What Does it Mean to use Cruelty-Free Products?

When you say you use "cruelty-free products", it means that you only support products that do not harm or kill animals. Especially with cosmetic cruelty-free products, this means that there are no animal testing that happened during the process of making the product.

Imagine your typical day. From the moment you wake up till the time you go to bed, how many of those did you use are cruelty-free products? Or better yet, how many are not cruelty-free products. You may not notice it but your soap, shampoo, hair spray, lipstick, makeup, and a whole lot more. But wait, there's more. What about your outfit for the day? Are they made of animal skin? Are your shoes from crocodile leather? Cow leather? Or any other exotic animal skin? What about your wallet? Is it made of animal skin as well?

What's wrong with animal leather? We have been using animal leather since time immemorial. Why change now? It's durable, stylish, and available. Most leather products come from cows. Cows are not just abused for their milk and meat but also their skin.

This month we celebrate "Veganuary". Veganuary is an annual challenge run by a UK nonprofit organization that promotes and educates about veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for January. Since the event began in 2014, participation has more than doubled each year. 400,000 people signed up for the 2020 campaign.

"I'm Ready!"

Are you ready to take part in this noble cause? It's not just saying that you are ready. You have to own it. Just like any other ordinary individual the challenge is making the first step. Here are some practical tips that can help you move forward to go Cruelty-free this 2021.

Why buy cruelty-free products? Every year there are about 200,000 animals who suffer and die because of animal testing. The most common animals used are rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and rats. The bottom line, animal testing happens because of money. If there are enough consumers that would boycott these big companies who do animal testing, then we can truly make an impact in moving towards a cruelty-free world. The question is, are you ready? Yes, you are! To get you started (if you still haven't), here are some practical tips that can help you move in a better direction:

10 Practical Tips for Going Cruelty-Free

1. Check out from an official list.

Do your quick research. You do not need to dig deep into research to know which products are cruelty-free. Here is one list that will help you out. List of Cruelty-Free Products from Cruelty-Free Kitty. Here's an official publication from PETA: https://crueltyfree.peta.org/.

2. Look for symbols and certifications in products.

Cruelty-free products have symbols that are recognized all over the world. There is the leaping bunny from the CCIC BUAV Cruelty-Free International. We also have the caring consumer logo from PETA. Then of course the CCF Rabbit from Choose Cruelty-Free.

3. Start Small and Recognize it as a Process

Going cruelty-free is a process. Recognize it as a process. It's no small feat when you commit to buy only cruelty-free products this 2021. But you must also recognize that every process takes 1 small step at a time.

4. Do Not rush Yourself into it

As a process. There is no need to rush into it and promise yourself that you will only buy cruelty-free products from now on. The process might take a bit longer, especially because there are so many products available that are not cruelty-free. Don't beat yourself over the transition. You will eventually get the hang of it and it will become part of your daily lifestyle.

5. Replace your favorite products with cruelty-free products

You do not need to replace all the products that you use. Once you have gone through the list of cruelty-free products, choose from your favorite products and replace them with cruelty-free products. You can wait for your other products to run out. Replace your daily sneakers. You can also choose new cruelty-free bags or your jackets.

6. Join social blogs and watch videos

Create a support system for yourself. It's good to have someone behind you when you are transitioning from an old habit. Be inspired by the life stories. Get tips from YouTube videos. You can follow Logical Harmony for tips and tricks. You can also check out blogs for tips.

7. Look for local stores near you and talk to them

You can always go to your local stores. 2020 has been a good year for cruelty-free products and big stores have gone cruelty-free. Nordstrom, H&M, PacSun, Express, Forever 21, JC Penny, Bloomingdales are some of the big stores which carry cruelty-free products.

8. Shop online

Aside from your local stores, you can buy online. When shopping on Amazon, click cruelty-free to shortlist products. Leaping bunny also has a shopping guide. There are tons of online stores that carry cruelty-free products.

9. Not all vegan products are cruelty-free products

Aha! This is a common misconception of people who are starting to go cruelty-free. So, go back to your list (link above) and check for real vegan products that are cruelty-free products as well. When doing your research it is always good to read the fine print or ask about it.

10. Take it as an adventure

Make a big fuss out of this but treat this as an adventure as well. Do not be discouraged if you think you cannot find the right products for you. Enjoy! Treat this as n adventure. It really can be fun. Watch those videos, talk to people, and enjoy your journey towards making it a cruelty-free world.

It's practically easy to go cruelty free because we have almost all the resources to be cruelty-free. Your cruelty-free adventure begins!