While many of us may want to make the switch from the typical products found everywhere, to more eco-friendly, sustainable and especially cruelty-free products, it can seem hard to find them here on our tiny island. In this post,you will find a list of brands that do not test on animals, what they do and also where to find them.
The list is divided in three main sections : Those approved by the Leaping Bunny association (the gold standard, we could say), those approved by PETA and then the companies who have claimed or confirmed to not carrying out animal testing.
To better understand exactly what makes a company cruelty-free, here are the main standards as listed by the Leaping Bunny website:
The Company does not and shall not Conduct, Commission, or be a party to Animal Testing of any Cosmetic and/or Household Products including, without limitation, formulations and Ingredients of such products.
The Company does not and shall not purchase any Ingredient, formulation, or product from any Third Party Manufacturer or Supplier that Conducted, Commissioned, or had been party to Animal Testing on said Ingredient, formulation, or product after the Company’s Fixed Cut-off Date. If a formulation, Ingredient, or product is found not to comply with the Standard, the Company will replace it with an alternative that complies with the Standard’s criteria or remove it from the product range.
The Company must implement a Supplier Monitoring System.
The leaping bunny association gives accreditation to those who follow all these, and you can find out more about them here: www.leapingbunny.org/
A list of leaping bunny approved cruelty-free brands available in Mauritius:
Bottega Verde
Bottega Verde is an italian brand, present in Mauritius since 2017. They highly believe in the ethical sourcing of natural ingredients and present their products as free from unnecessary chemicals like: Paraffin, vaseline, formaldehyde releasers and parabens. They carry a variety of products from makeup, to body & hair care as well as perfume. You can currently find them at Bagatelle Mall or order online: https://www.bottegaverdemauritius.com/about
Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps
Starting off as a soap manufacturer, this brand now provides other products such as hair care, home cleaning products and even shaving cream. The soaps are still the most commonly seen products here and can be found either at stores like Nature’s Basket at Helvetia or Zardin Papou stores in Mont Choisy or Ruisseau Creole.
More info on them here :https://www.drbronner.com/about/
Forever Living’s Products
Aloe Vera is at the heart of Forever Living’s products and this brand also has a wide offering, ranging from tooth gel, face care to juices. They can be found or purchased through local representatives who sometimes post the catalogues in various Facebook groups.
The Body Shop
A brand that is becoming more and more popular on our shores, The Body Shop which is kind of famous for its body butters, now provides an extensive range of make up, hair products and body care products on our island. They can be found in Port Louis and their newly opened shop at Bagatelle.
Waitrose
Waitrose is represented here by Food Lovers, while I do not know their range of beauty products, it is nice to know that the brand is cruelty-free.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
PETA, on the other hand also works hard to make sure that animal testing is significantly reduced, and companies can apply for their Beauty Without Bunnies program to certify that they are indeed cruelty-free
Dr Haushka’s
A brand mainly involved in skincare, including special treatments for face care, Dr Haushka also carries a nice selection of make up in terms of lipstick, powders and eyeshadows which can be found at Zardin Papou outlets.
Farmasi Cosmetics
Present in Mauritius in several pharmacies as a makeup provider, this brand is a welcome cruelty-free option, that also carries makeup brushes as part of its offering
Inglot Cosmetics
Having a dedicated shop in Grand Baie La Croisette, Inglot offers nail polish, makeup, as well as their naturally coloured bamboo eco palette, which lets you stick in your favourite eyeshadows.
The next list are all companies who represent themselves as being against animal testing with some of them like Zao also being vegan. You will find this logo 
next those who are also made locally, as it’s always better and more sustainable to favour our local brands
List of companies present here, who position themselves as cruelty-free:
Aaura Essentials
Another local brand which provides lip balms, Aaura also has a selection of satin pillowcases and hair scrunchies along with other products, which are also not tested on animals. Orders can be placed through instagram.
Acorelle
Mainly representing a range of natural perfumes and essential oil blends, which are oriented towards aromatherapy, you will find this brand at Zardin Papou. They present themselves as being against animal testing ,doing business with suppliers who also do not carry out tests on animals and they are also not retailing in China: https://www.acorelle.fr/faqs
Alepia
A brand some of you may have seen at Zardin Papou for its soaps, this brand also presents itself as being against animal testing : https://www.alepia.com/en/content/4-a-propos
All Naturals
A 100% local brand All Naturals, started off with soap nuts and has extended their offering to now include body moisturizers and face scrubbies. As a small indie brand, they do not carry any sort of animal testing and instead test their products within their team. You can order via their instagram page or their website here and you may also find some of their products at Island Beauty Mauritius, in S’mall & Chic Curepipe.
BOHO Green Makeup
A brand with a nice selection of makeup basics as well as a few nail polish options, BOHO Green Makeup also states being against animal testing in accordance with current european laws: https://www.bohocosmetics.com/content/14-questions-frequentes
The brand is sometimes present at craft markets but you can also view their products online : https://www.facebook.com/bohogreenmauritius/
Cattier
This clay focussed brand has different options of face care products in the form of masks and it also offers some shampoos, which you can find in different pharmacies and nature verte at Trianon Shopping park.
Centifolia
This french-produced brand also has the Eco-Cert accreditation and its hair, body and baby products can be found at Zardin Papou. The brand responded to say they are against animal testing.
Guerande
A french brand with bio products for the face and body, the marine salt marshes are at the core of these products, found at Zardin Papou. They also firmly affirm not testing on animals. More info on them and their positioning here.
Good Stuff
This South African brand can be found in supermarkets and carries a range of hair, body and face products at affordable prices. The brand is part of the beauty without cruelty movement: https://www.goodstuffandco.com/aboutus/
La Savonnerie Creole
A brand that started around 2007, La Savonnerie Creole specializes in soap making but you will also find body scrubs, lip balms and other scented products made locally. This brand does not carry out any tests on animals for their products. You will find their products at their designated shop in Vacoas
Le Comptoire des Huiles
A recent comer oto our markets, Le Comptoir des Huiles, mainly provides…you guessed it…oils. Oils that can be used on their own for hair, body or face care, or you can also use them to create your own DIY products at home. You can find them at Zardin Papou, which carries quite a nice selection, along with soaps, balms and scrubs. This brand also affirms being against animal testing in accordance to current European regulations : https://www.comptoirdeshuiles.com/foire-aux-questions.htm
Natura Siberica
A range of products you might have seen in some pharmacies around the island, like the one at Helvetia and the one at SoFlo, this brand has a variety of products such as face creams, hair masks and body care products. They also claim to be cruelty-free from the beginning : https://naturasiberica.co.uk/pages/cruelty-free#:~:text=At%20the%20heart%20of%20everything,and%20we%20always%20will%20be.
Paese Cosmetics
A newcomer, Paese can also be found in several pharmacies, just like the brand Natura Siberica. This brand is mainly makeup oriented and you will be able to find affordable lip glosses as well as nail polishes from them. They have also confirmed not testing their products on animals.
Shea Moisture
A brand many will love for its selection of products specifically formulated for all types of curly hair. This brand is vegan and is against animal testing. You can find them at Natural Hair Culture : https://www.facebook.com/naturalhairculture/, a salon in curepipe where you can also book a treatment using one of these products.
The Balm Cosmetics
The Balm Cosmetics is a US based brand, focused on make-up products which are not tested on animals. Famous for their vintage vibe, they offer a lovely range of lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and eyeliners amongst other things. They can be found at Kabuki shops or online.
ZAO
Specialised in vegan makeup, ZAO has everything ranging from mineral powders, to lipstick and bb creams. They are available throughout the island at these selling points :
– Neofoods Mont Choisy Mall Grand Baie
– Le Square Beauté Grand Baie et Floreal
– Nature’s Basket Moka et Cascavelle
– BODY Beautique Curepipe
I am always in search of new brands to add to this list, so if you know others that need to be included here, let me know in the comments below.
Love & Green Vibes,
Vaneeda
Disclaimer: This is information that has been collected through research and/or direct contacts either through messages and or e-mailing the brands mentioned in 2020. Should you have other brands you would like to add to the list or find any of this information to be incorrect or outdated, please get in touch.
What a remarkable list! I am pleasantly surprised about the array of cruelty-free brands and local products available in Mauritius!! Thank you for putting this together Vaneeda 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Tasha, I hope more brands like these will be entering our market in the future. I also plan on doing a list of alternatives to products that are not cruelty-free and/or eco-friendly. So that more people can consider swapping 😄
LikeLike