All About Cruelty-Free
- Pomz Campos
- Oct 14, 2018
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 25, 2019
You’ve probably heard this term floating around if you follow a lot of beauty influencers on YouTube or social media in general. If you’ve always wondered what it is, or want to get into it but aren't too informed, this is my take on it.
When you say you are cruelty-free, you partake in, in the simplest sense, the exclusive use of brands that do not test on animals.
I know how hard it can sometimes be to buy cruelty-free makeup, skin care, and hair care products here in the Philippines, especially when options are limited as it is. So why do that to yourself?
Why I Only Buy Cruelty-Free Products
Well, first of all, I believe that animal testing in this day and age is archaic. No animal should suffer or die just so we can slay all day. Besides, there are better and more humane options available to test if cosmetics are safe for consumption. I personally can’t stomach the idea of giving my money to a company that is more concerned with making money than the lives of innocent animals.
Why making money exactly? If you didn't know, animal testing is actually banned in most countries. However, if a brand wants to sell to a country that require animal testing (China, Brazil, etc.), they actually need to pay for that procedure to be done in order for their brand to be sold in that country.
Secondly, makeup is a luxury. We don’t really need it, not as much as we need food, shelter, water, and clothing. I have the financial means to be able to buy makeup and pursue my artistic passion with it, mostly because I can. I would like to cause as little harm as possible when I do use makeup and other products.
While it can be a little hard, I have rarely felt that I’m missing out on certain products and I never felt like I needed to go against what I believe in just so I can own a certain palette, or highlighter.
I'd also like to make it clear that because this is a blog about beauty products, all my content will exclusively be about makeup and other beauty products (hair dye, skin care, etc.).
What I Consider Cruelty-Free
Now there are various degrees for being cruelty-free. Some people may consider brands that may be cruelty-free themselves but are owned by a parent company that isn’t cruelty-free, not cruelty-free. Meanwhile, others say that brands that are cruelty-free but aren’t completely vegan are not cruelty-free. And this can get confusing too because some brands do have vegan products, but they may sell to countries that require animal testing.
When there are this many gray areas, how do you possibly navigate and form your own standards on what cruelty-free is?
I think it helps to follow a lot of cruelty-free sources that have varying degrees of being cruelty-free. This way, you have access to as many opinions as possible. In the case of my blog, where do I stand in this?
In order to keep things accessible and inclusive, I will be featuring brands that are labeled cruelty-free on this blog. This includes brands that are cruelty-free with parent companies that are not cruelty-free like Too Faced and NYX. I will try to include as many brands as possible, including indie brands that may not be so popular too.
I will also be featuring brands that aren't completely vegan and will always, always point that out and if the brand does have vegan products. Additionally, I will do my best to feature local cruelty-free brands as well. I want to be as thorough as possible while giving you the best possible information because I've been there, and I know it can be frustrating when you can't find a reliable source for cruelty-free options that are out there.
Some Non-Negotiables
However, I do know that animal testing is still largely done on medicines and vaccines. You do however, need those. When I get sick, I need to get better. When I went to school or began working, I was required to get certain vaccines. It won’t make much sense for me to demand a cruelty-free option when my life is on the line.
While being cruelty-free is something good to aspire to be and stick to, it is also important got to be realistic about the products that you buy. A good place to start going cruelty-free in is makeup and beauty because we use these products because we like them, not necessarily because we need them to survive.
This is why I fully support all efforts to go cruelty-free, both by brands and by people. Transitioning isn’t easy, especially when you have a sizable collection of products already. I was lucky enough to be starting out with makeup when I was aware about going cruelty-free and I was able to commit early on. My hope is that, this blog will make that switch easier and to make you at least consider using more cruelty-free products.
The Issue With China
While animal testing is banned in many countries across the world, it is a legal requirement in China. That means, if brands want to sell in China, they are required to have their products tested on animals before it can be sold to the public.
This also means that they are obligated by the law to voluntarily agree to all measures to be taken for their products to be sold in China, including financing animal testing. These brands may not do animal testing in other countries, but if they test in China, they are NOT cruelty-free.
There are some brands that do mislead their customers into thinking that they are cruelty-free because of this reason, or because they have somehow bypassed the mandatory testing process. Some PETA-certified brands also claim to be cruelty-free, but aren't. Remember, if a brand consents to animal testing in any way, they cannot be considered cruelty-free at all.
Now, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are exempted from this rule as they are independent from Mainland China and are therefore, not required to test on animals.
So by now you're wondering, if you look at a product and see something like "Made in China" or "Made in PRC (Peoples’ Republic of China)" , is it cruelty-free?
Good news, it is cruelty-free! The law only applies to brands that want their products to be sold in the Mainland Chinese market. Moreover, if a brand exclusively sells online in Mainland China or sells their products in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, they can still be completely cruelty-free.
While we cannot change or eradicate China's laws, we can make a difference by supporting cruelty-free companies that stand their ground and do not sell in Mainland China.
Final Words of Encouragement
Navigating the beauty world and being cruelty-free can be challenging and confusing. But I believe it’s possible if you truly want to commit and be part of the movement. The amount of people going cruelty-free is slowly making a difference in the beauty community and I want to encourage more people to be part of it, in any way that they can.
Voting with our money is important and if big cosmetic companies can see where we, as the consumers, spend our money, that can already make a big impact on the decisions they make.
So, now that that stuff is cleared up, back to the reviews!
Additional Resources
If you are interested in learning more about cruelty-free products or want to know the references I personally consult and go to for correct information, here are a few:
My favorite blogs to reference:
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