Always Cruelty-Free

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Imagine yourself in a grocery store on a Sunday afternoon, strolling down the cosmetic aisle with an iced coffee in your hand. Glancing over to the second shelf, there sits a dazzling bottle of sunscreen with your favorite scent, coconut honey, calling your name. While bolting to reach for the last bottle, the curly letters “cruelty-free” pop out from the label, and next to it a logo of a cute bunny. But then the question pops in your mind, “how does someone really know if it is cruelty-free?”

It may not be 100% cruelty-free? What? Yes, I know, believe it or not, most cosmetic companies are not all cruelty-free. That sweet little bottle of coconut honey sunscreen could quite possibly mean that the product itself was not tested on animals, but the beginning stages of creating the luscious scent or ingredients involved animal testing. So herein lies the problem; companies create their own bunny logos without any regulation on properly defining what it means to be “cruelty-free.” This logo could mean something completely different from company to company and how you and I may define it. That said, how can we be confident in deciding whether or not any product is 100% cruelty-free?

Thank goodness this problem was taken notice from national animal protection groups from around the world. These groups were determined to invent a universal standard for companies to follow to become cruelty-free and a logo that is internationally recognizable. And that is what they did. Eight national animal protection groups created the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) and the Leaping Bunny Program was born. This program does not allow harm to fall upon animals during the development of cosmetic products, ingredients, and/or formulas; establishing a way for us to be confident in knowing that our furry friends are protected through this certifying program.

Now when you look at your coconut honey sunscreen bottle, you see that it is certified by the Leaping Bunny Program, and you can sigh in relief in knowing that our furry friends are safe.

Apple Valley Natural Soap believes in the mission to protect our furry friends and treating them fairly. We are proud to say we are certified Cruelty-Free through the Leaping Bunny Program alongside 1,400 other cosmetic companies. We all put in the effort and extra work to follow the standards to have quality products without putting animals in danger. Since there are no laws in the United States that prevent cosmetic testing on animals, we want to take a stance against the traditional ways of testing to make our world safer.

As stated by the Leaping Bunny Program, “60% of consumers are more likely to buy a product that has not been tested on animals.” That said, if it’s important to our customers, then it is important to us. So, when buying Apply Valley Natural Soap you can rest in knowing that when using our products it’s not just natural and handmade, but also always cruelty-free.

​3 Crazy Things About AVNS’s New Team Member Tia Sirovy

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Have you ever tried to sum up your being in only three aspects and fully succeeded? Despite whether you have or haven’t thought about this before, try to think of three things that define you, right now. Because as I sit back in my chair, that’s exactly what I’ve found doing right now, and man, it is hard! This may not be the quality of a MN star tribune article, but my hope is that if you find yourself reading this, you will have learned a little bit about me and my relationship with Apple Valley Natural Soap.

        1.Trying New Things.

From tasting cow tongue, pig ears, escargot in my mouth, gasping for air while jumping out of a plane, almost falling off a camel, or sleeping in a tipi during a thunderstorm; I love trying new things. This lifestyle defines my life motto “try new things.” And that’s only the beginning! My bucket list is extensive including such activities as admiring the pyramids in Egypt and slurping down an oyster. Going out of my comfort zone to gain thrilling experiences gives me energy and joy in my life. I will never stop striving to try new things.

        2.Being Challenged.

Living a simple life was never part of my destiny. People who live simple stay within their comfort zones and only do what they already know. I was born to be the complete opposite. I need to be pushed and challenged daily. Whenever there is an opportunity to learn a new skill, gain new experience (such that will expose me to more marketing techniques), or get into an intriguing conversation about faith and beliefs; I take every opportunity to jump on such opportunities. Daily, I aspire to reach outside my comfort zone and broaden my horizon. It’s because of this that I am delighted to start my journey in freelancing for Apple Valley Natural Soap. With this arising opportunity, I knew it would push me to expand my knowledge on marketing, advance my writing skills, and improve my time management. All of which seemed to come together at the right time and I’ve never felt so at peace with a new and exciting opportunity as this.

        3.Faith.

What’s that saying again, “Save the best for last”? Well, that’s what I’ve just done for you today. I’ve most definitely saved the most important for last; and that is my relationship with Jesus Christ. I find myself living out my faith out every day. Time and time again I find myself wanting to share the love of God to everyone I meet, with simple acts of kindness, a sweet smile, or just as simple as asking how someone’s day was. Getting into conversations about faith and building others up in the Lord is remarkably encouraging to me. That said, I’ve been realizing recently that I have the potential to thrive in many more ways in my walk with God than I realize. Because of this, I decided to take small steps to grow closer to him, by beginning to tithe and serve more frequently, rather than just once or twice a year. It’s in these new ways of learning to serve Him better that I find more fulfillment everyday as I continue to pursue the unending love of God.

While thinking about these three aspects of my life to share, it has made me think deeper about who I am as a person and what actually defines me. That said, I would challenge you (as I liked to be challenged) to think about three things that define your life. Reflecting on your life may help you see who you are and the kind of person you want to become. It’s in doing this that you will be able to serve not just yourself better, but also serve the people around you better.