I often wonder why companies are still testing on animals. Honestly it seems crazy that in 2018 this still happens. Unfortunately countries such as China make it mandatory to test on animals for any company to sell their cosmetic products to the end consumers, making it harder to financially justify a change.
So here are my 5 reasons why you should make the change to Cruelty-Free right now..
Number 1 – What really happens to the animals
I have been researching what happens to animals during animal testing, thinking it cannot be as bad as people say. Well I was very wrong. Cats, Dogs, Rabbits, Mice, Rats and Primates (yes super cute little monkeys) are locked inside barren cages in laboratories across the country. They are in pain, suffer from extreme frustration, loneliness, and long to be free.
All the animals can do is sit and wait for the next testing procedure that will be performed on them. Their lack of space and companionship alongside the stress of their living situation, can cause animals to develop neurotic types of behavior such as incessantly spinning in circles, rocking back and forth, pulling out their own fur, and even biting themselves. After all of this, almost all of them will be killed.
Number 2 – There are great alternatives for testing
Technology is an incredible thing, especially in the world of product testing. Rather than testing how much a product burns a rabbit’s eye, scientists can form cornea-like 3D tissue structures produced from human cells to do it instead, this is known as In-Vitro testing. There is also voluntary human testing and computer modelling testing.
Number 3 – We have so many Cruelty-Free options
So animal testing is awful and having researched reason number one, I have sworn never to knowingly use products tested on animals again.
Believe it or not there are so many great brands that are Cruelty-Free, giving you a huge amount of choice to find the most amazing products. I have included a list of some of my favorites but if you aren’t sure, PETA have created an app called “BunnyFree” to help you know who is and isn’t Cruelty-Free, not all brands are on there but a lot of the big ones are.
My Favorites
Cover FX, Tropic, Organic Pharmacy, Elemental Herbology, The Balm, Glitter Eyes
My top tip when looking to buy Cruelty-Free is to understand what the parent companies also do. Liz Earle is Cruelty-Free but as they are owned by AVON who isn’t, I personally do not feel comfortable using or recommending their products.
If you would like to know more about how to recognise what companies are or are not cruelty free take a look at my post here.
Number 4 – Ignorance is not bliss
If you weren’t aware of how bad animal testing was, I don’t blame you. For years the beauty industry has hidden their ugly-side very well. But now you know, ignorance is not bliss and you can make a difference. If people stop buying, the companies will eventually have to stop testing.
Number 5 – Cruelty-Free is a gateway to a healthier you
Understanding if the products I use are Cruelty-Free has made me stop and think about what ingredients are in them. The skin is our biggest organ, its absorbs everything we apply to it and understanding how those lotions and potions filled with parabens and harmful chemicals affect our skin is eye-opening. Another app I have found really helpful for understanding what products have these nasty ingredients in is ThinkDirty. Again this has a reasonably limited product range but has most of the bigger brands or click here to read my post on understanding those dirty ingredients.
Gracie Talks Beauty 