New Beauty Products

Hey everyone!

So I've been trying out a few new products to go along with my push to be a "weekday vegan". Even though I am a science teacher, I really hate animal testing. I think it's cruel, wasteful, and also creates far less effective data than other methods. Laws in the U.S. require animal testing on prescription drugs, which I can't do anything about, but testing is voluntary on over the counter products.  Even so, it's shockingly common with everything from nail polish to deodorant.  Unfortunately, if it doesn't say that it's not tested on animals then it probably is!  

To try to put my consumer dollars whee my beliefs are, I've been taking the money I would normally spend on meat and dairy products and buying beauty items from brands that don't test on animals. I'm trying to do this in a practical way. I can't afford to chuck anything and everything that might be tested on animals and replace it all at once, so I'm doing it as I run out of things. Here's what I've tried so far:

Nature's Gate Pomogranate and Sunflower body wash. I was using Aveda's before, which is also not tested on animals but it is super expensive. I spent $10 on this instead of $50 on a comparable amount of Aveda. I also have a sentimental attachment to the Nature's Gate brand, since my mom used their shampoo on me and my sister when we were little. It smells yummy and makes my skin very soft (although the change in diet is probably also contributing to this.)

I'm completely in love with this shave gel from Kiss My Face!  It smells amazing and is super moisturizing. I also like that it's pump instead of aerosol- easier to get the same amount each time. 

I'm also trying a new shampoo:

This is Avalon Organics Thickening shampoo and conditioner. My hair feels weird when it's wet after using these- sort of squeaky and tangly, but then drys to be soft and shiny. 

Amy