I have been pretty vocal about how much I love cruelty-free products in my beauty and self-care routine. I actively seek them out whenever I’m shopping for my staples or looking for a new product to add to my regimen. For a while, cruelty-free products were on the more expensive end and not easily found in stores. Now they seem to be almost everywhere!
I’m a devout Ulta customer and I was so happy to see that they added “cruelty-free” and even “vegan” under their ingredients when searching for products by preference. It makes searching for the right product so much easier.
Now I know what you’re thinking. “Why can’t I just get drugstore makeup that’s cruelty-free?”
Well, you absolutely can! There are several brands that are budget-friendly and they can be found both at drugstores, online retailers (like Amazon), and even Ulta. In fact, in late 2018, drugstore favorite CoverGirl announced they had gone cruelty-free. In order to be officially cruelty-free, the products and their ingredients can not be tested on animals, either by the company or its suppliers, at any stage of development either pre or post-market. It also means that the product/line is not sold in any country where animal testing is mandatory. So, in order for a company to sell its products in these countries (like China), they have to agree to these laws. If a company is 100% cruelty-free, its cosmetic products are never tested on any animals, anywhere in the world.
I personally prefer Ulta because I’m able to get both affordable, budget-friendly brands and higher-end brands for hair, skin, and makeup all in one place. Plus, those rewards points tho.
Speaking of points, Ulta recently had a 5X points on select Cruelty-Free Beauty promotion and that led me to create this list. Below are my favorite brands for makeup, hair, and skincare products as of 2020.
Makeup:
Skincare:
Haircare:
Also, check out Love Home & Planet for household items
Makeup Tools:
Fragrance:
Disclaimer: There's not a whole lot of options when it comes to cruelty-free fragrances. Hopefully, fragrances will soon be on the same level that haircare and makeup/skincare have made it to and we'll have more to choose from!
This is not a full list of cruelty-free brands, but it is a list of the brands I have personally used and have really liked. While 2020 has been a wild ride, it’s great to see that there are so many products in just about every price range that are available. To get the best bang for your buck, try to catch those promotions like Ulta recently had to stock up on points, or subscribe to the brands and get notified of major sales.
