Are Your Favourite Makeup Products Cruelty Free?
I've been wanting to write a blog post on this topic for a long time. What better time to do it than the Easter holidays when everyone has cute baby bunnies on their mind (see below for cuteness)!
Years ago I worked for a big luxury cosmetic line for two of their brands. I was given a lot of free products and discounts so I've used the best of the best and lots of it! These high end products work well and give the results they claim. However these products come with a few nasties; like the multitude of chemicals that absorb into your skin and the use of animal testing in their creation. This post will focus on animal testing - which brands do it and how you can avoid supporting the brands that choose to do this.
Cosmetic companies choose to test on animals - they don't have to. There are companies out there that are cruelty free, you just have to do a bit of searching...
Why are our looks so important that it's okay to burn, poison or kill rabbits, cats, mice, dogs and other animals just so we can look pretty? They're not! Especially when there are alternative products to choose from.
If some cosmetic ingredients are so high risk that companies need to test on animals, then why are they even considering selling it to us? Profit!
Do you want to know what animal testing involves? Google it. Images comes up of rabbits in rows with their heads immobile or in cages with their fur shaved, eyes red and sore, wounds and irritations. Just terrible. But because we don't get shown these pictures we don't know it's going on. This withheld information occurs in many industries where profit is the focus (usually this is always!).
While researching the animal testing topic I found the main point driving a lot of companies to continue testing on animals is that if they wish to sell their product in China they must test on animals as it is local law and a requirement of importing into China. So while some companies might say they do not support animal testing, if they sell in China their products are being tested on animals. The Chinese beauty industry is huge and not a lot of companies would turn this profit down. There are a few brands who refuse to comply with this condition and therefore do not sell their product in China - good on them.
Women buy products because they're marketed to us as being the best solution for whatever concern we're trying to deal with. It's all marketing. We need to realise we're constantly being marketed to! The beauty industry preys on women who have beauty concerns. Don't believe the hype, the sales pitch or pretty pictures. Do your own research and make sure what you're buying comes from a source that hasn't used animal testing in their products creation. If we stop buying these products the companies will notice.
I was recently asked by one of my brides whether I used cruelty free brands. No one has ever asked me this question!! It's a topic I care about and what I choose to buy personally, but I always thought clients wanted high end products in their makeup artist's kit. I no longer think this is true so I've decided to transition my professional makeup kit to a cruelty free one. This meansNO MAC, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Lancôme, Shu Uemera, etc. Some of you might be shocked to read these cosmetic power houses choose to test on animals. Many of your favourite cosmetic companies and products are still tested on animals; Cover Girl, L'Oreal, Revlon, Maybelline, the list goes on and on.
So what brands will I be using in my kit? I've found cruelty free brands that work just as well if not better than these brands! Slowly I will be renewing my kit with some amazing products from companies that care.
It's not only cosmetic products which are tested on animals. A lot of our common household products are created the same way as well as hair dye, shampoos, conditioners, etc. Try asking a company if they test on animals. You'll likely get a round about answer or none at all. If a company doesn't say they are cruelty free on their website or product, they most likely test on animals. There are accreditations a company can apply for like the Leaping Bunny and Choose Cruelty Free (CCF) to prove they do not test on animals. If a company displays an accreditation logo you know they've past all the accreditation rules.
Please take a look at these lists to check if you're makeup products are tested on animals:
Animals Australia Animal Testing List:
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/features/animal-testing-list.php
Choose Cruelty Free List:
http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/cruelty-free-list/
Peta's Search for Cruelty Free Companies:
http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx
Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free Company List:
http://www.leapingbunny.org/shopsearch.php
I hope you found this information helpful, enlightening and inspiring. I also hope this encourages you to take a look through your makeup bag to see how you can find kinder alternatives. If so, tell your friends to do the same :)
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- Tasleema