What is your favorite brand of organic/cruelty free products such as deodorant, body wash, hair care, skin care, cosmetics etc? I am converting products in our home to organic/cruelty free and didn't realize how many companies still test on animals until I looked it up after the make-up threads recently posted. It makes me feel sick that I own some of these products.
Also, is organic/cruelty free anti-perspirant even made? I can't find any, which will make 100+ degree days an adventure .
I've found several companies with great reviews (Dr. Bronner's, for example), and would appreciate input from you ladies, as well. I prefer to keep all the products in the same family, but am willing to mix and match if the products are highly recommended.
What is your favorite brand of organic/cruelty free products such as deodorant, body wash, hair care, skin care, cosmetics etc? I am converting products in our home to organic/cruelty free and didn't realize how many companies still test on animals until I looked it up after the make-up threads recently posted. It makes me feel sick that I own some of these products.
Also, is organic/cruelty free anti-perspirant even made? I can't find any, which will make 100+ degree days an adventure .
I've found several companies with great reviews (Dr. Bronner's, for example), and would appreciate input from you ladies, as well. I prefer to keep all the products in the same family, but am willing to mix and match if the products are highly recommended.
It's great that you're doing this.
Do you have access to a Whole Foods? If so, brands that I'd recommend and trust the most to be, and remain cruelty free, but I still Google:
Their 1.50ish glycerin bar soaps. I think it's 365 brand. I use this to shave with, too. Clearly Natural is also good. Jason Whitening Toothpaste Kiss My Face or Jason Shampoos and conditioners Shikai lotion is nice. Tom's of Maine deodorant in apricot is nice. Word to the wise, not everyone can use it. When I first started it, it made my pits a little red and I sweated a bit more, but after a week or so, I stopped sweating as much (your body isn't fighting a strong deodorant/antiperspirant), and it smells nice. It doesn't last as long (mine dies around 6ish), but I like it. Can be found many places, Wal-Mart, drugstores, WF, grocery stores. Tom's toothpaste and mouthwash are nice, too. Any Alba products.
Basically, anything from WF is worth a try, imo.
One frustrating thing is finding a brand that says that they don't test on animals, and learning that they're owned by a parent company that does. Essentially, you're still funding animal testing by buying those items. An example is Clorox owning Burt's Bees, L'Oreal (major animal testing offender) owning The Body Shop, which states that it is cruelty-free. NARS is owned by a parent company that tests. I'm also reading that Bare Escentuals is owned by a parent company that tests. It's really important to double-check.
I just learned about Tresseme, recently. Animal testing occurs through the parent company. Burt's Bees, Essie, St. Ives ALL TEST through their parent companies.
Sadly, MAC is recently no longer cruelty-free, and they were for ages.
Dr. Bronner's is nice. If you like almond, the almond scent is really nice, as is the peppermint.
Revlon, Milani, Physicians Formula, E.L.F., Clinique, Too Faced, Pur Minerals, Urban Decay do not test, and I use those brands. Again, I always double-check from time to time.
Nailpolishes that are cruelty-free:
Edited. Sparitual and Zoya seem to be, you can get the former at Sephora. Too many nailpolishes are owned by parent companies that test. I would use the PETA link below to double-check. I just learned that OPI is owned by Coty, which does test. It's frustrating.
Don't be scared off by the PETA in the link, this is a great resource to quickly and easily find cruelty-free brands:
Basically, I use (I listed where I found the stuff, jic.):
Soap: 365 brand glycerin soap - WF Jason body wash is really nice, basically anything in the Jason line I like, and it lasts a while. Shampoo: Jason and Kiss My Face - WF, maybe some grocery stores? Deodorant: Tom's of Maine - Wal-Mart, drugstore, WF, grocery store. Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine - same as above or Jason Whitening Toothpaste. Floss: Some hippie floss from WF Mouthwash: Tom's - same as above Pads: Seventh Generation. I do miss Kotex. - WF or grocery store. Foundation: Pur Minerals 4-in-1 or Clinique - Ulta or online. Bronzer: Too Faced or Physicians Formula are faves Ulta or drugstore. Blush: Clinique or Physicians Fomula - Ulta or drugstore. Target, too, I think. Lipliner: Milani, but I'm switching to Revlon. - drugstore, grocery store, Target, Wal-Mart, I think. Lipstick: Revlon, Too Faced, or Vincent Longo. - drugstore, Ulta, Sephora. Eyeshadows: I really like Too Faced, Urban Decay, and Physicians Formula. - Ulta, Sephora, Target, drugstore. Eyeliner: I love Urban Decay's 24/7 pencil liners. They glide on. - Sephora Mascara: Clinique or Tarte - Sephora.
For perfume I just use a mixture of essential oils from WF or this local place. I'm am pretty sure Pacifica (found at WF) is cruelty-free. Not sure about others.
You can still look pretty, no worries.
Also, cleaning products. Pretty much the only brands that don't test are method (I like the glass cleaner (has a minty smell), Little Bowl Blu -- it doesn't smell fab, but it works well, Antibacterial kitchen cleaner in ginger yuzu, dishwashing liquid in Clementine, Smarty Dish dishwasher pellets in Grapefruit (smells goood), handsoap in Sea Minerals and Currant, and Wood For Good (smells nice, like almond)) -- basically most of the smells are good, except for the lemongrass scent, it smells like rotting ass, found at Target, some grocery stores, and Whole Foods, Mrs.Meyers Clean Day, also at Target and Whole Foods, Ecover (WF), biokleen. All others, for the most part, fall under Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
I really like drugstore.com. The shipping is fairly quick and I get so many items listed above, included items that are no longer sold in stores, only online. You can get nice beauty products, too. I found a great Febreeze substitute (I missed my Febreeze), and I found it there, it's called biokleen Bac-Out Fresh in Lemon Thyme. It's more expensive, but it smells great. I actually like it better than Febreeze. Another dupe is BWC (Beauty Without Cruelty's) Herbal Face Cleanser. It cleans a lot like Cetaphil, which tests. Found at WF or online.
You can always go to WF and stock up on vinegar, Seventh Generation bleach, and baking soda, and make your own cleaners. We have two jugs of regular bleach from Publix when we went to visit my grandma. She gave them to us and they are really awesome to have, but almost gone. There are decent alternatives. Sometimes a mess is so bad and stinky that the bleach is all that seems to help, but I found a company that sells stuff that really works, especially for stinkier jobs:
I really like their hand sanitizer, glycerin soap, I have the blueberry Bubalina lotion, spray cleaner, hospital grade cleaner, and antibacterial hand wash. I've seen some of their items at WF, maybe they're other places, too?
Dog shampoo that will change your life (it smells so friggin' good and the scent lingers for days). Lavendar and mint.
Post by walterismydog on Jun 4, 2012 9:46:41 GMT -5
I really like Lush deodorant powders. I use the coconut one and it works great...though I live in a dry climate, so it may not be as great in high-humidity areas.
Post by fuckyourcouch on Jun 4, 2012 9:47:59 GMT -5
I love willa face wash and moisturizer. I got it in a birchbox and bought more from them, but I've heard some Targets have it. willaskincare.com/about-willa/
I am hooked on the bath bombs from Lush. I just wish they'd stop putting Linalool and Limonene in things. Just keep it super-natural, like they claim, kwim?
Post by lightbulbsun on Jun 4, 2012 10:04:48 GMT -5
I really like organix for hair care. I just tried Method body wash for the first time (I use method cleaning products and laundry detergent) but I think it makes me smell like an old lady, lol. I use Tom of Maine deodorant.
Gals, you are AMAZING! I've bookmarked the websites and will check all of these out. I am so excited to find out there are so many of these products available. Thank you so much!
Skipping deodorant in that kind of heat is not cruelty-free to those around you.
I've found deodorant, but couldn't find anti-perspirant until this thread. There is no way I would walk out of the house without odor control. /shudder
I'm sorry to bump this one up again, but I have a question. I've bookmarked this thread; how long will the bookmark last? Is there any other way to save a thread? I don't want to lose this information.