It’s a bright and early school morning, and you yawn while applying rich, nourishing moisturizer onto your skin. Your favorite bronzing face drops are next, mixed with foundation for a glowy finish. As you pat the product in, you look fondly at your pet hamster playing in his cage. Little do you know, your holy grail complexion products were likely made at the expense of fluffy friends not so different from yours.
Every day, countless animals are subjected to abuse by cosmetic brands. Chemicals are put into their eyes, forced down their throats and injected into their skin, causing suffering and death. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, over 110 million animals a year are killed in U.S. labs alone, with 78% of the top 50 cosmetic brands participating in this cruelty. Yet people still give these companies their money with no second thought. This could simply be due to carelessness, or something deeper.
Many popular makeup and skincare brands including L’Oreal, Neutrogena, CeraVe and Maybelline claim cruelty-free practices, but this is not the whole story. The term cruelty-free is unregulated, meaning that brands can use it freely without having to meet any sort of criteria. While they may not test on animals themselves, many companies still allow or even pay for their products to be tested on animals so they can be sold in certain countries that have required animal testing on imported cosmetic products. Other brands use fake bunny logos on their products, imitating cruelty-free certification seals from official organizations such as PETA or Leaping Bunny Program. It is easy to fall victim to this misinformation, which is why it is important to do your research.
A reliable way of finding cruelty-free products is looking for brands that are certified by PETA or Leaping Bunny Program. You can also utilize the website Cruelty-Free Kitty, which has covered over a thousand brands and follows a strict criteria for their cruelty-free verifications.
Fortunately, shopping cruelty-free won’t break the bank or force you to change your habits. There are many well-known alternatives to brands that test on animals, both high-end and drugstore. Milani Cosmetics, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and CoverGirl are all examples of popular cruelty-free brands that you can find at your nearest pharmacy. At CVS price points, can you really afford not to go cruelty-free?
To participate in the fight against animal testing, you do not have to do much. A mindset change and quick Google search here and there is all it takes to save thousands of lives. So do your part, do your research, and shop cruelty-free.