Hi - This is me, Alex, looking and feeling totally happy on my wedding day last year. I thought I'd share a picture of myself for those that don't know already know me. I don't know I just think it's nicer when you have an image in your head of the person who's writing your reading. Anyway, I write a UK based parenting and lifestyle blog over at www.bump-to-baby.com and what you should know about me is this.. I have three passions in life (well, if you count blogging, then four) - My three month old Son, Ethan. My childhood sweetheart Husband, Adam. And then there's my love of animals, which brings me nicely on to the topic of today's guest post..I wonder if you've ever heard of the phrase, 'Look for the leaping bunny'. You may have, but for those that haven't, I'll explain.. in short it's a 'cruelty-free' thing. What is cruelty-free? It's generally a product that has been developed or produced without inhumane testing on animals. Okay, let's stop. Yes, I'm Vegetarian, I'm a very strict veggie in fact. But I'm not here to preach about how animal testing is wrong and how we all shouldn't eat meat. In fact, I'm not going to bring up meat-eating at all (okay I just did, but that's the last and only time - I promise) AND just so you know -
I'm not completely cruelty-free myself, but I do try and buy products that are not tested on animals where I can...So please stick with me.. I just want to tell you, if you're interested that is, how you can find out if your products are cruelty-free or not. So here you have it, these are my top tips for for animal-friendly shopping..Cruelty-Free TipsLook for the logos: First up you will need some sort of idea about what you're looking for when you're looking for cruelty-free, so look for the logos on the back of your product. Here are some of the most commonly used cruelty-free logos:
You may also notice products with these symbols on:For info - where certified Vegan - the product does not contain any animal derived ingredients at all. Sometimes there may not be a logo, the product may just state something along the lines of, 'Not tested On Animals', this is great, but a product bearing a logo like one of the ones above is better. It's easy for a company to write a short sentence on their product, but to get, for example, BUAV approved, (the first logo), they will need to have passed rigorous tests and so seeing this logo is a sure way to tell that the product you're buying has not been tested on animals whatsoever. 2. Contact the brand: Companies are often more than happy to answer questions about their products and their stance on animal testing. More and more people are turning to cruelty free products and companies realize this and so expect that their potential customers will start asking questions. Companies will often have a FAQ section on their website, with a statement about animal testing and their use of animal ingredients. It's worth looking for this, but if you don't find the information thorough enough then contact them directly. You will usually find a contact form/email address/contact number on their website. If you're not sure what to ask, take a look at this great email template from looweezbx at Make up etc, which I highly recommend using.3. Check the little book of cruelty-free: This is a FREE book of cruelty free companies which are BUAV approved. It fits nicely into your handbag, and is a great way to discover new animal friendly companies. You can read more about it here.4. Familiarise yourself; do your research: Here are a few ways you can find out more..Bookmark websites like, http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/ http://www.buav.org/ http://www.peta.org/ http://www.uncaged.co.uk/Follow cruelty free blogs, my fave are:MakeUp.EtcKarrisxCOFFEE AND HEELSAlso, don't be afraid to search the #Crueltyfree hashtag on twitter and on Instagram. So there you go! A little info on how you can tell if a product is free from animal testing. I like to use this information for when I have the choice - standing in the supermarket looking at kitchen cleaners for example.. the choice of buying an animal-friendly kitchen cleaner or a non-animal-friendly kitchen cleaner. I'd love to see you over at my blog, if you do pop over please please do leave me a little comment saying 'Hi'. I love getting to know new faces through blogging. :) Also a big thank-you to Hayley for allowing me to take over her blog for a day! Have you checked out my Super Sparkler Advertiser this month?An eclectic blogger, blogging about a miss -mash of miss matched ideas piecing together one blog post at time. From mommy things to beauty you will find it all here. To see YOUR BLOG OR SMALL BUSINESS ADVERTISED HERE just click here for details!