Looking for some options for cruelty-free and vegan hand sanitizers from brands that don’t test on animals?

I’ve been hesitant to post this list since there’s a shortage of hand sanitizers and I encourage everyone to just get whatever brand is available to them or that’s within their means regardless if they’re cruelty-free or vegan. Keeping yourself and those around you safe is most important right now.

But I’m also realizing that hand sanitizers are going to be around for awhile so if you had the option to restock on your supply, I wanted to provide you with a list of cruelty-free and vegan hand sanitizer options.

The CDC recommends we use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to prevent the spread of infections and decrease the risk of getting sick. All of the vegan hand sanitizers listed below contain at least 60% alcohol.

Also please remember to be considerate and resist buying in bulk quantities. There’s enough to go around if we all just buy what we need.

What’s not vegan with conventional hand sanitizers? Some hand sanitizers are manufactured from companies that are not cruelty-free. This means the company engages in animal testing either by testing their ingredients, formulations, or finished products on animals themselves or they’ll ask others to test on their behalf.

In addition, some hand sanitizers may contain moisturizing agents, like glycerin, or fragrances derived from animal sources.

All of the brands listed in this guide do not test on animals and none of these hand sanitizers contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products.

Vegan Hand Sanitizers

Whether you want a travel-size vegan hand sanitizer to tote around with you while on the go or you’re a vegan business wanting to offer vegan hand sanitizer at your establishment, there’s something for you in this guide!

NCLA Hands Clean Moisturizing Vegan Hand Sanitizer

Price: $8 for 1oz

Formulated with hydrating aloe vera and vitamin E, your hands will get a boost of hydration while sanitizing. The 65% ethyl alcohol formula eliminates 99.9% of germs. Its lightweight formula absorbs quickly, and leaves hands clean and smelling great. Available in a range of scents including Pumpkin Spice, Peppermint Mocha, Cranberry Pie, and Watermelon.

Milani Rose Hand Sanitizer

Price: $7 for 2oz

A rose-scented gel vegan hand sanitizer, it contains 68% (Ethanol) Alcohol and the moisturizing glycerin ensures that it doesn’t overly dry your hands. The spray bottle makes it easy to sanitize on the go.

DefineMe Hand Sanitizer

Price: $15 for 2oz

DefineMe uses organic sugarcane alcohol (75% ethyl alcohol), aloe vera, coconut oil, and clean, vegan fragrances in their scented hand sanitizers. In addition, $1 per bottle will go to non-profits that support feeding children and families impacted by COVID-19. 

If you like discounts, use code: ETHICALELEPHANT to receive 10% off your order.

Hempz Triple Moisture Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer

Price: $20 for 17oz

This is a best-selling hand sanitizer with 63% ethanol alcohol and it just so happens to be vegan! Concentrated with a triple moisture serum that helps to nourish and hydrate your skin while killing most germs on contact, leaving hands soft and clean. Available in 4 sizes.

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer

Price: $5.50 for 2oz

Dr. Bronner’s Organic Hand Sanitizer kills germs with a simple formula: organic ethyl alcohol (62%), water, organic lavender oil, and organic glycerin – that’s it! None of the nasty chemicals you find in conventional sanitizers, but just as effective.

EO Organic Hand Sanitizer Spray

Price: 6-pack for $29

Keep hands clean and refreshed with this organic and vegan hand sanitizer spray. Thanks to the 62% alcohol content derived from non-GMO sugar cane, it’s 99.9% effective against most common germs. Soothing lavender helps create a sense of calm. EO Products also has a hand sanitizer gel formula, as well as, wipes.

Hands Free Clean Vegan Hand Sanitizer Gel

Price: $13 for 12oz

AG is a cruelty-free and Canadian brand, their clean hand sanitizing gel is formulated with ethyl alcohol 73% v/v for maximum germ-killing ability yet leaves hands feeling moisturized and protected. Rich in vitamin E, glycerine and aloe vera, Hands Free is both soothing and highly effective. Kills 99.9% of Germs. AG Hair also has a spray and a travel-size option.

Zero-Waste Hand Sanitizer by Humankind

Price: $14 for 3-pack

A moisturizing hand sanitizer that comes in 3 pocket-size aluminum bottles — designed to reduce single-use plastic waste while on the go. 65% alcohol. Refillable options available.

Vegan Hand Sanitizer Spray by 100% Pure

Price: $5 for 1.7oz

A plant-based sanitizer that helps reduce disease-causing bacteria. 100% Pure’s quick-drying hand sanitizer spray formula is made with 62% Ethyl Alcohol and hydrating aloe vera gel and antibacterial tea tree oil, to leave skin feeling soft and moisturized without a sticky residue. 100% Pure also has a hand sanitizer gel in a travel-size and a 16oz bottle available.

Refillable Peppermint Hand Sanitizer

Price: $5 for 2.5oz

Made with a biodegradable, vegan, and non-GMO formula, this hand sanitizer is free of toxins, triclosan and palm oil. It’s packaged plastic-free in a refillable and reusable aluminum bottle, and is blended with essential oils – not synthetic fragrance. Refillable options available.

If you like discounts, use code: ETHICALELEPHANT to receive 10% off at EarthHero

Fragrance-Free Natural Foaming Hand Sanitizer

Price: $13.50 for 3-pack

This is an Alcohol-free and fragrance-free natural foaming hand sanitizer. Benzalkonium chloride is the antimicrobial ingredient used in place of alcohol in other hand sanitizers. The eco-friendly germ-killing alternative is non-flammable and less drying to skin, and doesn’t stain clothing or other fabrics. Prefer an alcohol-based hand sanitizer? Puracy has one too that’s also available in a gallon bottle, great for businesses!

The post List of Cruelty-Free & Vegan Hand Sanitizer in 2021 appeared first on ethical elephant.

Whether you’re looking for a vegan scented candle to bring some warmth and aroma to your home or you’re looking for one to gift the self-care queen in your life, or you’re simply looking for a sweet home decor candle. In this guide, I’m sharing some of the best vegan candles that you can get your hands on!

But first, let’s ask are candles even vegan?

Are Candles Vegan?

Most candles are not vegan and contain animal-based ingredients like stearic acid or beeswax.

According to vegan.com, stearic acid is commonly used in candles to harden the wax and provide opacity.

However, stearic acid can also be derived from non-animal sources (like coconuts). And unless it’s clearly labeled in the description or ingredient list as coconut-derived stearic acid, it’s best to assume all other candle manufacturers are using animal-based sources.

How to Know if Candles are Vegan?

The only way to know if candles are vegan is by contacting the company directly and asking them or if the product or manufacturer clearly states that its vegan on their packaging.

Alternatively, you can make your own candles at home. That way, you know exactly what goes into them and they’re fun to customize to your liking!

But if you’re thinking, ain’t nobody got time for that! Then here are some vegan candle options that I have confirmed as being both cruelty-free and vegan.

Brands of Vegan Candles

Mrs. Meyer’s* Soy Candles

Price: $10/ea

Swap your animal-tested Glade candles with Mrs. Meyer’s Soy Candles! Made from soy wax, vegetable wax, and other thoughtfully chosen ingredients. Available in a range of garden-inspired scents.

Buy on Amazon

*Note: Mrs. Meyer’s is cruelty-free but is owned by SC Johnson, a parent company that does test on animals and is not cruelty-free.

DefineMe Fragrances Vegan Candles

Price: $12/ea

Do good while smelling good with DefineMe Fragrance’s hand-poured, soy wax candles where for every candle purchased, $1 goes to a non-profit that provides educational scholarships to girls in low-income countries. Their candles come in a reusable glass jar along with a beautifully printed phrase.

Buy at DefineMe Fragrances (Get 10% off with coupon code: ETHICALELEPHANT)

By Rosie Jane Coconut Wax Vegan Candles

Price: $40

Hand-poured in Los Angeles, By Rosie Jane’s candles are made with responsibly-sourced coconut wax and packaged in 100% recyclable materials. By Rosie Jane fragrances are designed to be simple and effortless. They are phthalate-free, paraben-free, and vegan. Available in three scents to choose from.

Buy at Sephora

PHLUR Collection of Vegan Candles

Price: $68

PHLUR’s cruelty-free candles display like an art piece! Hand-poured with a custom plant-based soy-apricot-coconut wax, and housed in beautiful ceramic or glass vessels designed for reuse after you’ve burned the entire candle. Available in three exquisite scents.

Buy at Sephora

Pinrose Vegan Candles

Price: $49

Pinrose’s 100% cotton-wicked candles are made in the USA from apricot and coconut wax without paraffins. Available in a range of delightful scents including my fave, Secret Genius which smells like vanilla, caramel, and sandalwood.

Buy at Ulta or Amazon.

Overose – Luxury Scented Candles

Price: $58

Overose’s cruelty-free, vegan, and phthalate-free candles come in their signature monochromatic pink or purple modern design. Available in a great selection of dreamy fragrances and responsibly formulated with organic & natural oils.

Buy at Sephora

Floral Street Vegan Scented Candles

Price: £28

About Floral Street’s Scented Candles: “Powered by flowers and inspired by London. Our mother Floralista, Michelle Feeney, launched our blooming brilliant floral scents with a twist in 2017. Not without the help of Jerome Epinette, of course, one of the world’s leading perfumers. And not without a conscious. That’s why we are vegan, cruelty free and use sustainably sourced ingredients. Our packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable – and all sustainably sourced.”

Buy at Selfridges

Maison Louis Marie Candles

Price: $34

Looking for a luxury candle at an affordable price? Then you’ll definitely love Maison Louis Marie’s vegan and clean candles! Made without phthalates, parabens, and sulfates, offering a range of scented candles with illustrious scents imbued with unique floral fragrances.

Buy at Sephora

PIRETTE Soy Vegan Candles

Price: $48

I love the soft crackling sound and aroma of PIRETTE’s wooden wick candles! All of their candles are hand-poured with premium soy wax and comes in recyclable packaging. Made without parabens, paraffins, phthalates,, sulfates, or phosphates.

Buy on Amazon

Skull Candles

I saw these awesome skull candles on Etsy and they also happen to be vegan! I couldn’t resist but to share these with you all. They are available in a variety of scents & colours and made with 100% soy wax with natural dyes, are hand-poured and claims to burn for 15-20 hours.

Buy on Etsy

The post 10 Cruelty-Free & Vegan Candle Brands That Just Makes Scents appeared first on ethical elephant.

Looking for cruelty-free and vegan laundry detergent products but not sure where to start?

Most people are surprised to learn that not all laundry cleaning products are vegan and most of the household cleaning brands we buy at the grocery store are still testing on animals.

In this guide of cruelty-free and vegan laundry products, we explain what’s not vegan or cruelty-free in conventional laundry detergent and cleaning products, as well as, sharing some of the best vegan alternatives to fight tough stains, brighten whites, and remove dirt and grime from clothes.

Why Isn’t Laundry Detergent Vegan?

Let’s begin by asking what animal ingredients are commonly found in laundry detergents and laundry products?

Processed animal fats are commonly used as a surfactant in laundry products. According to Veganissimo A to Z, some laundry detergents may also contain enzymes obtained from organs of killed animals. For example, lipase derived from the pancreas of animals (usually pigs) is added to many laundry detergents in order to improve the cleansing effect in soap production.

Unless it’s clearly stated the surfactants and solvents are plant-based or plant-derived, we can’t be sure whether it’s vegan or not. 

In addition, most mainstream laundry detergent brands continue to test their products or ingredients on animals. 

Laundry Products from brands that DO test on animals and to avoid include: Tide, Gain, Arm & Hammer, Bounce, Clorox, Downy.

Note: Tide recently came out with their purclean plant-based laundry detergent but Tide is not cruelty-free as their products or ingredients are tested on animals when required by law.

On Tide’s website, notice how they claim the final formula of their purclean products are not tested on animals,

“This final formula has not been tested on animals and we do not test on animals unless required by law.” – Tide

But they fail to mention whether their ingredients are tested on animals and they also admit to allowing their products and ingredients to be tested on animals when required by law. Again, Tide is not cruelty-free.

What is Vegan Laundry Detergent?

We consider vegan laundry detergent as one that was manufactured from a brand that does not conduct, commission, or condone animal testing on its ingredients, formulations, or finished products, anywhere in the world. As well as, the laundry product itself must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. 

The following cruelty-free laundry detergent brands do not test on animals and meet all of the criteria in our Cruelty-Free Checklist. And the laundry detergents mentioned down below are 100% vegan and do not contain any animal ingredients.

Best Vegan & Cruelty-Free Laundry Detergents

In this vegan and cruelty-free laundry product guide, I’m sharing some of the best and most-recommended liquid and powder laundry detergents, as well as, options for vegan laundry pods, stain removers, and fabric softeners.

Cruelty-Free Liquid Laundry Detergent

If you’re shopping at big box stores like Walmart or Target, I recommend ECOS laundry detergents. ECOS is the most popular and most recommended vegan and cruelty-free laundry detergent available. You can find their laundry products at most retailers, including on Amazon.

And if you support cruelty-free brands that are owned by a non-cruelty-free parent corporation, then you can easily find cruelty-free laundry detergent from Method*, Seventh Generation*, and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day* at most stores.

Live in the UK? I recommend checking out Ecover’s* plant-based hypoallergenic laundry detergents.

Note: Seventh Generation, Method, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, and Ecover are all cruelty-free but they’re owned by a parent corporation that does test on animals. 

In addition, you can find *Biokleen laundry products on Amazon, they’re made with plant-based ingredients and no harsh chemicals. 

Update 2022! Better Life no longer advertises its products as being vegan. So, I am unable to classify the company or its products as being vegan-friendly.

Live in Canada? and looking for vegan & cruelty-free laundry products? I suggest checking out ATTITUDE, Nature Clean, and AspenClean vegan laundry detergents!

For non-toxic and organic, vegan laundry detergent, we can’t get enough of Puracy’s Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent, and of course, Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Liquid Soap, which is a must-have in every home as a multipurpose cleaning product! 

Cruelty-Free Powder Laundry Detergent

It may be time to part way with your beloved Tide powder laundry detergent as the brand is not cruelty-free and time to try one of these cruelty-free & vegan powder detergents instead!

Nellie’s Vegan Laundry Detergent Soda – I love this stuff! It’s made up of only four ingredients: Sodium Carbonate, Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Metasilicate. Leave clothes feeling soft, fresh, and clean without any residue or harsh chemical.

Free from: SLS, SLES, gluten, phosphates, chlorine, fragrance, optical brighteners, and solid synthetics.

*Biokleen’s Laundry Detergent Powder – Made in the US, Biokleen’s laundry powder whitens and brightens whites and colors with the stain-fighting power of Oxygen Bleach.

Note: Biokleen is cruelty-free, but Biokleen is owned by Weiman, a parent company that tests on animals as required by law.

Free from: Phosphate, chlorine, ammonia, petroleum solvents, butyl, glycol ether, brighteners, SLS or SLES, EDTA or DEA priority pollutants. No materials listed by the ACGIH as hazardous.

Nature Clean’s Laundry Powder – An unscented, hypoallergenic, low foaming powder laundry detergent with a vegetable-based formula derived from corn and palm kernel oil. Claims to be safe for infant clothing and for high-efficiency machines. 

Free from: Phosphates, potentially dangerous sulfates (SLES), chlorine, optical brighteners, enzymes, perfumes, and dyes. Claims to be safe for infant clothing and for high-efficiency washing machines. 

Cruelty-Free Laundry Detergent Pods

If you use Tide, Gain, or Arm & Hammer laundry detergent pacs and are looking for a cruelty-free alternative, we suggest switching to Method* and Seventh Generation’s* vegan & cruelty-free laundry detergent pods.

Note: Method and Seventh Generation are both cruelty-free, however, they’re owned by parent corporations that do test on animals when required by law. 

Cruelty-Free Laundry Stain Removers

Replace your OxiClean, Shout, Tide-To-Go, Zout, or Clorox stain removers with these cruelty-free laundry stain removers alternatives that are better for the animals, the planet, and our health!

Puracy’s Natural Stain Remover has rave reviews of gently and effectively removing stains from clothes. And I love Ecover’s Stain Remover which comes with a built-in brush to remove stains on clothing effortlessly.

Update 2022! Better Life no longer advertises its products as being vegan. So, I am unable to classify the company or its products as being vegan-friendly.

When choosing cruelty-free fabric softener, you’ll want to avoid brands like Downy and Snuggle, as they are not cruelty-free. Instead, try vegan fabric softener from Seventh Generation*, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day*, and ATTITUDE.

Note: Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day are both cruelty-free but owned by a parent corporation that does test on animals.

I hope this list of vegan laundry products helped you find one that works best for you and that maybe you discovered more cruelty-free brands to support because together, we can help end animal testing once and for all!

Have you tried any of these vegan laundry products before? Leave a comment below and tell us your experience! 

The post Best Cruelty-Free & Vegan Laundry Detergent & Products appeared first on ethical elephant.

Cleaning wipes make it easy to give any type of surface a quick clean without having to use a spray bottle or other cleaning agent. These all-purpose wipes come pre-saturated in cleaning solution, so you can clean up any spill or mess without getting your hands dirty. They’re also super portable and some come in smaller packaging so you can take them anywhere with you.

Unfortunately, most of the cleaning wipes on the market are from brands that do test on animals like Lysol, Clorox, Green Works, and Vim.

Thankfully there are now a handful of cruelty-free cleaning wipes available so that you can clean peacefully knowing no animals were harmed in order for you to have a spotless and clean home!

(!) Just an ethical note, these cleaning wipes are disposable and generally used once and then discarded. With that being said, they’re not the most eco-friendly cleaning option, so I would recommend opting for reusable cleaning cloths and/or using them sparingly to cut down on waste.

List of Cruelty-Free Cleaning Wipes

Below is a list of cruelty-free cleaning wipes from brands that don’t test on animals:

J.R. Watkins All Purpose Wipes ($4.66) – comes in two scents (Lemon and Aloe & Green Tea). Biodegradable, Non-toxic.

Clean Well Botanical Disinfecting Wipes ($5.58) – lemon scented disinfecting wipes claims to kill 99.9% of household germs botanically. Non-toxic, alcohol-free.

Caboo Bamboo Cleaning Wipes ($8.99) – made from tree-free bamboo, compostable in as little as 4 weeks. Hypoallergenic and free of Alcohol, Parabens, Sulphates, and Chlorine Bleach.

Sun & Earth Natural All-Purpose Multi Surface Wipes ($14.95) – Light citrus scented, these biodegradable and compostable cleaning wipes are 100% plant-based and vegan. Non-toxic, hypoallergenic, perfume-free, phosphate-free.

But wait, if you’re OK with Parent Company Testing…

If you are comfortable with supporting and buying from cruelty-free brands that are owned by a parent company that isn’t cruelty-free.. then here is one more option for you:

Seventh Generation Disinfection Wipes – owned by Unilever ($4.99) – kill 99.99 percent of household germs botanically. Disinfecting Wipes deodorize and effectively control odors.

The post List of Cruelty-Free Cleaning Wipes appeared first on ethical elephant.