We’ve all been stood in the shops, or browsing cosmetics online, without a clue of what is vegan and cruelty-free, or of what actually looks good and works well. Whilst animal-testing of cosmetics is illegal in Europe, more needs to be done to stop it from happening elsewhere — luckily, there are many organisations campaigning for this, and alternative testing means being developed and implemented. Additionally, and often overlooked, is the use of animal-derived ingredients in our beauty products — the use of these must be eliminated, to stop the suffering of our animal-friends for the sake of a creamy moisturiser or a pretty lipstick. According to The Vegan Society, 76 per cent of people in the UK think that more effort should be made to develop alternatives to using animals in the cosmetics industry — for ingredients, or in safety testing. On the back of this, the sale of vegan prestige beauty products in the UK, reported an increase of 38 per cent between February 2017 and the end of January 2018. Even more recently, Superdrug’s own brand vegan cosmetics saw a 750 per cent sale increase in January 2019 alone. Obviously, the demand is there, and as it continues to rise, so will the pressure for an end to animal-testing and non-vegan beauty products. Across the next few pages, you’ll find our selection of everyday beauty essentials, and a roundup of the best vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics, skin and haircare products. We’ve also put together two handy lists of what ingredients to look out for, and which trusted companies you can turn to.