I’ve been trying to find cruelty free options for toiletries and cleaning products and it has proven less straightforward than I would have thought. As a supporter of the Beagle Freedom Project, I decided that if I wasn’t able to provide much financial support, I could reduce and eventually stop supporting companies that use animal testing. However, I have a toddler who makes a lot of messes and it is just as important that cleaning products work REALLY WELL on top of being cruelty free. I thought I would list the products I have found thus far that I like. I am still on the lookout for either a detergent or stain remover that can get rid of food stains so any recommendations are appreciated!
1. Honest Products
I love the way Honest works and I really wish that more of their products would work for me. Here are the products I like from them:
- The leave in hair detangler: I love this product so much! My daughter has curly hair and this stuff really helps me get her hair combed out with minimal fuss. It smells great as well. It doesn’t have a baby smell so anyone could use it.
- The hair conditioner: This also smells wonderful and rinses out well. It leaves Georgia’s hair soft and more manageable.
- The bubble bath: You will discover a theme with honest products. They all seem to smell really good! This produces a decent amount of bubbles and a nice, relaxing scent.
- Dishwasher tabs: These seem to work fine and don’t have a strong scent. (Some dishwasher tabs seem to have a really strong “clean” smell)
Honest has a huge range of products which you can check out here.
2. Method
So far, I generally prefer Method cleaning products to any of the other options out there. I haven’t tried their regular dishwashing liquid yet but here are the things I like from them.
- The laundry detergent: This is by far the best of the cruelty free detergents that I have tried. Most of them don’t seem to do much of anything which leads to throwing out clothing with depressing regularity. It doesn’t quite cut it for the level of food stains that Georgia gets on her clothes so I am still using a regular baby detergent for her until something more promising comes along. I use the scent free option and I really like it for regular use.
- The cleaning spray: I will make an exception for scented cleaning products when it comes to their cleaning sprays. They smell really great and work extremely well.
- Foaming hand wash: Again, the scents are all fantastic and often they do more unusual ones that are really nice. I like that they smell more natural as I hate really fake perfumey soap.
You can visit Method and view their products here.
3. Earth Friendly Products
I have tried their ECOS laundry detergent and the dishwashing cleaner. The laundry detergent was fine when Georgia was a newborn. It is very gentle but I have struggled to get the hardcore toddler stains out with it as she has gotten bigger.
- Ultra Dishmate Liquid Dishwashing Cleaner in Almond. This is my favorite of all the dishwashing liquids I have tried so far. It smells so good and foams really well. A little goes a long way which is a rare trait in cruelty free dishwasher liquid!
You can visit their website here.
4. Mrs. Meyer’s
Another brand where I’ve only tried one product. I do like their dishwashing liquid as well. I prefer the honeysuckle scent so far. I am currently using their lavender scented dishwashing liquid and I don’t like it as much. I do think the scents are a bit more intense than I would like but they foam really well and I can often find them on sale.
Here is a link to Mrs. Meyer’s website.
5. Alba
I recently discovered this drugstore beauty brand and I am really impressed with the one product I have tried. I found them at Target but have seen them in a few other places now. I am currently using their Hawaiian Facial Cleanser and it is one of the nicest ones I have ever tried. It has a pineapple scent and produces a gentle foam. It doesn’t make my face feel remotely dry afterwards. I am looking forward to trying more of their products. There are so few budget toiletry products that are cruelty free and I really want to support them!
To see their complete range, visit them here.
6. Mario Badescu
This is an upscale toiletry brand that I discovered on a cruelty free list. I have their Glycolic Foaming Cleanser and I would definitely recommend it as well. I use it with my Clarisonic device and it works well.
I found this brand at Ulta but you can order their products online here.
7. Lush
I am saving my favorite for last! I love this company and have been using their products for many years. I first discovered them when I was living in England. I found them (very appropriately) at their location in Bath and I was in love! They make a huge variety of beauty products and everything I have ever tried from them is amazing. If my budget allowed, all my beauty and bath products would come from them. My absolute favorites are:
- Handy Gurugu – This is the most amazing lotion ever. It is meant for hands but it is a fantastic foot lotion as well. It is great for foot rubs!
- Full of Grace- This is a solid face serum bar. I use it every night and I love it!
- Honey I Washed the Kids- A sweetly scented soap with gentle lather. If regular soap dries your hands, you will really appreciate this!
- Christmas Eve- This is a limited edition Christmas bubble bar that comes out every winter. It is my favorite scent of all their bubble bars and I always stock up when it comes in. I can’t remember if I have the name exactly right but its primary scent is jasmine. It is blue with a yellow moon on it.
Go visit Lush’s website and check out all their amazing products. I will say, if you only order a few things it could be cheaper to order from their UK website. Check the exchange rates, see how much shipping would be for your order and see for yourself.
I think that covers all the products I have tried and liked so far! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Danni Evans 