Today I am so excited to introduce one of my favourite cruelty-free bloggers, Vicky of Ethical Elephant (formerly Elephant In The Room). Vicky's site is so inspiring, and it really is an excellent resource for learning about cruelty-free. I could pick so many of her posts to share with you but a few to begin with are Your "Cruelty-Free" Brand Is Lying To You, The Cruelty-Free Dilemma and What Makes A Product Cruelty-Free?
Vicky also covers topics such as ethical fashion and beauty reviews as well as publishing cruelty-free statements from brands along with lists of their vegan products, which can be really helpful whether you're a seasoned cruelty-free shopper or just starting out.
Hi! Tell us a bit about yourself and your blog.
My name is Vicky and I’m from Vancouver, Canada with a desire to do good work for the greater good. My blog is called Ethical Elephant and it's a place to celebrate a cruelty-free and vegan lifestyle that is ethical yet practical for kind compassionistas wanting to inspire change in this world!
When did you start blogging and what inspired you to start your own?
I started advocating for animal welfare as early as 2013 and attended a handful of events, festivals, and even setting up a table at Whole Foods to hand out leaflets and educate the public. It was a fun experience but it took a lot of time, resources, and money to set up at these events and to stand around hoping to inspire passersby to make kind choices. I decided to try and spread the cruelty-free lifestyle message online, where it’s virtually free (to some level) and quickly discovered the online platform was a more efficient use of my time and energy. It wasn’t until April 2015 where I revamped my website and started to explore the idea of creating online content and getting the cruelty-free message in front of those that were already interested in the lifestyle.
What are your favourite cruelty-free products?
Great question! =) An answer that’s always changing for me so I’m going to let you in on my favourite cruelty-free brands that do not disappoint:
Sukin, Pür Minerals, Mineral Fusion, 100% Pure, Pacifica
..but if I had to choose ONE product I can’t seem to live without right now.. it’s gotta be 100% Pure’s Maracuja Mascara, it makes my lashes look super long and full without any nasty or harmful ingredients!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to buy cruelty-free?
Do it now! Do it today!! I think a lot of people are resistant to take the leap because they don’t feel like they have enough information or they’re nervous to try something new so they just go back to buying products from the same ol' brands they’re used to.
It’s a growing process to switch over to cruelty-free products so don’t feel like you need to have it all figured out. Start small or start with just one product but it’s important that you just START! Know that you’re going to make mistakes along the way and that’s OK. Strive for progress, not perfection and the animals will thank you! =)
What’s your favourite part of blogging?
Love this question! I love the creativity that goes behind each post. There is just so many ways we can tell the same story over and over again “Animal testing is unnecessary, outdated, inhumane and finding cruelty-free products is fun and super easy!” but the part of blogging that I’ve enjoyed the most is re-telling the same story but in my own voice and approaching it differently with the ultimate goal to inspire change in others. Whether that is wording something differently, creating an infographic, or designing a compelling image that speaks for itself —the options are limitless! That’s the true beauty in using a blog as a platform to advocate for animals… there’s really no ‘one way fits all’ approach!
Thank you so so so incredibly much Gemima for asking such wonderful and fun questions! It’s been a blast and honour to share my story with you and your fabulous readers =)
******
Thank you Vicky for such a fantastic interview! Make sure to also check out my interviews with Ana of Aniqa Dreams, Sarah of The V Nice Life, Emily of The Bell Jar, Morag of mo'adore and Kelly of The Vegan Taff for their thoughts on blogging and buying cruelty-free. You can read the whole series so far here.
