Did you know that around 50–100 million animals are used in experiments each year?! In this day in age, I ask myself why we are still undertaking such cruel and barbaric tests. We are now able to unlock our phone with our fingerprint, power cars solely on electricity and fly to the moon and back. But yet, despite all of that, we continue to cause pain and suffering to these beautiful, innocent beings! There is no need to carry on being a part of this! If you too want to stop the suffering then here's a few steps on how to get started on your cruelty free journey.

Firstly, think about all of the companies that are 100% contributing to animal cruelty. Dairy farmers, butchers, pet breeders just to name a few. But it goes so much deeper than that. Below are just some of the companies that continue to test on animals because they put monetary value above that of the value of life.

I was actually shocked myself when I saw the amount of companies that I actually still have in my cupboard from before I went vegan last year, such as Febreze, Vaseline and Johnson & Johnson. Now, I decided that I would use up a lot of these products and then just not buy them again because I don't like waste. I also feel that I have already paid for it and if I throw it away, then these animals would have suffered for nothing so it would not only be a waste of my money or the products, but also a waste of the animals life. Obviously if there are skincare products that I now know are harmful to my skin, such as those containing petroleum/mineral oil - a by product of petrol, parabens, animal and human fats etc, then those products have gone straight in the bin. I mean, did you know that Vaseline is called that because of it's connection to GASELINE. I know right, it's obvious when you think about it. And I love that mineral oil is one of the second biggest skin ageing factors after t hie sun, but yet it's in most sunscreen, anti-ageing creams as well as baby lotion. I have gone on a bit of a tangent, but when I get started on this subject, I can go on for days. I just want to get across that when thinking about cruelty free options, it's important to not only consider the impact on the animals, but on the planet and your own skin.

People tend to only think about what they put in their bodies, but living a cruelty free life means thinking about what you are putting on your skin, as it is the body's largest organ. But I don't only mean in terms of shower gel and moisturiser. Think about what you wash your dishes with, wash your clothes with, your shampoo and what you clean your house with.

Method is one of my favourite for household products. I use their washing up liquid, hand-wash and their multi-surface cleaner. All of their products are plant based and don't contain a lot of these nasty chemicals that other mainstream non-vegan products contain. So they are kind to animals with no animal testing, the environment and also perfect for even those with sensitive skin. I mean, with all these positives, why wouldn't you go cruelty free. It's a no-brainer, right?

Another cruelty free, plant based brand I love is Ecover. I use their zero laundry liquid and their fabric softeners. They smell absolutely divine and leave my clothes soft as anything. I'm also into their commitment to helping the environment, stating that they are "Wageing war on single-use plastic. And we’re aiming to make all our bottles from recycled plastic by 2020". And I love that you can refill them at Refill Stations across the UK. Their bottles can be used more than 50 times. How amazing is that!

Other than household products, cruelty free skincare is very important. As I said before, the skin is the bodies largest organ so we need to take care of it. You can have other organs replaced, but the skin is irreplaceable. Once it's ruined, there isn't a lot we can do to salvage it. So it makes more sense think of prevention rather than cure. No matter your age, you should always make sure you use sun protection. A lot of "sun protecting" creams aren't only tested on animals, but also contain a lot of questionable ingredients that do more harm than good. So I am currently obsessed about making sure I know that what I am using is good for my skin while it protects me against sun damage. This brand Arbonne, as I'm sure a lot of you already know, has got me hooked. Their motor is "Pure, Safe and Beneficial". So if it's not derived from pure ingredients, safe for your skin and beneficial to solving your skin woes, then you can rest assured you won't find it any their products. This company is also a great one stop shop as they not only do skincare for men, women and children, but nutrition, hair care, bath and body products, toothpaste and cosmetics. I also love that they are all about healthy living inside and out. So you can look after yourself on the outside, but if you don't take care of yourself from within, then what's the point. You need to be healthy from within for it to truly radiate outwards. Plus if sign up as a preferred client, you get 20 - 40% discount off everything you buy. Fabuloso!

Another thing people tend to forget when going cruelty free is shampoo. Like, when you wash your hair, the product goes all over your body. So it needs to be a product that you are happy to have all over your skin. I love these Arbonne shampoos. So luxurious and they leave my hair feeling and smelling sexylicious (is that a word? It is now. Y'all know I'm all about creating my own words)

I'm a naturalista, so I don't stick to just one brand for my hair. I usually tend to mix and match. A brand I also totally love is Hempz. As you guessed it, all of their products are created using hemp seed oil. The scent is breathtaking and as well as the shampoo, I love the flexible styling sculpt to lay down my edges.

Lastly, every girl (and guy) loves a good make up brand. But do you really know the journey that product went on and what pain it caused on that journey? Was it tested on animals? What preservatives does it contain? Are they toxic or natural? Does it counteract my great skincare regime by blocking my pores after I have just cleansed the hell out of them? There are so many cruelty free cosmetic brands out there.

One of my favourite brands out there are e.l.f. (which, as I recently found out, stands for eyes, lips, face) I love that they cater to women with all skin tones and the products aren't super expensive.

Another brand I love for cosmetics is, you guessed it, Arbonne. Continuing on from their "Healthy Living Inside and Out" trend, their foundations are made of all natural ingredients and plant based preservatives such as blueberries in order to allow the skin to breathe. Thus creating a flawless finish, without clogging up your pores.

And for taking off your make up are these game changing wipes containing soothing rose water. What's better is that they are compostable within 84 days, so they love the environment as well as your skin.

So there you have it! You now know how you to can be on your way to creating a cruelty free lifestyle that's simple as anything.

Thanks for reading and happy hunting (for those cruelty free good-ggods, obviously)