If you’ve read the “Behind the Ingredient List” posts and my latest “Empties” blogpost, you will know I am on a mission. A mission to stop buying from brands that test on animals and start investing in cruelty free makeup and skincare products. It will take me at least a year before I have a 100% cruelty free makeup and skincare routine – because I am not throwing anything away – but I am very happy it took very little effort to create a cruelty free shower routine. Because it turns out, my shower routine was already 90% cruelty free! I would love to introduce you to/remind you of seven amazing and affordable brands that don’t test on animals and will make your shower routine even more enjoyable.

Cruelty Free For My Baby and Me….

Hair Care from Aveda and Zarqa

You will probably know by now I am in love with my Aveda shampoo and conditioner. I’ve been using the Invati line for quite a while and have noticed it is perfect for thin and damaged hair. Even though Aveda is owned by Estee Lauder – which is a brand that DOES test on animals – Aveda is considered cruelty free by PETA.

For my Dutchies: Bestel hier je Aveda Invati shampoo en je Aveda Invati conditioner!

Face Wash from Zarqa

I recently discovered Zarqa, because it got recommended to me by some of my Instamom- friends. I bought the 3-in-1 wash, with Calendula and Camomile for Isaya, which I’ve been using for her hair and body (not sure what the third advantage is). I had to get used to the smell, but that was also the case with her Burt’s Bees products. And I love how her hair smells after I’ve used it! A lot of not-so-natural products have a bunch of ingredients in them to upgrade the natural smells. But I have learned that these ingredients aren’t necessarily good for your baby’s skin. I also bought the Soft Cleansing Foam for my face. One pump goes a long way and makes my skin feel clean and soft. It is a very gentle cleanser. On days I feel my skin needs a bit more I use the foam with my Clarisonic *.

For my Dutchies: Koop de Zarqa Cleansing Foam en de 3-1 in wash voor je baby of kindje hier!

Body wash by Weleda

I have to admit I had a small panic attack when I researched whether or not Weleda tests on animals. Their statement is super clear: they are against animal testing. But they do sell in China (where animal testing is required). So what is going on? Weleda has been one of my favorite brands for almost ten years and I’ve been using it on Isaya since the day she was born, so it would break my heart if they would succumb to animal testing for the sake of a bigger market.

Here is (probably) the truth:

Weleda sells in China, yes. But when it comes to the Chinese market there are quite a few nuances. First of all, the rules are different for Hong Kong and Mainland China: Hong Kong doesn’t require animal testing by law. Also, not all products are required to be tested in Mainland China. And last but not least: the animal testing law only applies to physical shops, not online shops. So, here is what Weleda does (or says they do): they sell products that are not required by law to test on animals (like toothpaste and soap), on mainland china. The rest of their products are sold through online shops, for instance from Hong Kong. Read more: Is Weleda really cruelty free?

For now, I am going to assume all of this is true and continue enjoying the Weleda Calenda Oil for Isaya and the Weleda Lavender Showergel for myself. I love the smell! And Isaya loves using the oil in the shower. It makes her skin super soft.

For my Dutchies: Bestel hier de Weleda Calendula Olie en de Weleda Lavendel douchegel.

Toothpaste and Toothbrushes

I used Colgate and Elmex for the longest time, but they are not cruelty free and also not vegan. So I did some research and found out that Neobio has cruelty free, vegan toothpastes for adults and kids. I talked about Neobio in my first ‘Behind the Ingredient list‘. Their toothpaste is very affordable and actually tastes really good – unlike some natural toothpastes 😐

For my Dutchies: koop hier Neobio tandpasta voor jou en je kindje. Neobio heeft ook allerlei andere producten, zoals shampoo, makeup en deodorant.

I’ve talked about our biodegradable toothbrushes from Natboo in a previous blogpost, so check that out if you want to know more. They ship to the USA, Canada, Australia, Netherlands and Mexico. Use the code 15offthanks for 15% discount on your order.

Body Lotion from TreacleMoon and Rituals

I currently don’t use body lotion on Isaya: her skin is hydrated enough, so I don’t want to make her perfect skin dependent on a bunch unnecessary products. But my skin is a different story. Especially my legs get really dry. So, I’ve been loving the TreacleMoon bodylotions. And I never get tired of Rituals. There are always a couple of Rituals products in our beauty routines and house.

For my Dutchies: Bestel hier bodylotion van Rituals. Treaclemoon vind je hier!

* Clarisonic is not a cruelty free brand

This blogpost contains affiliate links to Dutch webshops. If you want to know more about affiliate linking please read my disclaimer!