The vegan ethic is not only about food, of course. It means questioning the clothes we wear, the hair and skin care products we use, and so much more. It’s about developing a thoughtful approach to the world around us and our place in it. And it invites everyone to share and to encourage the rejection of cruelty and exploitation wherever it is possible to do so.
One of the most obvious non-food items for which cruelty-free alternatives are easy to obtain is skin care products. In addition to specialist companies such as Faith in Nature and Honesty Cosmetics, several of the leading supermarkets’ own-brand labels now carry the Cruelty Free International leaping bunny logo, indicating that their products are not tested on animals. These include Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Superdrug, although only the Co-op and Superdrug also state which items contain no animal products. And we must give a special mention to Lush, who have been great supporters of Animal Aid and other animal campaigns, and who label all of their vegan products.
Most household cleaning products are tested on animals, but once again, the Co-op and Marks & Spencer lead the big retailers in marketing items that are not. Specialist cruelty-free companies include Faith in Nature, Bio D, Suma and Astonish.
For make-up, Superdrug’s own ‘B’ range is vegan and non-animal tested. Beauty Without Cruelty is also completely vegan and many of their products are available from the Animal Aid online shop.