My new housemate said to me the night before last “Oh, I don’t really pay attention to things like that. I can’t be bothered…” - sadly, she was talking about Animal Testing.
When I began to list the numbers of animals that are killed and grossly mistreated for the cosmetics industry alone, she said “But I don’t care about mice or rats - kill them.”
How do I explain to her, without coming across preachy, that she is completely and utterly, without a shadow of a doubt, wrong?
I will be completely honest and say that not all of the cosmetics and things in my life are considered animal friendly, but I buy responsibly and ethically where I can and if I know of an animal friendly alternative to something I currently use I will most definitely give that option a try first.
I will be completely honest and say that not all of the cosmetics and things in my life are considered animal friendly, but I buy responsibly and ethically where I can and if I know of an animal friendly alternative to something I currently use I will most definitely give that option a try first.
Working at Lush, one of the things that I hear the most is “Do you really fight animal testing?’/ “Are all your products really animal friendly?” The Queen of Sarcasm inside me is dying to give them the most direct stare and say “No, we don’t. We just thought it would be a good thing to print on the side of our bags and throw into the marketing mix…” purely for the reaction.
It’s so easy to do a little research and figure out who does what in the world of animal testing now, it seems lazy and arrogant not to do so. Seeing as I’m sure not everyone is as in the loop as they should be, here’s a couple of websites to get you going. All you have to do is click the links below, it’s not that tricky;
The Vegetarian Site.
The Vegetarian Site.
Any item or product that sports this leaping bunny logo is approved as Cruelty-Free which is what you’re looking for whilst browsing the aisles at your local supermarkets.
Whilst most brands who are Cruelty-Free are fairly outspoken about it (Lush for example), the brands who aren’t are a little more shady about it. The Body Shop for example, have always been outwardly cruelty-free and proud, but then they were bought by L’Oreal who are anything but cruelty free, so what does that mean for The Body Shop’s animal friendly ethics?
Whilst most brands who are Cruelty-Free are fairly outspoken about it (Lush for example), the brands who aren’t are a little more shady about it. The Body Shop for example, have always been outwardly cruelty-free and proud, but then they were bought by L’Oreal who are anything but cruelty free, so what does that mean for The Body Shop’s animal friendly ethics?
It’s sad that animal testing, especially in the cosmetics world, is swept under the carpet so often. I would have much more respect for a company if they openly said “Yes, we do currently test on animals, but we are collaborating with X and channelling £Y into finding ways to make the entirety of our brand cruelty free.” If companies like Lush, Illamasqua, Aesop and Barry M can go about their day to day business without torturing and killing/maiming animals why can’t everyone? Here’s looking at you; MAC Cosmetics, Sephora, Benefit, Clinique, YSL, Dior… the list goes on.
Through my own research, it would seem that quite a lot of cruelty-free cosmetics are a lot cheaper than drugstore, let alone high-end, make up brands. Why spend £20 on a lipstick that’s been tested on rabbits and has God knows what thrown into the ingredients, when you can spend a lot less and make a more moral, ethical choice with your cosmetics?
If you’re like me and you believe that you’re animal friendly wherever you can be, you’ll be glad to hear that my housemate, after visiting me at work (Lush Southampton) declared “I think I’ll use up all the stuff I have at home, and then just buy this stuff next time…” So whether I managed to change her mind on the policies regarding animal testing, or whether she just fell in love with Lush like so many have, I’m not complaining.
If you’re still not convinced that you should be on the look out for that little leaping bunny (not only are you an asshole) but here’s some information for you to mull over next time you’re pursuing your local beauty counter…
I’m not asking you to be perfect, because god knows I’m not, but I am asking you to be considerate.
No comments:
Post a Comment