What's your criteria when shopping for beauty products? It's easy to be swayed by bright colors, pretty scents, and sleek packaging, but behind all of those qualities in a product, there's a story of how the product was made and tested. In a beauty industry where buzzwords come and go (parabens, phthalates, eco, organic), it can be difficult to keep track when you're looking to find a product that's good for your skin and the environment.

One of our biggest criteria when shopping for an eco-friendly beauty products? Finding products that are cruelty-free; meaning that they are never tested on animals and include no animal byproducts. It can be difficult to determine which "natural" brands are actually fully cruelty-free — plus, some smaller, cruelty-free brands are owned by large corporations that condone animal testing elsewhere, making it even harder to make a smart choice when selecting products.

To help you sift through the myriad of options out there, we're rounded up some wonderful, 100% cruelty-free and ethical beauty brands; some that you may already love, and others that you may not have discovered yet. Check out our picks, save some furry guys — you'll be doing your part for an important cause, and you may even find a new favorite primper!

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