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There are so many terms you hear in the beautysphere - natural brands, green brands, mineral makeup - and it's easy to confuse the imagery used along side these with the term 'cruelty-free'. But in reality, these are all different things. A brand can be natural and still test on animals. Confusing times.

Here are some handy terms and a description of what they mean:

Products which only use natural ingredients and have a very minimal ingredients list - the shortest of which are considered pure. Green make up is getting more and more popular, which is likely because of the increasing number of nasties and chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis (sometimes without even realising it!). What you cake your face with and rub onto your skin does sink into your system, something to bear in mind when assessing your skin care and make up routine.

This can have two meanings: natural looking make up when applied to the face i.e. subtly highlighting your features so it looks as if you aren't wearing make up per se; or make up which actually contains natural ingredients. However, just because a product contains some naturally derived ingredients, it doesn't mean that all the contents are natural and it certainly doesn't guarentee the absence of harmful chemicals. To learn more about nasty ingredients you want to avoid, click here.

Also, something to note is that brands cleverly give the idea of natural products from their marketing and packaging (for instance, The Body Shop and Origins), so watch out for that.

There is no actual definition for the term 'cruelty-free'. In general, we think of it as a label for products which were created and released without any testing on animals, by both the developers and the suppliers. However, EU law (prior to #Brexit) dictates that it is illegal to test the finished product on animals. It does not say that the product cannot be tested on animals during it's development. This of course means that some brands can state they are against animal testing/are cruelty free, but still endorse it indirectly. Why would they mislead you like this? Because they want your purchase, and they know that most consumers don't want to wear make-up that has involved torture. It is manipulative to say the least.

SO, what you want to look for if you passionate about supporting only ethical brands is a certification such as the Leaping Bunny certification. This programme has a list of criteria a brand must adhere to in order to be classed as genuinely cruelty-free. To see my cruelty-free masterpost of brands, click here.

Vegan make up is as it sounds - it is make up which contains no animal derived ingredients. These include things like carmine, beeswax and lanolin. To learn about the animal products which are in your make up, click here.

Remember to shop compassionately and mindfully!


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