Before I became vegan, my most probing thoughts about mascara or blush were, “I wonder if that brand doesn’t dry out as much?” and “Can I rock that color like Jennifer Lawrence did?” However, being vegan isn’t only about abstaining from meat, dairy, and eggs, and other animal by-products. It’s a holistic lifestyle, which means it was time for me to start learning about animal testing for cosmetics. Even those who aren’t vegans will be interested in what I found!
•The FDA does not require companies to test their products on animals before selling them.
Although obviously it’s illegal to sell harmful or mislabeled products, companies are under no obligation to undergo animal testing.
•What are some of the common experiments?
According to the Humane Society, rabbits, mice, bunnies, and guinea pigs go through:
1.skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits without any pain relief
2.repeated force-feeding studies lasting weeks or months to look for signs of general illness or specific health hazards such as cancer or birth defects; and
3.widely condemned "lethal dose" tests, in which animals are forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical to determine the dose that causes death.
Even worse, after the tests are complete the subjects are killed by “decapitation, asphyxiation, or neck-breaking”—without pain relief.
•What are the alternatives?
Cosmetics brands can use the more than thousand ingredients that are already known to be safe, use non-animal methods to test their products (of which there are almost fifty), or invest in new non-animal tests.
•How can I help?
One of the easiest ways is to stop buying products from companies that use animal testing! This sends a powerful message to corporations that their cruelty will no longer be tolerated. You can also advocate for legislation that will ban animal testing in the U.S. The European Union has already taken this step.
•What brands use animal testing?
PETA has a full list on their website, but some well-known brands include Avon, Bumble & Bumble, Bobbi Brown, Chapstick, M.A.C., Johnson and Johnson, Kiehls, and Lancôme.
•What brands don’t?
Good news! There are tons of companies to shop from that are cruelty-free, and many of them are probably already your favorites, like Aveda, Bare Escentuals, C.O. Bigelow, E.L.F. Cosmetics, Lush, tarte, and Urban Decay.
One of the most egregious aspects about animal testing for makeup is that it’s so unnecessary. It’s unnecessary for cosmetics brands to do it, considering all of the alternatives they have. And the huge range of cruelty-free choices mean it’s unnecessary for consumers to buy from those brands. Next time you’re buying some eyeliner, don’t just think about what shade will accentuate your eyes—think about where it came from.
MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE
by Aja Frost
APRIL 2014
20