BellaSugar

More Bang For Your Buck, e.l.f. Is Cruelty-Free, Too

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:00:30 -0800

I know eyeliner belongs on my face and not on bunnies or kitties, but it's not always easy to decipher which beauty products aren't tested on animals. Love PETA or hate it, you've got to hand it to the group for its annual Proggy Awards, which highlights animal-friendly people and companies. This year's winner of the cosmetic category is New York-based e.l.f.

Short for "eyes, lips, face," it not only stands out in my mind for their animal-friendly achievements, but also because most products cost just $1 . . . and no, I didn't forget any zeros. Sold at major retailers like Kmart and Wal-Mart, you can check out its selection of brushes, makeup, and more online. The brushes get rave reviews from readers, and since they're animal-friendly, I feel OK using them on my face, too.

Proggy Rock: Award-Winning Animal-Friendly Beauty

BellaSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:00:49 -0800

In yesterday's review of an Olay product, most of the comments condemned the company for testing on animals. So today, I thought I'd highlight some bunny- and kitty-friendly beauty products that recently won PETA's Proggy Awards.

The Proggy Awards are given to various animal-friendly companies, people, and products. Check out the winners:

Best Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Line: Urban Decay
This one wasn't a surprise, since Urban Decay has always been strongly against animal testing. It also has vegan products clearly labeled, so it's easy to avoid animal products altogether if you like.

Best Cruelty-Free Personal Care Product Line: White Rain
Whoa. Who saw this one coming? As it turns out, White Rain is another vegan line that doesn't test on animals-proof that you don't need a lot of cash to be a conscientious shopper.

Best Cruelty-Free Personal Care Product: Max Green Alchemy Scalp Rescue Shampoo
I hadn't heard of this shampoo, but it sounds pretty cool. As PETA says, they're not only "vegan and cruelty-free, they are also free of parabens, PVP, and other mysterious petrochemicals." Good times.

To see who scored points in food, entertainment, and religion (yep, religion!), check out the the complete list. Yay for PETA for giving credit where credit's due. Now if they could just put the kibosh on the whole objectification-of-women thing, we'd be best pals.

Alicia Silverstone Is Launching Eco Bags and Brushes

BellaSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:00:25 -0700

Alicia Silverstone has long been an environmental activist, working to support PETA, and a vegan lifestyle. (Her new book, The Kind Diet, which focuses on veganism, hits stores in a couple of months.) Now, the actress is slated to launch an eco-friendly line of makeup brushes and bags for EcoTools this December. The collection features designs of lavender, thyme, rose, and chrysanthemum - all favorites of Alicia's. The bags are made with natural hemp and recycled linings. "I only wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before. This is a conscious product line that is good for the planet," she told WWD. "Unless you need it, it’s just stuff," she added. Along with a five-piece brush set and bag ($16), Alicia's beauty tools, which will be sold in drugstores, will also feature a cosmetic bag ($9); a cosmetics brush bag ($13); a train case ($15); and an overnight bag ($20).

Your Guide to Deciphering Cruelty-Free Beauty

BellaSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:00:19 -0700

When it comes to animal testing, there's really no reason to do it with cosmetics. And it's not just me and PETA who think this way; the European Union has banned all cosmetics-related animal testing, effective next year. It's not only about saving bunnies from having shampoo poured in their eyes - although that seems like a good-enough reason to me. It's about creating new ways to test ingredients, too; for instance, L'Oreal is developing ways to test on in vitro skin tissue, which is not only cruelty-free, it's also more reliable.

But that's the European Union. In the States, animal testing is unregulated, with major cosmetics companies such as Procter & Gamble continuing to test on our furry friends. If you'd like to avoid animal testing, here are some things to look out for.

The Leaping Bunny, shown here. Whenever you see this cute rabbit, you'll know that the product has been developed without any animal testing in any phase of product development by the company, its suppliers, or its outsourced laboratories. Independent audits confirm this, so the seal is trustworthy.
Final product not tested on animals. Pay attention to the wording here. The final product isn't tested on animals, but its ingredients probably were.
This brand does not test on animals. Again, the phrasing is tricky. Maybe Brand X doesn't test on animals, but its supplier does. Or Brand X has a laboratory formulate its products, and some mad scientist is injecting poor little mice with poison.

If you're interested in finding out which companies do and don't test on animals, these lists should help. Keep in mind that most beauty companies are owned by a corporate parent who owns other companies. For instance, Burt's Bees does not test on animals, but Clorox, its parent company, does. So when you shop, you may want to keep that in mind.