Transitioning to a vegan diet for the last six weeks has been surprisingly easy. There are so many vegan-friendly places in Melbourne I often still find myself overwhelmed with choice when I eat out, as opposed to struggling for options. Diet is only one small part of veganism though, and the greater challenge has been transitioning in all aspects of my life – skincare and beauty, in particular.
Although in the past I always tried to make a conscious effort to support ethical companies who don’t test on animals, I didn’t realise just how many of my favourite brands weren’t as squeaky clean as they claimed to be.
With just a couple of quick Google searches, I discovered that a lot of the brands I love, although claiming to be cruelty free in themselves, are owned by parent companies who support animal testing, or are sold in China where products are required by law to be tested on animals. This all seems quite indirect but it’s something I no longer want to support, and so I’ve vowed to take my business elsewhere. This is where Sukin came in to save the day.
Australian organic brand Sukin focus on quality and sustainability at affordable prices, which ticks all of my boxes. Their ingredients are 100% plant-based, the packaging is all recyclable and most admirably their products are entirely carbon neutral as they offset all their emissions.
The first product I tried from Sukin is the Moisture Restoring Conditioner which has literally restored life into my fried locks – 6 months without a haircut meant my split ends weren’t looking too pretty. It smells beautiful and will hopefully tide over my frazzled hair until I feel fancy enough to fork out on a trim.
The Super Greens Detoxifying Face Masque is clarifying and deeply cleansing, but thanks to the nourishing avocado, baobab and rosehip oils, never leaves my face feeling dry. It’s the perfect replacement for my beloved clay mask from Origins, which although cruelty-free is still sold in China. That’s a deal breaker.
The Micellar Cleansing Water has been another hero product, after discovering that my usual Garnier alternative was owned by L’Oreal, one of the worst offenders for their continued use of animal testing. It features skin-soothing ingredients like aloe vera and chamomile, and removes even waterproof makeup with ease.
The process of replacing all of your beauty and skincare items is a slow and tedious one, but it’s satisfying to know that there are plenty of incredible alternatives out there that don’t contribute to the suffering of the animals or the earth. This pin is worth saving for a quick and easy guide to cruelty-free brands.
What are your favourite cruelty-free products and brands?
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