I have been a regular makeup user only for about six months, but I’ve been burdened by the issue of animal testing and what it means to me as a consumer and—what I’d like to think—me as a responsible human being.
I know it happens outside of the beauty industry as well, but I think a large part of why I feel bad is because beauty products are, at the root of it, pretty unnecessary to the general public.
We beauty lovers use products because it is enjoyable and it makes us happy. It’s not necessarily a necessity, though I’m sure there are special cases, so I can’t be at peace knowing that a bunny or a hamster suffered so I could be itch- and allergy-free, wearing a lipstick or a foundation.
Because of this burden, I have assessed my current collection and divided the brands into several categories, which you can see here. If I can amend anything on the list, please feel free to let me know. 🙂
A large part of why I enjoy makeup and beauty blogging is attributed to the discovery and exploration of new products. I love the sensory experience of makeup, and the creativity that comes with it.
But, it does not feel right to continue using products and supporting companies that still test on animals, despite the technology that already exists to potentially put a stop to animal testing.
Obviously, I am not a scientist, so I don’t know what goes on in those labs. I don’t know what those tests are for, and if they are truly necessary to be done to test on a particular ingredient. I don’t know why these innovations feel like regressions. What I do know is that certain companies exist without the help of animal testing. They might not be the biggest companies or the most commercially successful, but they sell excellent products, too.
I’ve made a personal decision to limit, and eventually eliminate, my non cruelty-free purchases. I’m afraid to commit to completely eradicating those companies from my radar, because I might go back on my word and I don’t want that to happen. Instead, I will be making personal rules for myself to follow, in a step towards the direction of completely erasing animal-tested products from my routine and my collection.
- After April 20, 2013, I will no longer be purchasing any products that are made by companies that test on animals.
- I will continue to buy products from companies that do not test on animals but belong to a parent company that does, hoping that continued patronage of CF brands under them will encourage them to eliminate animal testing from their labs. This includes Urban Decay, NARS, The Body Shop, and bareMinerals.
- If I purchase anything that is not cruelty-free after April 20, 2013, I will disclose it in the post.
- If I purchase anything which has an unknown animal testing policy after April 20, 2013, I will disclose it in the post.
- If a company’s animal testing policy is unknown, I will try to contact them and post the response on this blog.
I will not be throwing out the non-CF makeup that I currently own because I am not made of money and I purchased those items with hard-earned cash. Also, I do not see the good it will do to animals if I throw away non-CF makeup that they died for.
I hope you can help me with this decision, and I hope you respect it as well. Please know that I will not judge you if you continue to use non-CF makeup. This is just a personal decision and burden, don’t let me rain on your parade, et cetera, et cetera.
Please don’t think of this as me guilting you. I just wanted to share where I am at in this “journey” and where I intend to go.
As always, thank you for reading. 🙂
Softly Sometimes 
It’s wonderful reading this. Truly. I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but it really inspires me when I learn of new people going cruelty-free, and it’s even cooler when they’re bloggers who can influence/spread the word. I agree with your reasons for doing it completely. For me, the bottom line is – there’s so much suffering in the world and I can’t justify letting my makeup purchases contribute to that.
Thank you, Catherine. 🙂 It’s still a struggle for me, since I think I am in a stage where I just absolutely love discovering new products. But it weighs down on me so much when I think about animal testing and what animals go through for me to get something pretty. It doesn’t really sit all that well with me, but I’m sure I will still fail and give in at times. I will try to be more conscious of what I buy, though, and hopefully that is enough for now. Thank you for the comment and the encouragement. 🙂
good for you! I’m so proud of you for making this commitment. good luck! also, do you guys have Lush there? They have some decent makeup items aside from all the other hair/body products! i believe they are environmentally friendly and cruelty free 🙂
Thank ya, Joyce. 🙂 Hope I can stick with it or at least reduce non-CF consumption. We do have LUSH here, but I’m a bit apprehensive about their cosmetics, since they are liquid-y and seem so fussy to use. Have you tried any? 🙂
Yes! I’ve tried their charisma skin tint and lipsticks! And an eyeshadow. I think they are pretty good!
Hi Carina! I was so excited to see this post from you! Going CF is not the easiest thing for sure, but imo it’s a very rewarding thing to do. I wish you all the best in your CF journey!
Thank you, Rachel! I’m sure it will be hard at first, and I’ve had some casualties on my wishlist (in that they have now been scrapped!) but I’m doing alright. 🙂
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Yay I’m glad you’re taking this pledge too! High five! 🙂
High five! 🙂
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Ok, so since I’m just starting to learn about make-up, I’m happy that I read this post first before purchasing stuff. Keep up the good work Carina! 🙂 I feel bad though because some of my paint brushes are made from animal hair (although this is not beauty related, it kind of feels the same haha)