In the past year or so, I have gotten really interested in doing makeup. Whether for parties, formal events, job interviews, or my everyday life, I have really taken to doing makeup. When I first started showing interest in the makeup world, my incredibly smart and all around perfect younger brother started educating me on the importance of only supporting brands that are cruelty-free. As a lover of animals and a believer in respecting life around me, I listened to everything he had to say and am now here to share this knowledge with the rest of the world.
For those who were like me, I am totally about to ruin your make up buying experience. There are tons of extremely well-known brands who test their products on animals. These tests are (what I consider) cruel and inhumane. I will spare you the gory details but testing does happen while the animals are still alive and can feel everything that is being done to them. Many journalists and bloggers have taken it upon themselves to find out the painful and horrifying details of these tests and expose the brands that practice them. Even certain scientific research has started to point to animal testing being completely unhelpful and unnecessary.
So why would companies participate in a practice that is so vile and archaic? I cannot come up with a good answer. However, in China, by law animal testing for cosmetic products is mandated in order for a product to be sold there. This is the most recent law from the research I have been able to do. I am only aware of a potential pilot program to change this practice but no other real concrete evidence that this law will change any time soon.
Countries all over the world have moved to completely end this form of testing for any and all products. In fact, the EU, Israel, New Zealand, Turkey, and the UK have all banned the sale of products that are tested on Animals. California has passed a bill (SB1249) that will ban the sale of any products that are tested on animals or contain ingredients that are tested on animals starting in January of 2020. Brands that are sold in California that still test on animals have until then to change this practice or else they will be pulled from stores across the state.
"But how many brands that I know still test on animals?" You may be asking yourself. This is the exact question I found myself asking. The answer will shock you. More big name brands that you may think actually still test their products on animals. These brands range from beauty to body care to fragrance to cleaning supplies. Big companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Calvin Klein, Bayer, S.C. Johnson, Clorox, MAC, Sephora, and even Victoria's Secret all test on animals. There is a semi-complete list found here.
If I have ruined your view on these brands, I'm not altogether sorry at all. Mostly because there are some INCREDIBLE brands out there that have some amazing products that are certified cruelty free (with some either vegan or switching to vegan). Brands such as LimeCrime, Fenty Beauty, Elf, NYX, Lush, Wet n Wild, and even recently Cover Girl are all cruelty-free! (Find a semi-complete list here. Most of these brands I have found to be incredible, reliable, affordable, and overall just better products. (The one piece that has been difficult for me is not shopping at stores like Sephora of MAC since both brands test on animals; I have taken to shopping specifically and exclusively at Ulta.)
The use of such awful methods of testing is simply unnecessary. But, the good news is it is something we can fix. Brands do listen to the masses and they listen to the money. If we all start truly pushing for a change by supporting brands that don't test on animals over brands that do, we could push for a complete shift in the way our products are tested and the way animals are treated by humans. If there is a brand not listed that you are curious about, I urge you to research the brand before buying the product. We have the power to end this abuse and the power to change the way our products are created and tested.
