My name is Emily. I’ve created Living Cruelty Free to document my switch to buying only Leaping Bunny approved 100%-animal-testing-free cosmetic/household products. The reason I only buy Leaping Bunny approved 100%-animal-testing-free cosmetics/household products is that animal testing is horrible and causes countless rats and rabbits suffer for and be killed to make sure shampoos/soaps/etc.won’t cause people with sensitive skin to have mild rashes. Since I don’t have sensitive skin, and I know any products with ingredients that might remotely be unsafe have already been tested (on numerous animals) by pharmaceutical companies and approved of by the FDA, this really bothers me.

This switch to buying only 100%-cruelty-free items has been more difficult than I originally thought it would be. I have a new respect for people who only buy organic products, or fair trade products, etc., because I never realized how much time and effort it takes to make sure every product you buy is ethical.

So far, while I still haven’t replaced all my old cosmetics/household products with cruelty-free ones (I hope eventually I’ll run out of Bedhead After Party smoothing creme), I’m well on my way! As it is, I’ve really enjoyed knowing that all the products I’ve bought have involved no animal suffering, and my money is supporting people who do not engage in animal cruelty. Also, I feel like I’m donating to an animal welfare charity just by buying cruelty-free toothpaste — I think one of the best ways to “vote” in the US market is to use dollars.

Surprisingly, most of the new products I’ve been trying have turned out to be good, high-quality products. I’ve enjoyed the dramatic improvement in all the stuff I buy. So it’s been a lot of time and effort finding and buying these products, but so far, it’s been well worth it to me. One clarification I’d like to make here is that “cruelty-free” is used by different people to mean different things. I use it to mean products that have not been tested on animals — this means that what I call “cruelty-free” products may not necessarily be vegan. I’d love to buy cruelty-free, vegan products, but there aren’t many of them. The only comprehensive list I’ve found is at Vegan Action, and it’s fairly short — it’s available here. (I do try to mention in each product review whether the company that makes the product says it is vegan and/or organic — I think a lot of people want to know that information.)

I welcome all nice comments — please feel free to disagree with me about any product review made here — as long as you do so in a friendly manner, I’ll be pleased! Everyone has a right to their own opinion about all the products I’ve listed here, and reading numerous reviews will give people a more statistically precise view of various cruelty-free products, which might encourage them to buy some in the future, which would be fantastic.