Avoiding animal products isn't just something which relates to food. All products such as cosmetics can contain animal products, this is something which is less well known and vegans can struggle to know which products are suitable.
It's hard to understand all the
lists of ingredients in cosmetics as most of them are chemicals so
it's almost impossible to tell at a glance which products are
suitable for vegans and which ones are cruelty free. Even products that don't contain anything animal related may have been tested on animals which makes buying beauty products difficult. If you avoid animal cruelty in food you are almost certainly going to want to do the same with other products but where do you shop and what products can you buy?
As well as looking for vegan labels on products it is important to check for cruelty free labels which prove no animal testing is used.
One shop which makes buying beauty products easier is Superdrug. Their own label products are never tested on animals and the brand is against animal testing, a lot of their own brand products are also labelled vegan taking the difficulty out of choosing products. They are also value for money and perfect for vegans on a budget.
They also have an exciting make up and skin care range which is completely vegan. B cosmetics is available exclusively at Superdrug, it is their own make-up brand and is completely cruelty free. With a wide range of products, a skin care range for all ages and a men's range, this brand is both cost effective and has everything you need.
B by Superdrug is such a great idea as it shows vegan products can easily be available on the high street. It also makes choosing ethical products easy meaning more people can do so. A lot of vegan make up brands online are expensive and may put some people off, this brand shows that ethical products can be both cost effective and good quality, hopefully more companies will follow suit.
Products of note are the Miceller Water cleanser, face cream, eye shadow and lipstick. The lipsticks have brilliant
packaging- you have to click the bottom to get the lipstick out and
the colours are bold, moisturising and last a long time. The eye
shadow has a bold colour, it is creamy and easily applied with a
brush and really does last all day. B's stage one day cream is a great day time moisturiser. The
stages relate to age groups so you just pick the one belonging to
your age range making them easy to choose. It has SPF 15 in it which is a great way to protect your face from the sun all year
round. The cream works really well and you only need a tiny
bit to cover your face. It does take time to soak into your skin but
once it has it makes your face lovely and soft and lasts all day. The
cleanser is wonderful too, it visibly removes dirt from your skin and
uses 'Micellar water' which is the latest craze in skin care. It is
meant to be a gentler way of cleansing your skin.
B cosmetics is not overly
advertised as a vegan brand, if you didn't look for it or notice it
on the packaging you probably wouldn't know. There is no big sign on
the selves or posters letting you know. Maybe this is because they
are trying to be a brand for everyone regardless of whether you are
looking for ethical, vegan products or not. Being a
vegan brand is not their main feature, it is just part of the product. They promote
the brand as good quality, simple solutions to beauty and the fact that the products are also cruelty free is an added bonus.
So if you are looking to make your cosmetics vegan friendly be sure to buy products which are vegan and cruelty free. Look out for the labels which prove no animals were used and harmed in the production of cosmetics and support vegan brands to show other companies that you gain more customers by being cruelty free.
