Happy 2019! I hope that you’re all having a wonderful start to the new year! This year more than ever, I’m hearing so many people say that one of their goals is to go cruelty-free. This is amazing! Here on Logical Harmony, through the website, YouTube, and Instagram, I strive to help make being cruelty-free easy. This comes in the form of shopping guides (store, brand, and product specific), sharing new products, Get Ready with Me videos, and more. I like to take a compassionate approach and to encourage everyone no matter where they are. Be sure to check the website often, subscribe on YouTube, and follow on IG to always be in the loop.

2018 was an amazing year for the cruelty-free beauty movement and there were so many major wins for the space. It’s been really exciting and you couldn’t have picked a better time to start your cruelty-free beauty journey. COVERGIRL is now cruelty-free? Heck yeah! Let’s keep seeing these changes in the future! The more brands get on board, the more animals will be saved and the easier being cruelty-free will be for everyone.

When you decide to go cruelty-free, things can be a bit overwhelming at the start. A lot of readers of Logical Harmony are relatively new to cruelty-free and vegan makeup. A lot of you are just starting or are in the process of the transition to cruelty-free makeup. Many readers message and email me asking for tips on how to start the transition. It can be overwhelming to start anything new simply because it can be hard to tell where to start.

I think it’s important to remember that we all went through this process. We all had to start somewhere and we all went through the same things along the way. In this post, I wanted to share my tips to transition to cruelty-free makeup. These are tips that I used in my transition to cruelty-free beauty products and have suggested to others during theirs.

This is the most recent update of a post I originally published on June 29, 2017.

Start small and recognize that it’s a process to go cruelty-free.

It can be really overwhelming when you first decide to go cruelty-free. I see a lot of people who put pressure on themselves to make the change within days.

Don’t rush. Take it step-by-step.

My biggest piece of advice is to not rush the change and take it step by step. Making sure that you’re not feeling overwhelmed and frustrated not only the process of going cruelty-free easier, but I have found that people are more likely to stick with a cruelty-free beauty routine when they transition slowly.

Taking it slowly prevents it from feeling impossible.

I know too many people that tried to go cruelty-free literally overnight. They felt overwhelmed, confused, burnt out, and within a month they went back to using brands that test on animals because it “seemed easier”. Remember that baby steps are okay. Please keep in mind that adding any cruelty-free products into your routine is still great.

As you start to learn more, there may even be products you use that are tested on animals that never even crossed your mind to check. Don’t beat yourself up over this! Transitioning your beauty and makeup products to cruelty-free products is a process for many. Recognize this, forgive yourself as needed, and go cruelty-free in a way that works for you.

As you use products up, replace them with cruelty-free options.

You don’t need to throw everything you currently own out.

This relates to the point above – don’t feel like you need to replace everything all at once. For some people, it’s really easy to find replacements for all of their beauty products. For others, it takes some time. This can be due to having to research brands, a lack of availability of cruelty-free brands in stores in your area, not knowing where to shop online, not having the financial means to purchase lots of new items at once, or simply just trying to find cruelty-free products that work well for you.

Replace your favorites with cruelty-free products as you go.

What I suggest is to replace products as you use them up. While you’re running out of your current products start trying new cruelty-free options. Go to stores like Ulta and Sephora where you can take home samples of products, or look for travel sized versions of things to try out. In some cases, you may be able to find a new cruelty-free favorite right away but other products may take longer.

Don’t feel guilty! It’s a process that takes time.

A lot of readers tell me that they feel guilty for not being able to replace everything all at once. Please don’t feel this way! For many, the best way to go cruelty-free is to research brands and products while using what they already have. This gives you some time to find the right brands, products, and shades for you. Purchase the cruelty-free products along the way or as you run out.

Find a support system to help you go cruelty-free.

Social, blogs, and YouTube help SO much!

Finding a resource that you are comfortable with and that will inspire you to go cruelty-free is really important. It could be websites and YouTube channels based on cruelty-free products. It could be cruelty-free Facebook groups. You could use hashtags on Instagram (I would use #logicalharmony and #logicalharmonyapproved) to find new products and accounts to follow. Twitter is also a great place to find others interested in cruelty-free beauty.

There are lots of places where you can find a support system. Figure out which works for you and take advantage of it.

Find stores that you are comfortable shopping at for cruelty-free makeup.

Some people feel the most secure shopping for cruelty-free products at their local natural food store while others want to be in the familiar setting.

Shopping in-store for cruelty-free products?

It can be helpful to look at specific stores and then narrowing down the what options you have for cruelty-free brands at Sephora, cruelty-free brands at Ulta, cruelty-free brands at Nordstrom, cruelty-free brands at Target, or cruelty-free drugstore brands.

Others find in-store shopping overwhelming and stick to online shopping where they can more carefully research brands and products.

Shopping online for cruelty-free products?

Some great online stores that carry lots of Logical Harmony approved cruelty-free brands are Beautylish, Beauty Bay, iHerb, Grove, Petit Vour, Credo, Citrine Natural Beauty Bar, The Organic Bunny, and The Detox Market. The important thing is that you find somewhere that you feel comfortable shopping. This will reduce the chances of you feeling overwhelmed or discouraged by what you are finding.

Use cruelty-free shopping guides as a resource to help go cruelty-free.

Making cruelty-free shopping easy will help you so much.

The main goal of Logical Harmony is to help people go cruelty-free and start using cruelty-free makeup. It can be hard to know what’s cruelty-free when you’re out and about shopping. To make things easier, we’ve created lots of cruelty-free shopping guides to help you find the best cruelty-free options for you. There are shopping guides to help you find cruelty-free brands at specific stores, and also lots of shopping guides to help you find out what vegan options specific cruelty-free brands offer.

Print and download cruelty-free shopping guides if it helps.

There are lots of shopping guides here on Logical Harmony to simplify things and several can be downloaded to bring on the go. Sign up to download guides to help you shop cruelty-free at Sephora, Ulta, and Target. You can even find directions on how to easily access the Cruelty-Free Brand List from your iPhone or Android.

Don’t get discouraged. See going cruelty-free as a fun adventure!

Seriously. This is an excuse to buy new makeup! Take advantage of that and enjoy it! You may not be able to find an exact dupe for your favorite MAC lipstick shade, but you can use this as a chance to try out and find five new shades you love that are similar. You will find so many new brands and try so many new products. It really can be a lot of fun! Worried about what you will do with items that may not work out? Check with stores about their return policies on beauty and cosmetic items, find a local women’s shelter and ask their policy on accepting donations of these products, or gift them to friends.

What tips have been the most helpful to you as you transition to cruelty-free and vegan makeup?

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