Blog for Bunnies: Tips for going cruelty free

'Blog for Bunnies' is part of Humane Society International's #BeCrueltyFree campaign for a global end to cosmetic animal testing. I'm not an official Blog for Bunnies Blogger, but if you've spent anytime on my blog you'll know that it's something that I care about a lot and I want to do anything I can do to spread the message a bit further. :)

I've put together a few tips to help anyone who's thinking about going cruelty free. It may seem a bit daunting at first, but you'll be surprised at how quickly it become second nature. You'll still have lots of choice, and there's no need to break the bank.

1. Take things slow 

Don't feel like you need to rush into everything and throw away all your cosmetics. Instead just make sure that every time you finish a product you try and replace it with something cruelty free. This means you have plenty of time to research different brands and you don't need to fork out for a whole new beauty bag in one go. Going cruelty free doesn't happen instantly, it's a process. 

2.Pick categories

You can also pick categories to switch over one by one to help make things easier. So for example you could focus on make-up first, and then give cosmetics a go, and after that tackle toiletries. Or in whatever order suits you best. Once you've ticked off those, household cleaning products are another area to have a look at. 

3.Supermarket own brands

I was pleasantly surprised to find that lots of supermarket own brands are cruelty free! They're great for picking up affordable bits and pieces, and you don't need to go out of your way to get them. Co-op, Sainsbury's, Morrison's, Mark's and Spencer and some Tesco products are all good bets. 

4.Visit gocrueltyfree.org.

This website has the most accurate and comprehensive cruelty free list. You can search it for specific products, or just browse it all at your leisure. Looking out for the leaping bunny logo on product packaging is a quick and easy way to see if something is cruelty free. But do be prepared to do additional research too, it's an AMAZING starting point, but it hasn't got everything. 

5. Don't rely on Peta

They have a similar list of cruelty free companies, but its often slow to update. It's okay, but do double check anything you read on it.

6.Make use of cruelty free blogs 

Blogs are a great way to get honest reviews and discover new brands. You can ask questions and get quick replies, and you come across lots of lovely like minded people. Some of my favorites are: Lovely Witches, Mo'adore, The Bell Jar, Face, Cruelty Free Kitty, and Cruelty Free Cottage. 

7.Twitter

This links with the last point, but twitter is also a great resource. The cruelty free bloggers chat takes place on twitter every Thursday, and it's open to non-bloggers and people who are just thinking about going cruelty free too. It's full of amazingly lovely and helpful people and its often one of my weekly highlights. :) 

8.Be aware of parent companies

Some smaller cruelty free companies are owned by testing parent companies. (e.g. L'Oreal owns the Body Shop) This isn't a black and white area, and you're free to make up you're own mind. . I probably avoid parent companies about 99% of the time, but using them can be a way to keep your options open when you're starting out and haven't found the less well known gems. Either way, it's something to keep in the back of your mind :)

9. China

Companies that sell in China are required to test on animals by law. This is a really easy way to check a company, if they sell in China, it's a no go. 

10. Company tricks

'We don't test on animals unless required too by law' is a common one, and often means they sell in China. Similarly, things along the lines of 'we fund alternatives to testing', doesn't mean that they don't test on animals too. Never trust a company website! Try to back it up with something else. 

11.Don't be too harsh on yourself!

Companies are sneaky, and at times buying cruelty free can seem really confusing. If you make a mistake don't beat yourself up! The main thing is that you're trying to make the change and the odd slip up is okay. Once you've found your feet it gets much much easier, so stick with it and you'll discover lots of new brands, and most importantly be able to vote with your money to improve the lives of animals all around the world.  

Let me know if you have any more tips, and if you want to take action to stop cosmetic animal testing, make sure you sign the pledge!