Beauty products should do more than make you look and feel good, they should come with a clear conscience as well. This comes from knowing your beauty kit is a cruelty-free zone.

The cosmetics industry is largely unregulated and for a long time, it's been
tainted with an unpleasant history of animal testing.

Thankfully, this is changing. As more and more makeup lovers join the conscious beauty movement, cruelty-free beauty has soared to new heights of awareness. And for some, it’s non-negotiable!

 What is cruelty-free beauty?

People commonly confuse ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘vegan’ beauty products for the same thing. If you’ve ever thought the same, we don’t blame you - many brands use these labels interchangeably. The truth is, there’s a difference. Cruelty-free refers to any product that doesn’t involve animal testing in the final product or the ingredients list, while a vegan product is free of any animal-derived ingredients. So, some brands might claim to be vegan yet undergoing cruel animal testing in the process. Or, a brand might be against animal testing yet use animal-derived ingredients (and there’s no way of knowing just how cruelty-free the methods of attaining those ingredients are)

Why choose cruelty-free?

When it comes to choosing cruelty-free beauty, looking out for our furry friends is a huge factor. We believe no one should have to suffer for beauty, especially those who don’t have a say in it. 

But there is a problem. “Cruelty-free” and “vegan” have become industry buzz-words... And some brands have jumped on the bandwagon to take advantage of consumers desire for ethical and safe products without being completely ethical about it themselves.

Just because a product is cruelty-free and vegan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you!

But wait, is all cruelty-free beauty good for me?

While saving the lives of adorable bunnies is an important and essential venture, it can come at a cost in other ways. Strangely enough, there are a lot of brands that pride themselves on being cruelty-free and vegan... But these brands don’t seem to give a thought to being cruelty-free to humans! Filling their formula with harmful chemicals that can affect the people wearing it. 

The same goes for the planet. While some “cruelty-free” brands might not be testing products on animals, their source of ingredients could be harming the environment and inadvertently, the animals living there! For example, consider the current palm oil debacle. Grown in the tropics, this vegetable oil is found in a staggering amount of personal care and everyday products, mainly because of its versatility, low price and longevity. As the race to keep up with demand quickens and global production grows, this expansion comes at the expense of the tropical habitat many species call home.

It may come as a surprise to some, but the chemicals hiding in commercial and even some cruelty-free beauty don’t disappear once you’ve finished with them. Anything we discard or wash off our skin has the potential to leach its way into our environment. Wildlife in the oceans and on land are subject to cocktails of pollutants known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), synthetic chemicals that do their best to interfere with the body’s naturally produced chemicals. These pesky hormone disruptors lurk in conventional products and make their way into the systems of our beautiful wildlife. Considering how important hormones are in the development of a fetus, these EDCs can do a lot of damage to some unsuspecting animals.

Most people define cruelty-free beauty as a product that hasn’t been tested on animals. Our definition is a little different. We believe in being kind to animals, not just when it comes to testing, but removing any chance of hurting the environment through our ingredients. More than that, we strive to remain cruelty-free towards humans. While it’s amazing to care about the treatment of our furry friends, we don’t believe in hurting any humans in the process either. Kindness is embedded in Aleph’s philosophy and it underlines every decision we make - from our nourishing formula to our careful selection of ingredients.

By opting for conscious, cruelty-free beauty, you cast your vote for a kinder, safer and better world for all. Join Aleph on our journey to help create a better world with beauty that cares for you, animals and the planet.