Is wearing makeup an important part of your daily routine? Well, did you know that most makeup products are tested on animals before hitting the shelves? And by testing, we mean experimented on, tortured, and killed.
Help put an end to this by considering these 5 cruelty-free makeup tips.
1. If it’s disposable, forget it!
Almost everyone loves disposable makeup products for different reasons:
- Affordability. Disposables always cost a fraction of the price you would pay for regular ones. These usually go on sale, too, which entices you to buy them in bulk.
- Cleanliness. Disposable makeup products feel much cleaner to use. You will always use new ones and never have to repeat them. Ever.
- Convenience. You don’t have to clean them after use. Just toss them in the bin, and move on with your day. It’s as simple as that.
Unfortunately, the benefits you get from using disposable makeup products have a price to pay. These are not as biodegradable as companies claim them to be and are harmful to animals. For instance, regular cotton pads go through mixing and bleaching processes, which slow down their biodegradation process.
Regular cotton swabs are even worse. Their stems are usually made of plastic, which takes hundreds to thousands of years to break down. Meanwhile, creatures get trapped in them or mistake them as food, just like the famous news about a seahorse carrying a cotton swab.
So, here’s our first cruelty-free makeup tip for you: opt for reusable products. Reusables help reduce millions of makeup products disposed of everyday.
For instance, reusable cotton pads by LastObject, Waste Less Shop or EcoRoots replace 1,000 disposable cotton rounds. These are also made from organic materials and are great for your skin. Just give them a gentle cleaning after each use, and they will be good as new. Once you have maximized their lifecycle, simply toss them in your compost bin.
In addition, reusables will help you spend less in the long run, as they reduce your need to keep buying. By switching to reusables, you will definitely help save animals and the planet.
2. Always do your research
We often come across makeup products with labels such as “Organic”, “Pure”, and “100% Natural”. Only later on do we find out these are animal-tested, harmful for our skin, and damaging to the environment. But how does the beauty industry get away with this practice?
According to the FDA, cosmetic ingredients and products need not undergo premarket approval, except for color additives and restricted ingredients. Brands are also not required to prove that their ingredients are safe. And if brands feel the need to do some testing, they may perform any kind of test procedure.
Such procedures usually involve using toxic ingredients on mice, rats, rabbits, cats, dogs, and more. The creatures end up suffering and are either killed or used for subsequent procedures. But most of them die during the experiment.
If you want to do something about this, here’s another cruelty-free makeup tip for you: do your research. Check each ingredient written on the label. Research on the company behind the product And make sure the products are not tested on animals.
By doing your research, you will save your skin and innocent creatures from toxic and falsely-labelled products.
3. Go Organic
Organic makeup products are not just great for your skin. Most of these are cruelty-free and ethically sourced. For instance, Axiology is a makeup line that focuses on creating vegan and “evil-free” makeup. According to the brand, “Makeup shouldn’t just be safe for the people who wear it. It should also be safe for animals, the planet and the people who make it.” Their packaging is also plastic-free. So, if you want to practice a cruelty-free makeup routine, our third tip for you is to look for organic brands.
4. Buy Only What You Need
The cosmetic industry produces over 120 billion packaging units every year. A majority of these end up being tossed away even when they are barely used. Out of the total packaging units, only 7% is recycled. The rest are filling landfills and destroying marine ecosystems.
This habit and trend of buying constantly is not only a waste of money, but it’s also harmful to animals and the environment. Changing it will take time, but you can do your part with this fourth cruelty-free makeup tip: buy only what you need.
To help you, give yourself at least 2 weeks before buying a product. If you lose interest in it within that time frame, then you don’t need it!
5. Seek Advice
Adopting a cruelty-free makeup routine can be a challenge. There are endless tips online that will leave you confused and overwhelmed. And if you have no clue on cruelty-free products, you will go through a lot of trials and errors.
Fortunately, there are communities and experts online that you can seek advice from. Reach out to them, and they will willingly answer your questions. You can also ask friends and relatives that practice this lifestyle.
Overtime, you will develop a deeper understanding of living this lifestyle.
Now that you have these tips, you are more than ready to start practicing a cruelty-free makeup routine!
Cover image: photo via unsplash
