There's no excuse for companies to test on animals. There are better alternatives to animal testing available, and brands can freely choose not to sell in mainland China. Many companies have deliberately stayed out of such markets in order to maintain their cruelty-free status.
Companies that test on animals in 2019 choose to test on animals. They make the choice to be cruel, and that's not something I want to support.
Switching to cruelty-free products is one of the best ways to say no to animal testing. Here's why we should all strive to purchase cruelty-free cosmetics.
1. Animal Testing Is Extremely Cruel
The animals used in experiments are not only confined to small cages and inhumane conditions, but they're also subjected to tests that are beyond cruel. They're tortured, maimed, blinded, and ultimately killed. They're essentially bred to live a life of fear and suffering. You can see a laboratory bunny here (warning: graphic content).
2. There Are Better Alternatives To Animal Testing
Some companies try to tell us that animal testing serves a purpose: tests are being performed on animals to make sure that ingredients and products are safe enough for humans. The truth is there are alternatives to animal testing for ingredient safety. For example, many companies choose to use in vitro testing, which has many advantages over animal testing. There are also cultured cell tissues as well as computer models.
Science favors these alternatives over animal testing because they're more conclusive, but animal testing has the advantage of being low-cost. Animals are only used because they're more "affordable", which is extremely unethical.
3. There Are Over 7,000 Safe Cosmetic Ingredients
To formulate their products, companies can choose from a list of over 7,000 ingredients that are already proven to be safe. This just proves that they don't need to test more ingredients on animals. The only companies that choose to test more ingredients on animals do so because they want to come up with new, innovative ingredients to increase their profits.
4. Laborary Animals Are Animals Too
According to the law, laboratory animals form a special category of animals and aren't protected from animal abuse and cruelty. This view is completely unethical and nonsensical. We protect pets from abuse, but laboratory bunnies, mice, dogs, cats, and other animals don't have the same rights. Lab animals are animals too and should be protected from cruel treatment.
5. Cats And Dogs Are Being Used In Experiments
This wasn't a typo. Cats and dogs are commonly used in medical animal experiments. Based on statistics from 2013, 67,772 dogs and 24,221 cats were used in animal testing in the United States alone that year. In terms of dog breeds, a shockingly large number of Beagles are used, because of their docile nature. These animals are treated like laboratory animals and are deprived of the basic rights we allow our pets.
6. You Can Actually Make A Difference By "Voting With Your Money"
By supporting cruelty-free companies instead of the ones who choose to test on animals, you're sending the whole industry a message in the only language they speak: money. They know that they won't be getting your business unless they stop testing on animals. If enough consumers boycott companies that test on animals, we can truly make a change and influence more companies to go cruelty-free.
7. Thousands Of Great Brands Are Cruelty-Free
There are thousands of cruelty-free brands available today. Gone are the days when choosing cruelty-free products meant only purchasing patchouli lotion from a small, local shop. We can still support all the great independent businesses, but a lot of mainstream big-name brands have now gone cruelty-free. You're not really limiting yourself that much by making the switch, since so many great brands are cruelty-free.
8. Many Counties Have Already Banned Animal Testing
Some governments around the world have already banned animal testing for cosmetics on finished products and ingredients. The European Union, Isreal, India, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea, and New Zealand have all banned animal testing. So many governments across the world banning this practice should tell us how harmful and unethical it really is.
9. Buying Less Is Better For The Planet
Going cruelty-free is also a great excuse to give more thought to your purchases and have more of a minimalistic approach. By only buying the items we need (or by buying less of the crap we don't need!), we're also minimizing waste and doing our little part to be more conscious, and less wasteful of our resources.
10. Buying Less Is Also Better For Your Wallet!
Besides reducing waste, another benefit of being more mindful of your purchases is that you'll save some money. When buying cruelty-free products, there's no doubt that you have fewer choices. But this can be a good thing if you're aiming to save money.
11. Many Cruelty-Free brands Are Budget-Friendly
If you're looking for budget-friendly options, you can still purchase cruelty-free. For makeup, explore brands like E.L.F., BH Cosmetics, or Milani. For skincare, check out Pacifica (which is also 100% vegan).
12. There Are Many Non-Toxic, More Natural Options
Switching to cruelty-free cosmetics opens your eyes to products that are healthier for you. So many mainstream brands are full of harsh or toxic chemicals that do nothing good for your body. Our skin absorbs everything we feed it, and using lotions full of parabens, fragrance, and harmful chemicals isn't a healthy habit. Since going cruelty-free, I also switched to natural deodorants (my favorite is Schmidt's Deodorant) which I believe every woman should consider.
13. A Cruelty-Free Home Is More Eco-Friendly
We shouldn't forget that cleaning products are also routinely tested on animals. Most cruelty-free household cleaning products are also eco-friendly (a brand I love is Attitude). You can find cruelty-free brands that make everything from all-purpose cleaner to laundry detergent that are better for the environment than the mainstream brands. This means that they contain less harsh or toxic ingredients (often using more natural alternatives like essential oils), and they're also better for your health as well as your pets' health.
14. The Perfect Excuse To Subscribe To A Cruelty-Free Beauty Box
Monthly subscription boxes are rad. Every month, you get a box full of treats to try out. A lot of beauty boxes out there aren't cruelty-free, and include products that are tested on animals in pretty much every box. Boo! When you go cruelty-free, you get to sign up for a beauty box like Petit Vour, which is cruelty-free and all vegan.
15. It's Easy To Find Out The Status Of Any Brand
If you're unsure about a brand, head over to CrueltyFreeKitty.com. You can search for any brand to find out whether or not they test on animals. It's quick and easy! We list over 750 brands, and we're constantly adding more and updating the list.
Thank you for going cruelty-free and making a difference!
Which Brands Are Cruelty-Free?
Download our list of 600+ verified cruelty-free brands straight to your device. Bring it with you everywhere you go, and never worry about supporting animal testing again. Click here to download
I totally agree with this, being vegan is not just a diet it is about how you care for animals and the environment. Thank you for sharing this to everyone and lets them know what is a vegan lifestyle.
I don’t understand one thing. People are obsessed with cruelty free but are okay with companies having animal derived ingredient in the product. So it’s okay to have tortured animal ingredient added to the product as long as it’s not tested on animals?
Not sure how you’re linking people who want
cruelty free to people who use products with animal ingredients. Anyone who is smart enough to understand cruelty free is the right way to go wouldn’t want animal products in the ingredients. Perhaps the people you know (do you actually know people like this or is it just what you’ve concluded from reading things online?) aren’t fully aware of ingredients vs cruelty free. If you know people like this, you should help them become more aware & informed. I’m not aware of any cruelty free products that include animal bi-products but some, like wax or honey aren’t viewed by many (sadly) as abusing bees but they are.
To be clear – no it’s not alright to have animal ingredients in products marked cruelty free. If you could cite some companies that do this (because I’m not aware of any), that would be helpful.
To be clear: Cruelty-Free is not just testing on animals but not harming any animals in the process of making the product though testing is the most common association with the term “Cruelty-Free.” The BEST way to know if any product is completely cruelty-free is to look for the “V” or word “vegan.” This assures you there was NO animal involvement at all in the creation of the product. ?
I hope that helps. ??
I don’t understand one thing. People are obsessed with cruelty free but are okay with companies having animal derived ingredient in the product. So it’s okay for them to have tortured animal ingredient added to the product as long as it’s not tested on animals? People have gotten it so wrong, when they should be concentrating on Vegan and cruelty free products.
Wet and wild is no longer considered cruelty free. Please let everyone know this.
Hey it may be a good idea to update this with the fact that Wet n Wild is no longer cruelty free which is such a shame that they did the same thing Nars did guess they are in it for the money.
It definitely makes sense that cruelty-free hair products would mean more natural options that are non-toxic. Since our skin absorbs everything we put on it, as you mentioned, I can see why cruelty-free products would be more healthy for humans as well. I will have to look into different product options!
Is it really cruelty free if the skin cultures they test on come from circumcised infant foreskins?
The term “Cruelty-Free” refers to non-human animals used in lab testing of products. While some companies use ingredients that are derived from child labor & human babies do experience pain when circumcised, those instances do not fall under the legal term of “Cruelty-Free.” Of course, if you are opposed to these other cruel practices it is definitely your option to not buy those products but understand that those practices don’t fall under the legal term of “Cruelty-Free” & usually won’t be included in articles about which products are or aren’t “Cruelty-Free.”
I do think that this is wrong but there are countries out there that require it. So, in reality, all cruelty-free products will never happen. you can’t say this is wrong then say oh it’s okay when humane societies treat their animals badly. Or then allow hunters to go kill wild animals. I can’t get behind this because our farm animals the ones we eat are abused also. So for me, and you do not have to agree with me, we need to look at the big picture.
The Big Picture is that humans need to stop abusing & exploiting animals EVERYWHERE it happens. The world is going vegan quicker than a lot want to admit & faster than a lot of us vegans thought was possible! Please don’t slight stopping one form of animal abuse because you feel another is worse. We need to ALL work on every single form of animal abuse and exploitation and eventually it WILL cease to exist.
The fastest way to stop animal testing is to stop buying products tested on animals & to let those companies know why you’re not buying their products. The fastest way to stop animals from being abused on farms is to stop eating animals & their bi-products (like eggs, milk & cheese) & to let those companies know why you’re not buying their products. Dairy farms are already folding in record numbers across America because people are not buying their products. Huge, iconic animal circuses have gone out of business world-wide because people oppose the animal cruelty & stopped going to their shows. Cities (like Los Angeles) have banned the sale of fur because of people telling their government officials they won’t buy from stores that sell fur (San Francisco is working on achieving this as I type) & cities all across America (and in other countries) are making (or have already made it) illegal to sell animals from a roadside or parking lot (stopping backyard breeders) or to sell cats and dogs in pet stores unless they are from a shelter or rescue.
All of these steps are working towards the same goal: to end, once & for all, cruelty to animals. To make this hope a reality, though, we have to support ALL efforts because by not supporting even one, we only make the end result that much harder to achieve. ❤️
I love this article. I was just inspired to start my own makeup blog and one of my first posts is about why I went cruelty-free. I have been reading your blog for years now to keep up to date. Thank you for your service! If you want to read why I went cruelty-free click the link! I started this blog just for fun (http://www.briannahales.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=800&action=edit)
I absolutely hate animal cruelty
Thank you for this! I was looking for some additional information to share with friends about the importance of going cruelty free. Thanks to your site I’ve learned about the importance and found some great companies I can purchase from. I absolutely love Athar’a Pure Skin Care Products because they actually work for me as well as cosmetics from 100% Pure. Thanks again for spreading awareness.
Many thanks Suzi for your hard work and determination to make Cruelty Free easier for us. My mother and I have started our cruelty free living because you made it so much easier for us. We now know what to look for and what to questions to ask. I never realized how many loopholes there were! We tell everyone we know about your site and why cruelty free is so important.
Hi my name Is Ree I am a senior in high school and I’m doing my project on cruelty free makeup and would like to know if its okay if use some of your information I will be citing of course but I adore your website also if you have any suggestions on what I could do for my community my teacher said to do makeup sessions on cancer patients and other stuff with cruelty free makeup Thank you!
I went cruelty free this year, and I’m confused to is Bonjur Paris cruelty free? ❤
I switched to cruelty free when I started to get seriously into makeup, I just wanna ask is Bonjur Paris cruelty free? Don’t mind my spelling, I’m from Croatia. Sending ❤ to all who are cruelty free.
Bourjois Paris is not cruelty-free. 🙁 For a similarly priced (but cruelty-free) European drugstore brand, I would recommend GOSH Copenhagen!
Thank you for having such an informative blog! I just joined the cruelty free movement, and your blog has been super helpful!
Shared xxx
Yess!! I’m about to go 100% cruelty free. I’m in the process of using up all products that aren’t cruelty free. I’m really enjoying researching new brands and the Love Lula is a UK cruelty free box where I can find new brands.
Also I’ve found that the majority of crulety free products are non-toxic/paraben and sulphate free/vegan etc so not only is it more ethical, but it’s better for your skin!
I love this post so much. I had to explain to my boyfriend that animal testing is actually a real thing that happens the other day. I think he’d just never even thought about it because it didn’t even make any sense to him that there was any kind of need to test on animals. My response was “there’s not”, and he said “why do they even do it then?’ EXACTLY! There is absolutely no point.
I’m so happy that animal testing is not allowed in the EU, and I hope everywhere else will follow sooner rather than later.
Agreed! Thanks Rosie. 🙂
I just keep hoping that soon all cosmetics will be cruelty free. Tons of brands prove that it can be done! So hopefully the rest will follow suit eventually.
There is no such thing as cruelty free. Mica, the primary ingredient in most makeup across the board, is mined mostly by children under slave conditions. Even ethical companies like Lush have tried and failed to eliminate sources of child labor from their supply chain.
By far, the point you make in #9 is the best takeaway here – reduce the consumption, reduce the demand, reduce the supply.
You CAN find make up that is cruelty free, vegan, and does not contain mica if that is your aim. Check out 100% pure, for example. Their popular setting powder is made exclusively from bamboo silica. There’s no sense in putting people’s efforts down by saying that it cannot be done, or implying that the sourcing of mica negates the message that it is wrong to senselessly torture animals. We can strive to be ethical on all fronts.
You can also ask different companies and brands (especially indie, non-American brands) about where they source their mica. Here’s how:
http://otter.org.au/mica/