Maybelline, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Benefit, Revlon, Bobbi Brown, Stila, MAC; what do all of these makeup brands have in common? They all test on animals.

The Facts on Animal Testing

Animal testing is a practice that is as outdated as it is cruel. Many testing methods now exist that don't harm animals, like in vitro testing, computer monitoring, and human patient simulators. However, the problem lies in the fact that China requires cosmetics to be tested on animals by law, and most corporations are too greedy to lose business from China. Companies that are cruelty free even break their cruelty-free status by starting to sell in China, like NARS, who was cruelty free up to June 2017, but then started selling in China. The most common animals that are subject to testing are mice, fish, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, farm animals, birds, cats, dogs, mini-pigs, and non-human primates; and scientists estimate that around 115 million of these animals suffer testing each year. Testing methods include practices like food and water deprivation, encouraging distress, exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, and infliction of pain in the form of wounds or burns. After enduring such cruel testing, the overwhelming majority of the animals are killed.

Image Credit: PETA https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-exper...

Compassion and Cruelty Free Brands

We must ask ourselves: Is my makeup really worth this? Hopefully the voice of compassion inside all of us will say no. After all, buying cruelty free isn't as difficult as it seems; plenty of brands are cruelty free, including drugstore AND high end brands. Too Faced, NYX, E.L.F., Kat Von D, Tarte, Hard Candy, Milani, AND Physicians Formula all avoid animal testing, along with many more. While out shopping, there are a few ways to tell if a product is tested on animals. For example, the website crueltyfreekitty.com provides animal testing information for hundreds of brands. You can find both a list of brands that test on animals and a list of brands that don't test on animals on their site. Some brands even feature cruelty-free logos on their packaging, like the ones shown below.

Image Credit: Cruelty-Free-Kitty http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/cruelty-free-101/c...

Making A Change

If you're interested in starting to buy cruelty free products, a budget friendly and easy way to do so is to simply start swapping your products tested on animals for cruelty free ones as soon as you need to buy new products. For example, if you're used to buying Stila's Stay All Day Liner, try swapping to Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner, for the same clean, crisp lines without all the cruelty. If you love MAC's eyeshadow, try reaching for cruelty-free shadows from Colourpop or NYX that are just as beautiful!

Consider buying cruelty free, not only could it save you money but it could save the lives of animals all over world!

Image Credit: Cruelty-Free-Kitty http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/cruelty-free-101/l...