Is a cruelty-free brand also vegan?
Sustainability

16 August 2019

Is a cruelty-free brand also vegan?

Is a cruelty-free brand also vegan?

Do we have to fight for a sustainable and ethical world with no make up? Absolutely not!


Before starting this article about amazing brands that are the absolute vegan dream, we would like to talk about self-esteem, and how companies profit from our lack of it. 


You are beautiful regardless of your size, skin color, age, nationality, health, and any other exterior characteristic outside of the Victoria Secrets norm. Woman are expected to be delicate, beautiful flowers, but we are more than that. Our value doesn’t decrease just because we can’t find time to do everything men do, on hills, shaved bodies and impeccable happy faces. Our value lies in our actions.


Just like men are not defined by his bank account, woman are not defined by the way they look.


So no, you don’t need any make up what so ever.


The truth is that make up is fun, it makes you glow and have a penetrating stare.


But no one should feel like she or he can’t go out and meet other humans without foundation. For your skin to be healthy it has to breathe, to be clean. So we only think you need sunblock, a toner and some good moisturizer! Make up should be about having fun with the way we look, not an obsession about something fake and unattainable that we think we should be.


You are beautiful, you are enough, you are intelligent, you are powerful, you are independent, you are your own.


Now that we got the patriarchy out of the way, let’s make room for some fabulous vegan treats! 
It’s hard to find brands that are actually as sustainable and ethical as they say. And we encourage you to use up all your products before buying new products in the name of the environment or the animals. It’s important to reduce the waste, so please use what you have and only then make the switch.


The truth lays on the label, and the labels we should be on the lookout for are: Vegan, it means that no animal products, not even honey, were used; Cruelty free, meaning that no animal testing was made. And yes, a product can be cruelty-free and not vegan! Palm oil free, because to get palm oil forests are destroyed, animals killed and child labour is key, so no palm oil, thank you!


Looking for certificates like UTZ which means that the ingredients come from fair-traded operations and sustainable ways of harvesting, will make sure that no forced labor or exploitation of any kind was needed.


And finally the packaging can be a source of a lot of waste, so ecofriendly packaging, made with recycled, biodegradable or compostable materials, that avoid plastics at all costs are the absolute dream! There are also more brands that make refillable makeup containers, and that also reduces the makeup waste immensely.


As you know sustainability is trendy, and many brands will try to sell you ethical products that are tested on animals, or use palm oil. We know this feels overwhelming, but trust us, after a while you will find the perfect brand for you, without worrying if it will hurt you or your children’s future!


First we would like to mention Organii. This store is a great way to find fantastic vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable products, not only for you, but also for your kids! Their fabulous website will introduce you to good-quality brands and affordable prices. It’s a Portuguese business and you can order everything online, or if you’re visiting Lisbon they have the cutest store in LX Factory. That’s right, we are neighbors and we love it! So if you stop by our shop don’t forget to say hello to the lovely people in Organii




The Body Shop is another good place to start with. The products are very affordable and the quality is implacable! They have always been open about being cruelty-free, and all for fair trade. There’s a vegan line, even though many products were already vegan, because they went vegan before it was cool. From toner, to moisturizer and body milk, to foundation, lipstick and insane eye shadows, they have it all! 


Elate is also a beautiful option. All of the products are made with bamboo cases, from brushes to eye shadow pallets. To make it even better they sell refills that are wrapped around paper! Of course they are cruelty free and vegan. However, they do use palm oil, even thought is a small quantity and harvested in a sustainable way. They’re very open about it and you can find it on their website, along with a link to more information about sustainable palm oil. We find transparency to be essential when shopping for anything, but more so when we are talking about chemicals that are in contact with our bodies and directly influence our surroundings.


Axiology is a brand that states that they are 100% evil free! No palm oil, no animal testing, and no animal products. The specialty is lipsticks. Every ingredient is organic and vegetable and they only use 10 ingredients! From organic coconut oil, to candelilla wax and organic orange oil. It´s inspiring to see people taking the initiative to start such clean businesses, and watching them grow and thrive! 




 Dirty hippie cosmetics are another vegan wonder. They are cruelty-free, organic and they use no palm-oil what so ever. The ingredients are ethically sourced, which means that is fair-traded, and the packaging is aluminum and can be reused. For that purpose, they also make refills! Can it get better? You might think this is already amazing, but these beautiful people took a step further. The labels are printed in their own lab that runs on green energy and is rain water supplied. They use vegetable based ink and recycled paper to give us the most ethical and low impactful gifts.


If we start getting more interested in 100% evil free products, big corporations will see themselves forced to change. We see brands like Unilever, that have showed no regard for the well-being of the environment or its inhabitants, starting to take a stand in the name of sustainability and better working conditions for the people that harvest and help manufacture their products. It’s true that they still use palm oil, and aren’t cruelty free, and we are not, by all means, defending them.


We just want to use them as an example, because for such a large company to change their ways is because the people have shown them that more profit will come from love and respect for life, and that proves the power the average citizen possesses. It may not feel like it, but the people do have the power, and together we can make a difference.


Hope this inspired you to look and feel fierce. Tell us all about your ethical summer look down at the comments!


Have a beautiful day,
NAE


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