Cruelty-free beauty brand Desert Essence has launched a new line of vegan and carrageenan-free toothpaste.
Reported by Progressive Grocer, the new line comes in four varieties: Pink Himalayan Salt, Aloe and Tea Tree Oil, Arnica and Tea Tree Oil, and Activated Coconut Charcoal. Each vegan natural toothpaste flavor contains baking soda and sea salt to gentle cleanse teeth, and zinc citrate, a mineral ingredient that helps reduce plaque buildup.
All of Desert Essence’s vegan toothpastes in the new line are also free from fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate, harsh abrasives, and gluten. They are also free from carrageenan, a controversial thickening ingredient derived from Irish moss that is found in many foods and personal care items.
Desert Essence is cruelty-free and has a strict policy against animal testing for both ingredients and finished products, but it does use beeswax and honey in several of its products. Committed to environmental sustainability and social responsibility, Desert Essence is a certified B-Corp Corporation and uses only recyclable, BPA-Free plastics in its packaging and biodegradable ingredients. The company is committed to fairly sourcing its ingredients like Australian tea tree oil from eco-friendly farms that do not use pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Its offices utilize wind power credits and prints business materials on recycled paper.
As consumers grow more conscious of the ingredients in personal care items and the realities of cosmetics animal testing, more people than ever before are pushing for a cruelty-free future. Five years ago, the European Union banned the sale of beauty products tested on animals; and pending legislation in Canada, New York, and California seek to do the same. A total of nearly 40 countries have put an end to cosmetics testing on animals and the European Parliament supports a global ban.
Beauty brands and celebrities are also joining the fight against cosmetics animal testing. Earlier this year, The Body Shop launched a campaign featuring anti-animal testing billboards in Times Square and socially-conscious cruelty-free brand Lush is dedicated to fighting animal testing. Celebrities such as comedian Ricky Gervais while vegan entrepreneur and makeup artist Kat Von D has openly called out NARS Cosmetics for its decision to no longer be cruelty-free.
Image Credit: Desert Essence
