I know what this post must look like, but I swear I’m not transitioning into a beauty or lifestyle blogger! I’ve simply been making some changes in my personal life and they’ve had a really positive impact so I wanted to share them with you!
At the beginning of 2019 I decided that as my cosmetics ran out I would replace them with products that are not tested on animals, better for the environment, better for me and packaged in an environmentally conscious way! Obviously all of these requirements are not met by all products, but spending a bit of your time researching a product and knowing its impact is much better than grabbing a random one off the shelf.
This haul is also all carry-on friendly, so there’s todays tidbit of travel blogging!
- Tea Tree Water toner/setting spray
- Herbalish face cleanser
- Karma Komba shampoo bar
- Like A Virgin cleansing bar
All of Lush’s products are cruelty free, “naked” (no packaging) or in reusable containers and are made with ethically bought ingredients! Lush is one of the og trailblazers in this field and is a staple on my list.
- Juju Bar and Pekee Bar (Baby Bar Travel Duo)
- Umbra sunscreen SPF 30
Designed, tested and produced in the United States, Drunken Elephant is a newer brand that bases their skincare products on biocompatibility rather than a long list of ingredients and doesn’t take inexpensive shortcuts in their production process.
If you want to take their products for a test-drive I suggest buying the Duos! Travel size bottles can be found in line at Sephora ranging from $20-$30.
- Face & Body sunscreen SPF 30
- Face & Body tinted moisturizer SPF 30
Reef safe sunscreen is so important and I spent a lot of time researching exactly which brand I wanted to invest in for my trip to Hawaii. Raw Elements was developed by a Hawaii-based Ocean Rescue Lifeguard and sources certified organic and sustainable ingredients including their only active ingredient: non–nano zinc oxide.
Their certification list is lengthy and impressive, including being animal cruelty free (via Cruelty-Free International) and fully produced in the United States.
Too Faced
- Peach Perfect Foundation
While I do love the feel and peachy scent of this fountain the sales associate forgot to mention that Too Faced’s mother company, Estee Lauder, still tests on animals after I told her my “no-go” criteria. I’ll be swapping this product out of my cosmetic bag after it’s finished.
- Stellar Gaze mascara
Pacifica has been flying off the shelves at Target which is great news considering it is vegan and cruelty free (via PETA). The company also has a program called Preserve that enables customers to recycle their Pacifica brand containers and earn loyalty points towards new purchases!
Aside from my fair share of consumer research, Ethical Elephant‘s blog was a great resource when seeking healthy products! She also has an amazing article that aids consumers in distinguishing what each logo and label means and validates their legitimacy.
Like I said, I know this isn’t my usual type of post but it’s important to know what we are putting on our skin and equally important to know what it’s effecting outside of ourselves!
World Watching 
Thank you Michelle. I also have been thinking about changing to the animal free testing products. I have a friend that has done this and am contacting her for what products she has found.