade
This website highlights positive social changes/initiatives (fair trade, sustainable living, organic goods) rather than the cruelty-free movement specifically. Still - a great resource! It highlights "the entrepreneurs, products and ideas that are bringing social change and business together to create good in their communities."
Be sure to visit some of these great cruelty-free blogs. They are great resources for honest product reviews and updates about companies' animal testing policies.
Logical Harmony
One of the great things about Logical Harmony is that they really look into a company's animal testing policy and scope out the details. Here is an awesome list of brands that they consider cruelty-free.
Petit Vour
Not actually a blog, but we felt it should be mentioned just the same. Petit Vour is a monthly beauty box subscription of the best-rated cruelty-free products, speficically "curated to match your beauty profile."
My Beauty Bunny
Very similar to Cruelty Free Kitty in what it has to offer, but another favorite critically-aclaimed beauty blog.
Earth By Anna
A little more on the expensive side in terms of her product focus, but this blog is an awesome vegan lifestyle resource. She also posts about cruelty-free fashion, another important issue.
Humanely Chic
Calling herself a "makeup enthusiast," Camila knows a lot about beauty products. Her detailed reviews also include many pictures of her using the products so you can see what it actually looks like on her skin.
Vegan Beauty Review
Great reviews on lots of different kinds of products. She also has sections dedicated to DIY solutions (often natural and inherently cruelty-free) and fashion.