Curious about what it means to be cruelty-free? You’ve come to the right place. It’s been found that over 100 million animals are burned, mutilated, poisoned, and abused in US laboratories each year – all to create the products we see on shelves (1). When it comes to cosmetics, chemicals, powders, and other unfinished ingredients are rubbed onto shaved skin or dropped in the eyes of animals without any relief (1). If you’re still not convinced, watch some PETA videos, but proceed with caution if you have a light stomach.
Shopping cruelty-free involves a firm boycott of the brands who still allow their products to undergo this form of testing. And if you’ve decided to make your beauty routine cruelty-free (we’re proud of you!), you’ll quickly notice that the majority of commonly known prestige brands are no longer up for grabs. Here are a few tips to make your transition easier!
Keep China in Mind
As you begin to research companies’ animal testing policies, you may notice a sneaky roundabout line similar to, “We do not conduct animal testing unless where required by law.” This is a brand’s way of saying that while they don’t conduct testing in the U.S, they do allow it in other markets – namely the Chinese market. China requires all consumer products to be tested on animal before hitting the shelves even though many people in China love animals and do not believe in this practice. Therefore, any company that sells its products in China, is not cruelty-free. So if a company’s policy seems a little foggy, see if they’re sold in China.
Go Slowly
In order to make sure any lifestyle change lasts, you have to take baby steps. We would advise against tossing your entire makeup and skincare collections in the trash, and instead, start replacing your almost-finished products with their cruelty-free alternatives. This will give you time to do the research necessary to find the products that work for you, and keep you from getting overwhelmed and aborting the entire mission altogether.
Consult the Internet
There are swarms of valuable resources like shopping guides, forums, and YouTube videos full of tips, tricks, and insider info on company policies, cruelty-free releases, and more. We’re big fans of sites like Logical Harmony for the latest on cruelty-free news and beauty product recommendations.
So there you have it! You’re ready to start your journey to cruelty-free living. Don’t forget to remember that it is just that – a journey, so be patient and have fun with it.
Source:
“11 Facts About Animal Testing.” DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-animal-testing
