Cruelty free toiletry brands on the way

[Youngae]

Can anybody suggest good and inexpensive toiletry brands I can easily access on the Camino?
I would go to Bodyshop, Lush or Avalon organics at H&B in London for instance. I often use Tesco or Sainsbury's own beands as I know they are cruely free. But I have no idea what kinds of products available in Spain.
I really don't want to buy a piece of P&G...

 

[Tincatinker]

I'm sorry, but you are having a laugh aren't you? All toiletries, cosmetics, cleaning fluids etc on sale anywhere in the EU are subject to the same testing standards, bio-controls etc. Most are manufactured by Unilever or use Unilever products and are then packaged in one or two plants according to retailer requirements. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unilever_brands. You may want to avoid Proctor & Gamble but you might have to be nifty to do so https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Procter_&_Gamble_brands. Unless there has been some kind of coup then certainly Bodyshop and Lush are smeared all over Spain however they are not manufacturers just marketing brands - and before somebody says Lush make their products where do you think they get their ingredients from?

Take your favourite soap with you. Relax.

 

[Davey Boyd]

Yep, take your own then you know what is used in it then no needto worry!

Buen Camino!

 

[Mikel Olivares]

Luckily in Spain many years ago we stopped eating raw children with garlic

 

[Ian Afloat]

I don't think that just because the products you buy are "cruelty free" means that their ingredients have not been tested on animals at some point in time

 

[Davey Boyd]

I don't think that just because the products you buy are "cruelty free" means that their ingredients have not been tested on animals at some point in time

In the uk at least, the label cruelty free means just that - non of the ingredients were tested on animals. We have many reputable high street outlets that specialise in these products.

 

[C clearly]

non of the ingredients were tested on animals

Does this mean that the testing process goes straight to humans?

 

[Ian Afloat]

In the uk at least, the label cruelty free means just that - non of the ingredients were tested on animals. We have many reputable high street outlets that specialise in these products.

So that is a legal definition? Does it mean that the ingredients have never been tested on animals, or just that they haven't been test recently because they are established as safe? Forgive my cynicism - to me the phrase is subject to being a piece of marketing sophistry.

 

[Tincatinker]

NO, sort of, and yes. Some standard products / ingredients that have already been subject to the likes of the Draize protocol can be utilised without further animal testing and brought together in various combinations and marketed. So, 'Stinky-poo's sooper goo" has not been 'tested on animals' and is "cruelty free" (unless you take some pride in the precision of language) but all its ingredients have and are with appalling, tedious and purposeless regularity.

 

[Ian Afloat]

Does this mean that the testing process goes straight to humans?

I believe the current trend is towards computer modelling and in vitro testing.

 

[Tincatinker]

Ian, you are right. There is a drive toward non-vivo testing but only in some countries for some products and still baselined against archaic models. If you really want to avoid animal tested products use simple soap and water and avoid all the rest. The human race survived and reproduced quite successfully for a million years or so without the aid of Linx.

 

[Miss K.]

Youngae, I wouldn't count on finding cruelty free stuff in rural Spain. There seem to be Body Shop branches in most bigger cities, but when in the villages, what they have on the shelves is all P&G.

I took a shampoo bar that in the end, I used for just about everything including laundry and it lasted all 5 weeks.

Regarding cynicism - isn't it worth supporting companies that use established ingredients without further animal testing versus L'Oreal, Nivea and the likes who keep on testing for the umpteenth anti aging cream or shampoo that makes your hair all shiny?

 

[Mikel Olivares]

Notice to non-vegetarians.
All the meat we eat, comes from animals that we have KILLED before

 

[Tincatinker]

Regarding cynicism - isn't it worth supporting companies that use established ingredients without further animal testing versus L'Oreal, Nivea and the likes who keep on testing for the umpteenth anti ageing cream or shampoo that makes your hair all shiny?

No. Its worth remembering that Thalidomide worked fine in rats and that hiding behind a wall of separation doesn't make you different. Slush and Body Ship and all the rest can smugly flaunt their ethicals while someone else takes the flak. There is virtually no novel testing these days just assurance testing every X years against established licences.

 

[Miss K.]

No. Its worth remembering that Thalidomide worked fine in rats and that hiding behind a wall of separation doesn't make you different. Slush and Body Ship and all the rest can smugly flaunt their ethicals while someone else takes the flak. There is virtually no novel testing these days just assurance testing every X years against established licences.

Well, let me rephrase that:
I prefer to buy natural products that aren't and do not need to be tested on animals to begin with because - gasp - they do not contain chemicals.
And I'd still rather support companies who don't test on animals versus companies who, for example, sell their products in countries where animal testing is still mandatory.
Even though cosmetics can't be tested on animals in the EU anymore, this doesn't mean that the ingredients haven't been tested and/or that the finished products won't be tested before they go on sale in other parts of the world.

 

[Tincatinker]

Any 'product' marketed in the EC is subject to EC regulation on testing. https://eurl-ecvam.jrc.ec.europa.eu...y-acceptance/topical-toxicity/skin-irritation

The rest is just marketing

 

[alaskadiver]

Does this mean that the testing process goes straight to humans?

I would prefer that it be tested on something else first...

 

[Miss K.]

Any 'product' marketed in the EC is subject to EC regulation on testing. https://eurl-ecvam.jrc.ec.europa.eu...y-acceptance/topical-toxicity/skin-irritation

The rest is just marketing

We seem to be running in circles here. ;-)

Yes, I do prefer companies who use ingredients that have been tested at some point in the past versus companies who sell their products to China, for example, where they still openly test on animals today.

If that's "just marketing" to you - okay then. That's just a tad too much cynicism to me.

 

[Davey Boyd]

So that is a legal definition? Does it mean that the ingredients have never been tested on animals, or just that they haven't been test recently because they are established as safe? Forgive my cynicism - to me the phrase is subject to being a piece of marketing sophistry.

To be marketed as so yes it is. Though it has been known for them to tell lies!

 

[Davey Boyd]

Does this mean that the testing process goes straight to humans?

In a way yes. If the ingredients are totally natural then you can say they have been tested on humans for millennia. This is just a simplification though. The best 'product' for cleaning is fresh water, we seem tohave survived a long time using that. The problem, as with a lot of things is profit and capitalism making us want and need what they sell us through advertising etc. Moderators you can shoot me now, I will shut up I promise!

To the op, take with you what you are comfortable using.

 

[whariwharangi]

Luckily in Spain many years ago we stopped eating raw children with garlic

I never did like that raw garlic flavor. I'm glad you've stopped using it.

 

[whariwharangi]

Can anybody suggest good and inexpensive toiletry brands I can easily access on the Camino?
I would go to Bodyshop, Lush or Avalon organics at H&B in London for instance. I often use Tesco or Sainsbury's own beands as I know they are cruely free. But I have no idea what kinds of products available in Spain.
I really don't want to buy a piece of P&G...

Consider yourself lucky if the store is open and has more than one brand of soap.

 

[trecile]

I prefer to buy natural products that aren't and do not need to be tested on animals to begin with because - gasp - they do not contain chemicals.

Everything is made of chemicals.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-chemical-604316

 

[Miss K.]

Everything is made of chemicals.
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-chemical-604316

A glass of water and a glass of Coke Zero are both chemicals, both have zero calories, I still prefer the water.

 

[Paddington Bear]

Well, let me rephrase that:
I prefer to buy natural products that aren't and do not need to be tested on animals to begin with because - gasp - they do not contain chemicals.
And I'd still rather support companies who don't test on animals versus companies who, for example, sell their products in countries where animal testing is still mandatory.
d.

Lush soap uses EDTA - a chemical.
Handmade soap can be found without EDTA - it does make soap harder.

 

[Miss K.]

Lush soap uses EDTA - a chemical.
Handmade soap can be found without EDTA - it does make soap harder.

Don't know about that as I don't use Lush products. I wasn't referring to Lush or The Body Shop specifically, these were just the brands the original poster asked about.

 

[notion900]

@Miss K. you poor thing, you asked a perfectly sensible question and listen to the kids bickering about it! Stop it you all!
@Mikel Olivares you are very naughty, but we knew that already.

There is lovely olive oil soap, a Spanish speciality. But just check the ingredients, as it could be 'with olive oil' not 100%. You can easily bring with you things that won't either run out or weigh a ton, like toothpaste. The problem is likely to be sun screen, which you'll probably use a lot of.

I think you'll love Spanish pharmacies, even ones in small towns seem to carry quite a lot of speciality products and nice natural things. I can't recommend a particular brand I am afraid but I do seem to remember there's something a bit like Weleda/Dr Hauschka. I got addicted to their arnica foot balm at one point. I'll try to do a bit more searching for you in a second.

But I see you are German, there is nothing I have seen in Spain like those marvellous health products shops you have there. If it's really important to you bring it with you. Otherwise, compromise for the duration. You're not giving up your values, just doing the best you can. You'll notice tons of threads here where vegans are contemplating giving in to the inevitable.

 

[Miss K.]

@Miss K. you poor thing, you asked a perfectly sensible question and listen to the kids bickering about it! Stop it you all!
@Mikel Olivares you are very naughty, but we knew that already.

There is lovely olive oil soap, a Spanish speciality. But just check the ingredients, as it could be 'with olive oil' not 100%. You can easily bring with you things that won't either run out or weigh a ton, like toothpaste. The problem is likely to be sun screen, which you'll probably use a lot of. I think you'll love Spanish pharmacies, they carry quite a lot speciality products and nice natural things.

But I see you are German, there is nothing I have seen like those marvellous health products shops you have there. If it's really important to you bring it with you. Otherwise, compromise for the duration. You're not giving up your values, just doing the best you can. You'll notice tons of threads here where vegans are contemplating giving in to the inevitable.

Haha, actually, it's poor @Youngae who asked the sensible question, I just got sucked into the cynicism discussion.

I did bring my own stuff when I was on the Camino last year, for the same reasons as Youngae. My Spanish is limited at best, so I figured bringing my own was the best option as I wouldn't have been able to ask in shops.

Sorry, @Youngae for fueling the discussion - and spamming your threat!

 

[notion900]

@Youngae - here you go - a natural products shop in Leon, just when your stuff will be running out if you start at St Jean or Pamplona
https://www.facebook.com/Bionatureleon/