Philippines: Here’s Your Cruelty-Free Christmas Gift Guide
It’s that time of year again: The decorations are up, malls and supermarkets are playing festive tunes, streets are twinkling with lights, and everyone is feeling rather jolly. The year is almost at an end—and it’s time to do your Christmas shopping!
We’re sharing our guide to the cruelty-free gifts that will delight your family and friends and don’t come with a hidden price tag for animals so that your purchases will be full of real Christmas cheer for all.
Cruelty-Free Bath and Body Products
Hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed every year in archaic tests of cosmetics and personal-care products. Although many companies have banned all animal tests, some still force substances into animals’ stomachs and drip chemicals into rabbits’ eyes. These tests often produce inaccurate or misleading results—and even if a product has blinded an animal, it can still be marketed to you.
Don’t commit a Christmas faux pas by supporting a brand that tests on animals. Grab one of these cruelty-free options instead and spread good tidings to all living beings.
Many of Lush‘s products are 100 percent vegan. They look and smell absolutely divine and are guaranteed to put a big Christmassy grin on the recipient’s face. Find your nearest store here. Other great cruelty-free options include Zero Basics, a vegan business selling everything from deodorant to face masks using simple ingredients, Human Nature’s Vanilla Peach Gift Set and The Body Shop’s Rose Your Glow Gift Selection. For men, be sure also to check out Human Nature’s Dashing Hero Trio gift set and Black Rose Botanicals’ Beard Oil.
Other great cruelty-free options for women include Human Nature’s Vanilla Peach Gift Set and The Body Shop’s Frosted Cranberry Deluxe Gift Set. For men, be sure also to check out Human Nature’s Dashing Hero Trio gift set and Black Rose Botanicals’ Aftershave.
Beauty Products
Ellana Cosmetics is a cruelty-free brand that uses only vegan ingredients. Get everything from makeup brushes to eye shadows and primers here.
Other great products include e.l.f.’s Studio makeup line, wet n wild’s MegaVolume Mascara and Ultimate Brow Kit, and NYX’s Butter Lipstick and Bohemian Chic palette.
For more cruelty-free brands, check out this list from PETA U.S. of international companies that don’t test on animals—then shop with a clear conscience.
Nail Polish
Festively painted nails complete any party look and make great “secret Santa” gifts. Companies such as The Body Shop and wet n wild offer stunning colors that are 100 percent vegan and not tested on animals.
Vegan Sweet Treats
Know someone who has a sweet tooth? Get them Earth Dessert’s Peppermint Brookies—a fusion of cookies and brownies. These delectable delights are the perfect after-dinner holiday treat, so why not take a few boxes to your family’s Noche Buena? You might as well buy a few extra—after all that holiday shopping, it’d be rude not to treat yourself.
If you know those who like their food on the spicy side, give them an exhilarating taste experience with a bar of Garahe Produce’s chili chocolate. We love the Barks Superfood x Stevia variety, which is jeweled with almonds, cranberries, and goji berries.
We also recommend Delicielo’s Smores Cupcakes and Jertie’s Kitchen’s Dark Chocolate Cake.
Vegan Cheese
You might not be able to wrap up this gift and place it under the tree, but we still think this gorgeous vegan chèvre cheese—encrusted with cranberries, walnuts, and rosemary—by cheese masters In a Nutshell makes a lovely gift. Why not serve it with bread or crackers as an appetizer for your grand vegan Christmas dinner?
Superfood Starter Pack
Do you know some health buffs? Help them on their way to an even healthier lifestyle with this cute superfoods mini-pack, which features coconut sugar, cacao nibs, spirulina, maca-root powder, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and malunggay flakes. It’ll give them plenty of options to jazz up their morning smoothie.
You can order Superfood’s products here.
Wine
Wine makes a lovely gift for a colleague or neighbor, but did you know that some bottles aren’t vegan because animal-derived filtering agents—including blood and bone marrow, casein (milk protein), chitin (fiber from crustacean shells), egg albumen (derived from egg whites), fish oil, gelatin (collagen obtained by boiling animal parts), and isinglass (gelatin from fish-bladder membranes)—are used in their production? Fortunately, you can find out which wines are vegan at Barnivore.com. In addition, several wines from M&S are clearly labeled “suitable for vegetarians and vegans” on the back of the bottle. It’s never been easier to find vegan wines.
DIY Vegan Hamper
Vegan soaps available at The Body Shop
Put together your own fun vegan hamper using the cruelty-free products listed below:
- Beer
- Chocolate
- Cookies
- Doughnuts
- Granola
- Mayo
- Vegan bath and body products from Lush, Human Nature, or The Body Shop
- Wine
- Reusable straws
Splurge
For the ultimate Christmas gift, book a stay at The Farm at San Benito. This wonderful resort in Batangas offers detox and fitness retreats, massage, and other therapies—and possibly the most beautiful landscape you’ve ever seen, with waterfalls, lagoons, and pools around every corner. The award-winning facility’s Alive! Restaurant features raw cuisine that’s vegetarian and free from eggs and dairy ingredients.
For more information on cruelty-free travel, check out this post that gives you the lowdown on how to find vegan food when traveling around the Philippines.
Don’t Forget Your Animal Companions
Follow this easy recipe for vegan dog treats to make your best friend some delicious snacks. Use a Christmas-themed cookie cutter to make them extra festive.
