Last week, I was home for the weekend with my family. After a day of traveling, all I wanted to do was jump in the shower and go to bed. At home, I share a bathroom with my sister. I hopped in the shower and saw my sister had Olay face wash in there. Knowing Olay conducts hundreds of thousands of "safety tests" for their products on animals annually, I was more than a little unhappy. Jumping out of the shower and wrapping up in my robe, I went to ask her why she chose this product. She told me the bottle looked pretty and that's how she settled on it... My little sister is only fourteen, so, I couldn't be too upset with her. After explaining to her how that was a bad decision, for many reasons... She seemed to get it. But this brought something to my attention, how many of us are blindly buying cosmetics without thinking of where they come from or how they got there?
When I was in my later years of high school, I realized I really enjoyed makeup. I got really into skincare and cosmetics; I, much like my sister, bought products that promised perfect skin and a glowing complexion on the bottle, without reading any ingredients. Then, one day, I stumbled upon an article on the internet about the testing of cosmetics on animals. That day, I became a much more conscious consumer. Now, I only buy products that are entirely cruelty-free. From face wash, to lotions, to foundation, all of my products with cruelty-free labels. It's a lot easier than I thought, thanks to google.
So, how can you be a more conscious consumer?
It's easy! Thanks to these wonderful resources listed below, you can easily see which cosmetic brands you love are cruelty free, and can just as easily ditch the ones that aren't!
1. Cruelty-Free Kitty
Leaping Bunny's ListThis has to be my favorite website to use to find great, cruelty free makeup brands! They have a list of 75+ brands that are cruelty free and vegan, and the list is continuously updated! The lists are separated from high-end brands, to natural and green brands, and even includes a list of drug store makeup brands! So, no matter what your budget, Cruelty Free Kitty can help you find an awesome product.
2. Leaping Bunny
This website is awesome and so easy to navigate. You can browse through all different sorts of cruelty-free cosmetics like skin care products, shampoos and conditioners, and makeup brands! On their website, they even give browsers the option to shop all of the cruelty-free brands they believe in. They also have an app which makes it extremely easy to check the brands your shopping for even while you're out and about! No excuses now, guys!
3. PETA's "Beauty Without Bunnies"
PETA also offers a wonderful database which makes it all too easy to find out if your favorite cosmetic brands are cruelty-free or not! You can enter a brand or company, and the database will tell you whether this particular company is cruelty-free or not.
4. It's on the label!
Look for these labels on the packaging of cosmetics. Most cruelty-free brands will label themselves as such since there is such a great market for natural products.
Hopefully, someday, we can live in a world where all cosmetics are natural and are not tested on animals. But, until then, we have to bring attention to the companies that do continue to test on animals. The easiest way to do this is to stop giving your money to companies that partake in the cruel act of animal testing. You, as an individual can make a tremendous difference as we as consumers express our concerns, these companies will be forced to look into alternate methods. These resources provided, can give you cosmetics in any price range that are cruelty free. No excuses. We, as consumers, have the power to end animal testing.
