100% Cruelty Free Skincare
Images of bunnies suffering in the name of beauty is all too prevalent and so very antiquated when choosing skincare and makeup. Yet unfortunately animal testing remains common practice in the skincare and makeup industry, even by many well-known household name brands.
As a general definition, cruelty free skincare means that the product has not been tested on animals. However, there is a varying degree of cruelty free, while a final product may be cruelty free it may contain ingredients that are tested on animals or acquired from animals in cruel ways.
Cruelty Free skincare and vegan beauty are at the core of the clean beauty ethos, but like most things in the beauty space they aren’t always formally or legally defined. Understanding the labelling on product packaging and being confident in its meaning can at times be challenging. We recommend looking to skincare and cruelty free makeup brands that source and formulate with cruelty free ingredients, supporting a zero tolerance on animal testing or animal cruelty in all trials and at all levels of production.
At The NATIVES Co. we only endorse 100% cruelty free beauty. Which means we only stock cruelty free skincare and cruelty free makeup brands.
Cruelty Free Makeup Brands
Support the beauty brands driving for change
Globally the beauty industry is worth over US$500 billion. Sadly that is a lot of temptation for brands to choose profits over better practices, including cruelty free and ethical ingredients. With raised awareness of animal welfare and increased coverage of the inhuman practises associated with animal testing and ingredient sourcing in the beauty industry, many makeup brands are opting for ethical alternatives.
Even some makeup brands that claim “no animal testing” may contain ingredients that disregard animal welfare. Common ingredients include; carmine – red pigment which comes entirely from crushed cochineal bugs; Shellac – used in makeup such as mascara and nail polish from the female lac bug; animal derived products like glycerine, squalene and keratin.
Thankfully these days there are an increasing number of cruelty free makeup brands who prioritise ethical ingredient sourcing and product manufacturing without the need for animal testing or ingredients inhumanely derived from animals. These genuine cruelty free makeup brands are challenging the outdated practises of the past and creating high performance makeup from plant based ingredients and animal free alternatives that are safe, ethical and environmentally sound….. The way beauty should be.
Certified Cruelty Free Skincare & Cruelty Free Makeup Brands
Cruelty free certification gives consumers confidence in their cruelty free choice and purchase. The Leaping Bunny accreditation is the gold standard for cruelty free skincare and beauty products including cruelty free makeup. It is an Internationally recognised programme that encompasses the lifecycle of a product from the ingredients supplied through to the final formulation. Leaping Bunny conducts ongoing audits of certified brands to ensure continued compliance. Other certifications include PETA – Beauty Without Bunnies and Choose Cruelty Free (CCF), based in Australia.
Vegan certifications are gaining popularity as more of us identify with veganism as a holistic lifestyle choice. While the Vegan Trademark by the Vegan Society is the most globally recognised, other certifications such as Certified Vegan and Vegan Australia, all have strict guidelines that exclude animal by-products and verify vegan claims. These trusted vegan certifications also incorporate cruelty free certification, allowing you to shop across both values with one certification.
What if a brand isn’t certified?
A brand can still be cruelty free and/or vegan without being certified. Opting for products that are not tested on animals is often associated with clean beauty brands that have a holistic ethos. These cruelty free skincare and makeup brands encompass not only cruelty free practices, but go that extra step formulating with the best sustainably sourced potent ingredients from nature ensuring products are free of parabens, sulfates and synthetics. Select a brand that is transparent. Another good indication is clinically proven trials and tests on humans. The efficacy of these products are tested on real people, giving the consumer assurance that these formulations are both safe and effective for use on humans, not animals.
A product can be considered as cruelty free skincare but still contain animal by-products that are ethically harvested without harm to animals. An example is beeswax or honey in skincare also used by curelty free makeup brands. As an animal by-product this ingredient is not suitable for Vegan labelling, rather we refer to these products as “Beegan”. The beeswax or honey ingredients are ethically sourced, and in fact support sustainable farming and safe harvesting practices that protect our precious bee population, essential to plant life on earth.
Shop Cruelty Free Skincare & Makeup at The NATIVES Co.
Ethical Beauty, No Compromise
By shopping at official stockist specialist stores that have a Clean Code, like that at The NATIVES Co. you can be confident that cruelty-free and vegan claims are genuine. Our skincare experts do the research on each brand and product, while working closely with the brand founders, ensuring cruelty free skincare and makeup as a standard and verifying any vegan claims.
At The NATIVES Co. our clean ethos means we only stock cruelty-free skincare and cruelty free makeup brands – No exceptions! Our clean code badges help you identify a products attribute at a glance, including those with cruelty free and vegan certifications.
Cruelty Free
FAQs
As a general definition, cruelty free skincare means that the product has not been tested on animals. However, we like to take it further and include only products that do not contain ingredients that are tested on animals or acquired from animals in cruel ways. Cruelty free at The NATIVES Co. means zero tolerance to animal testing, from ingredient sourcing, through production to final product.
We believe that a clean beauty ethos goes hand in hand with cruelty-free practises and certifications. We only consider brands with a transparent clean ethos that includes a cruelty free standard as genuine “clean beauty”. However, unfortunately clean beauty is not formally defined and some brands claim they are “clean” but still contain ingredients and/or a final formulation that is tested on animals.
Nature has provided us so many alternatives to synthetic and toxic ingredients that do not require cruel animal testing to prove their safety and efficacy before human use. This is not the global standard but it is our standard here at The NATIVES Co.
This can be tricky. Cosmetic labelling of ” no animal testing” is poorly regulated and come while some brands may claim they don’t do animal testing, they or their parent company may test on animals or pay a third party to conduct animal testing. Sadly some of the biggest names in beauty still test on animals and if a brand sells in China they by law must conduct animal testing :(.
To navigate this minefield cruelty free certification gives consumers the best confidence in their cruelty free choice and purchase. You can also support small ethical Indie beauty brands which haven’t paid for certification. Buy only from reputable and genuine retailers who partner with transparent and ethical cruelty free brands.
Unfortunately not every makeup brand is cruelty free and it’s not always obvious which brands are cruelty free. Even some of the most well-known and popular makeup brands still test on animals themselves or fund cruel animal testing in China. These days there is an increasing number of genuine cruelty free makeup brands that make high performance makeup, so their is no reason to compromise. Shop with a reputable official stockist retailer like The NATIVES Co where we only stock the best quality genuine cruelty free makeup brands from around the world.