Throughout the years the cosmetics industry has been around there is no doubt that they have tested on animals. Many cosmetics industries test on animals to make sure they are safe for the consumers who buy their products. However, animal testing is wrong and there are other ways to test products. Being a makeup lover, I try to choose companies that are cruelty free because I do not believe that animal testing is right. So of course, not every cosmetics industry uses animal testing.

High end companies like Too Faced, BareMinerals, Anastasia Beverly Hills etc. do not test on animals. You will also notice on this list that some of the companies are vegan. If you are more of a drugstore person and tight on money brands like E.L.F., Milani, Wet N' Wild, and Physicians Formula etc. are also cruelty free. This website has an entire list of all of the cosmetic companies that are cruelty free. They also have lists of other things that are cruelty free that deal with nails, skin care, hair etc. You might be saying to yourself that the one brand you love isn't cruelty free and now you can't buy it anymore. That here is not the case, you can totally buy whatever makeup you want. However, just know that your favorite brand harms animals with harsh chemical testing. The brands that are not cruelty free are companies like Mary Kay, Covergirl, Estee Lauder, and Maybelline etc. Another updated list is kept at the same website .

The real question about these companies that test on animals is 'Why?'. Why do high end brands or drug store brand test on animals? Why do they feel the need to kill hundreds of animals to test a simple eyeshadow, or lipstick? It really makes you wonder what kind of harsh chemicals these companies are using and you're putting that on your skin. You're putting those chemicals on your face where your skin is most sensitive and it's going near your eyes and mouth. Just imagine if those chemicals got into your eyes or through your mouth into your body. These chemicals that get tested on animals ruin their fur and skin, they cause cancer and other deadly diseases, and sadly enough it causes death. What person wants to put that in their body? They say beauty is pain, but is it really worth dying for? The answer is no.

Now, these companies test on animals because they need to make sure their product is safe for the skin on humans. However, what these companies do not understand is that different animals have different skin types from humans. Just like how humans react to things differently, different animals react to things differently as well. Believe it or not a lot of countries require companies by law to test on animals. Countries like Brazil and China require companies to test on animals or they are not put on the shelves in stores for sale.

While all of these companies test on animals, and I've known that cosmetics have been tested on animals but I never knew which ones. Surprisingly you wouldn't think that your household pet rabbit would be tested on. However, animals like rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and rats all get tested on for cosmetics. What breaks my heart is that stated by the Humane Society, they state that when a rabbit is tested on for birth defects, the rabbit happens to be pregnant she is killed before she gives birth. Her babies are then inspected for birth defects. They also state that if nothing happened to the babies they are to grow up and mate with others of their kind and tested on further. You can find other tests that are done to animals on the chart from the Humane Society.

There is a way to stop makeup companies from testing on animals. We could ban all animal testing that happens globally. You could stop buying makeup brands that test on animals and slowly they stop making money if people stop buying their products. Raise awareness to your friends, families, co-workers, that animal testing is not okay nor has never been okay. The Humane Society also offers different ways to stop animal testing and many of them include making donations to their many campaigns, sharing an infographic that is very informational found here, and to educate yourself on how to be cruelty free.