When I chat to people about cruelty-free items they are always so surprised that animal testing for cosmetic and household products actually goes on. They also shocked to hear that there are animal derived ingredients in everyday products, just because it doesn't state it on the front doesn't mean its not in there. This spurred me on to do my recent vlog about household products, I then decided to do an accompanying blog post which would include more details about the cruelty-free household products I personally use. I wanted to show how EASY it is to replace all your animal tested products with cruelty-free ones. Animal testing for cosmetic and household products is banned in the UK, however - there are many places in the world where it is not banned and some where animal testing is required by law. All the big companies that also own LOADS of brand sell to these countries and so, test their products on animals. When I found this out I decided I didn't want to put my money towards companies that think this is an acceptable way to do business. I also want to point out that even though a product may be cruelty-free that does NOT necessarily make it vegan, it does mean that the final product has not been tested on animals but it may or may not contain animal ingredients.
There are lots of big companies that own lots of brands and unfortunately these are some of the most popular brands on the shelves. Some include - Unileaver, P&G, Colgate & Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Loreal, Revlon, Avon, Estee Lauder, Clinique, TRESemme, Pampers, Comfort, Bold, Pantene, Vaseline and the list goes on. (Here's the PETA list but there are also a lot more out there)
The point of this post is not to depress you but to inspire you to not want to put your money towards a business that works like this. I want to show that there are decent, accessible, quality, effective and reasonable alternatives, you won't go without anything. There is NO NEED to buy products that have been tested on animals or buy ones that contain animal ingredients. Below are all the products I use, I have included prices etc to show you it doesn't cost the earth!
Waitrose - ALL Waitrose own brand is now certified cruelty-free which is fantastic, so any Waitrose own brand household product you pick has not been tested on animals. None of the ingredients in those final products have been tested either which is great. I am in LOVE with a new range Waitrose have brought out, their Ecological range. Not only are ALL these cruelty-free and vegan but the bottles are made from at least 50% recycled plastic. The bottles themselves and caps are fully recyclable and the labels are printed with vegetable based inks. This range also states 'biodegradable' on the front of all the products, this means that the products have been tested and researched to have as little negative effect on the environment as possible.
In this Ecological range they also do a floor cleaner, bathroom, glass and kitchen spray which I have yet to try. I'm so impressed by this range so far that I imagine the rest will be equally as efficient. I can also confirm now (I have triple checked) that the Waitrose Essential Washing Up Liquid I mention in my vlog is vegan, 500ml for 56p (not 55p as I state in the video - whoops!) Or they offer a 740ml size for 80p, which is also really good value for money. Waitrose have certainly stepped it up a gear! I am certainly impressed with the quality and price of this product but once I finish this bottle I will be sticking to the Waitrose Ecological range washing up liquid. This is because they have ticked the environmental box for me as well as being cruelty-free and vegan. You can grab these items in store or Waitrose online, they are also available on Ocado.
Marks & Spencers - M&S is another brand that has proudly taken the cruelty-free certification to their own brand products and like with Waitrose, the quality is very high. All M&S own brand beauty and household products are cruelty-free and none of their individual ingredients have been tested either. They also have a lot of products that are suitable for vegans.
M&S also do their own laundry liquid, fabric conditioners, dishwasher cleaners, washing tablets, kitchen, glass and multi-surface sprays too. I can confirm that the M&S Colours Laundry Gel is vegan, however the Ocean Fabric Conditioner and Sensitive Fabric Conditioner is NOT vegan as they both have beef tallow (beef fat) included in their ingredients.
(FYI to find out if the Waitrose and M&S products were vegan I got in touch with them to clarify those particular products. If there's a product you're not sure of, reach out to the company to get clarification, you have a right to know).
Astonish - Astonish is one of the most reasonable brands out there and one that shouts its ethics and credentials from the rooftops. Astonish products are certified cruelty-free and vegan and they have those certifications clear on all their products (one product hasn't got the vegan certification on as it is a leather cleaner, however this contains NO animal ingredients).
I can also vouch for their Washing Up Liquids (600ml - £1.00) and all their surface cleaners and sprays (750ml - £1.00). You can find Astonish products in The Factory Shop (which is where I purchase these products from, the prices I pay in The Factory Shop are the ones I have stated here), Savers, ASDA and many more, you can see their full retailer list here.
Living Naturally Soapnuts - I can honestly say Soapnuts have changed my life, Living Naturally is one of my favourite finds. Soapnuts are nuts that grow with natural soap inside and they clean your clothes - HOW FANTASTIC! I have been using these for over a year now and not only have they worked a treat but I have completely eliminated the plastic waste from using a laundry bottle every month. You can use these nuts several times and once you're finished with them they go in the food waste bin, they're so eco friendly. Here is a list of HUGE positives of using soapnuts - certified organic, 100% natural, hypoallergenic, non-polluting, compostable, no fillers, no foaming agents, no bleach, no phthalates, paraben free, certified vegan, sustainable, biodegradable, zero waste and cruelty-free. AWESOME right?!
One 500g bag of soapnuts (£7.99) will do 240 washes! They do larger bags and sample packs as well as refills which include paper packaging, this brand for me is on the up and up and I know my love for it will continue.
Another online brand that I have a lot of love for is Humblestuff, this is a household brand that I came across on Twitter and I am constantly impressed by them. The lovely people behind the brand really care about their products and I mean care. You certainly don't get this kind of attention from many brands on the shelves. Humblestuff is loud and proud about being cruelty-free, vegan and environmentally friendly. They have carefully considered all their ingredients and the possible effects they can have on you and the environment. There is no BPA or bad chemicals in their products and yes -there are these type of chemicals in lots of mainstream products. They have also considered the very packaging they use, ensuring there is as little BPA as possible in their plastic packaging and their items are recyclable. Humblestuff offer surface sprays, cleaning paste and toilet fresheners.
So you see, your household products ABSOLUTELY can be cruelty-free, there are so many accessible brands out there for you. There is no need to support an animal testing company, don't give them your money. Invest in a company with good ethics, one that takes pride in their products and one that considers more than the money coming in.
BlackfishMica Day August 26, 2016 Blackfish, LUSH, LUSH Oxford Street, Events, Animal Rights, Q&A, Documentary
Mark Siegel's First Second Books is one of my favorite publishers. The comics they publish have fun, interesting concepts presented by unique, high-quality writers and artists. I don't think I've read a single book by them that I didn't care for, so it's no surprise that I'm also enjoying Siegel's own webcomic. Especially since it's about a riverboat captain and - if the title is to be believed - a mermaid.
Golden Age Comic Book Stories has a whole mess of Al Williamson adventure stories, a couple of which (like the one pictured above and another about a submarine crew trying to trace Captain Nemo's voyage) are sea-based.
Pennyfarthing doesn't publish a lot of books, but I like the ones they do. Especially the undersea adventures of a mermaid, a kraken, an electric fish, and the daughter of the Loch Ness Monster in The Loch. There's also the pulpy Captain Gravity, the steampunk/superheroey Victorian, and a new adventure series about Middle Eastern mythology called Anne Steelyard. Anyway, they just launched a new website and it's worth browsing around to see what they've got.
Steve Niles recently posted a couple of updates on his message board about some very cool sounding projects. One is Nevermore a comics adaptation of Dennis Paoli's one-man play about Edgar Allan Poe. The book will be illustrated by multiple artists including Bernie Wrightson.
Other projects include Mystery Society (which Steve describes as "a bit more action oriented [than his usual gory stuff] with lots of creatures and unexplained phenomena"), Edge of Doom (with Kelley Jones), and Doc Macabre (with Wrightson again). Also lots of updates on film adaptations of his comics, including Dark Days, which Steve says is in the editing stage.
"Menager sings of roads travelled and life lived, and he's warm and funny and wise, his songs delivered with youthful vigour"
‘With more than a whiff of Dylan and Ramblin Jack Elliott, Menager’s songs are rich with characters, wry observations and wit… The more you delve into Not the Express, the more you will be delighted.'
Shocking news from Minneapolis today, Prince is dead. He was found early this morning at his Paisley Park home, no cause of death yet but Jason Kamerud, chief sheriff’s deputy for Carver County indicated, “We’re currently conducting a death investigation and there isn’t much I can say.”
I created something last night that seems to fit the image of who Prince was. So while it seems a bit off-the-wall to quote Carl Sagan in this particular image, the message Sagan said seems to fit the death of one who left us far too early in his life.
Prince’s Scorpio rising opened his natal chart with a Western dominated 3rd quadrant above-the-horizon emphasis. One can’t help but notice the 15-minute partile Pluto conjunction to the Midheaven, both of which are anaretic and the undecaquartisextile between natal 9th house Uranus and his 3rd house Chiron in Aquarius. In addition, 6th house Venus formed a fixed T-square with its opposition to 12th house Neptune in square to the arm at both Uranus and the Part of Fortune.
Although he was considered a musical genius, his health may have played havoc with his career and quite possibly his fortunes. No matter how wealthy he was, it would seem to imply he could have made so much more if his health had been better. This combination of aspects also points to the inveterate romantic, a soul who may have been permanently in love with love. Mercury forms a Blooming UQSXT to Saturn and the Ascendant with the midpoint of the Saturn-Ascendant semisextile falling at 4 Sagittarius 47 in a 41-minute partile opposition to Mercury. Venus and Jupiter also form a 53-minute partile UQSXT. Career and his role as a participant in his relationships of whatever duration were the main focus of who he was, and he was generous with all he knew–and even those he didn’t know.
I’m especially struck by his 16 Gemini 41 Sun in the 8th house, which was recently receiving the energies from the March 8/9, 2016 Solar Eclipse at 18 Pisces 56. Out of curiosity, I checked to see where the Moon was as I’ve been writing this. I shouldn’t be surprised to see 26 Libra, the degree on his natal 12th house cusp. Natally, his Moon formed an out-of-sign opposition to Pluto while Mars formed a 32-minute partile quincunx to Pluto, giving me the impression that he was always torn between his public role and his emotional needs and desires.
Of course a time of death hasn’t been announced yet since this news has taken many by surprise, and the investigation isn’t over yet. In the meantime, wherever he goes, you know he’ll be leaving some purple rain in his path.
The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court has upheld a November 2001 conviction of a man who participated in a gang assault that severely injured their victim.
He appealed his conviction, but the Appellate court upheld it, said Chief Assistant Ulster County District Attorney John Prizzia.
Purcell, along with five other individuals on April 8, 2000, viciously beat Mark Hogancamp, 38, leaving him in the middle of the road outside a bar in Kingston.
The victim sustained severe and debilitating injuries and suffers disabling loss of brain function as a result of the attack.
Tennessee State University’s Cooperative Extension is hosting a Grower’s Workshop on campus, Friday, March 02, 2018. We are joined by experts in our state actively working to establish industrial hemp as a mainstream production option.
State Representative Jay Reedy advocates and networks across the state to support Industrial Hemp in Tennessee.
Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s plant pathologist and hemp specialist, Dr. Katherine Kilbourne will discuss licensing requirements and be on hand throughout the day to answer questions.
Joe Kirkpatrick, President of the Tennessee Hemp Industries Association (TNHIA) will join us to discuss ways to get involved with TNHIA.
Noah Wells, President of Konopi Company in Colorado will be here to discuss some of the many marketing opportunities available in the hemp industry.
Will Tarleton of Bells Bend and member of the TNHIA board will share best practices for successful production. Will has been growing hemp since it became legal and has many insights in the dos and don’ts of this industry.
Clint Palmer, Ph.D. from MTSU specializing in hemp production will share best practices for harvesting hemp varieties and provide insight into equipment needs and alterations
Are you worried sick? If not, maybe you should be. Because a pair of drawstring sweatpants could bring about your most embarrassing moment. And a toothpick in your sandwich can be the deadliest of weapons. Including hundreds of bizarre-but-true things that can get you, this compact volume will induce nervous page flipping and make even the most snug and secure folks bonafide paranoiacs. Chilling black and white photographs document the everyday items that menace your safety. But whether it's archibutyrophobia (the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) or phobophobia (the fear of fear itself) that eventually gets you, don't be afraid to buy this book. You never know what might happen to you if you don't.
Description: 0811816656 GOOD - This is a hurt hardcover book with no dust jacket and some tearing, scuffing, bumping and creasing. Still, it is fully usable and the flaws are only cosmetic.