going cruelty free (is hard)

I've been trying to go cruelty free for a while now and it's not been easy. But it's something I really want to do so I'm still going at it.

The reason I personally want to go cruelty free is because I just don't like the way they treat animals. I'm vegetarian and the reason for that is because I don't want animals to die for my benefit and they can die while being tested on so in my eyes the two things just go hand in hand.

As a little disclaimer: as much as I would encourage vegetarianism/veganism/going cruelty free/eating veggie one day a week etc. I do not care what you choose to do. If you want to eat meat that is 100% fine by me. It's your life and if you let me make my own decisions about my life then I'm completely happy to let you get on with yours however you choose.

I know quite a lot about animal testing and alternatives (in vitro and in silico methods are a good thing to look up if you don't believe there are any alternatives) as I did my GCSE English Language speaking and listening exam on animal testing. I've been trying to be cruelty free since even before then and I'm still not quite there. It's quite frustrating actually.

The things I use most regularly on my face are all cruelty free. I use Barry M foundation and concealer and Superdrug's own skincare stuff because all of these products are affordable and 100% cruelty free. Also my shampoo and conditioner, nail polish remover and heat protect spray are all Superdrug's own (I would definitely recommend checking out their own stuff as it's cheap and it works). However, my mum likes to put little make-up products like nail polishes, eye shadows etc. in my Christmas sack each year from Avon - a brand that does indeed test on animals. And because I don't actually use these things incredibly often, it's gonna take a while to get through them (although I am of course grateful for the fact that I get anything and am not just going to waste the products).

Also, a lot of cruelty free products are out of my price range. I can't afford to regularly shop at Lush, it's more like a once a year thing maximum for me. And I can't afford too much make-up. Even Barry M nail polishes are something I'd have to splash out on. I don't even own any to my name at this point in time because 1. I have so many nail polishes and 2. I just can't really afford them as a regular thing.

I try to focus on the fact that at least I'm trying but I still slip up. I'll still be shopping with my friends and I'll buy a lipstick from a brand that's not cruelty free because it's cheap and in front of me.

So for right now I'm going to focus on one thing at a time because I think it's overwhelming me to think about using everything up, researching affordable brands that I can access and then actually buying them and not getting distracted by cheaper brands. So first things first I'm going to try to use everything up (which could take a while, especially the nail polishes) and not just mindlessly repurchase the same products.

I'm going to use this list to help me find brands which I can buy in my local Boots and Superdrug and not just mindlessly buy the cheaper, easier to access make-up that all my friends are buying (not that you can't find affordable cruelty free products, it just takes a little more work).

I'm not going to choose the easy option any more. I want to do this. I am going to commit. I'm going to educate myself and I am going to really fucking try.

Goodbye

:)