Significance of Being Cruelty Free
From All-Creatures.org Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies Articles Archive

FROM Ashi
June 2020

Every year millions of animals are senselessly killed in the name of cosmetic testing. Those delicate lives have to suffer unfathomable torture and pain. Time has come to put a stop to the cosmetic testing cruelty once and for all.

Just the other day, I was having a chat with a friend. I’m not going to waste your time here, filling in details! Cutting down to the chase, she told me something which actually stirred AA within me. So, here I am sharing this piece of article with you. What did she say, you ask? I’ll say, it was her naivety, but it was along the lines of ‘how animal cruelty is not real’. Guess what? Back in time, even I wasn’t aware of animal cruelty, let aside taking it seriously. So, who am I to judge her?

Unfortunately, a lot of end consumers are not even fully awakened to the harsh reality of animal cruelty and how it is related to every other thing we are using. I’ll say we are just as naive. But, we are self-learning and educating ourselves, this is just what matters. I ‘tried’ to let her know how real, deep and disheartening all of it is, actually. Let’s talk about the significance of being cruelty free, shall we?

We love cosmetics. We purchase from our favorite brand, use them as we like, keep them aside when a new thing gets launched and then throw them out when expired. High end, mid-range, drugstore...We trust our brands. We know they would supply us with 'safe' and 'skin-friendly' cosmetics. But have you ever given any thought on 'how' cosmetic brands ensure safety?
Let me introduce you with the soar reality; majority of the brands test these cosmetics and their ingredients on animals. They use variety of animals starting from rats, rabbits, dogs (any dog lover here?!), monkeys.

They shave the furs of 'test animals' and apply your favorite skin potion on their irritated skin. They even test products on the eyelids of those animals. Animals are force-fed or force-inhaled toxic chemicals.

Drug testing also needs their genetic manipulations. These animals are then killed brutally using carbon-dioxide poisoning or neck-breaking. To make just a tub of cream or a tube of mascara hundreds of animals lose their lives. This is what we name as 'cruelty' in drug or cosmetic testing. Any product made without harming animals is 'cruelty free'.

According to PETA, cruelty-free means: “A company or brand has taken the position that it won’t allow any tests on animals, including in its supply chain, for any reason."

Why should We Shift to Cruelty Free?

According to dosomething.org, "Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year. Labs that use mice, rats, birds, reptiles and amphibians are exempted from the minimal protections under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Up to 90% of animals used in U.S. labs are not counted in the official statistics of animals tested."

Thought Catalog presents the fact, "At times, laboratories either buy animals from shelters or pose as adopters to use the animals in experiments. Every time you donate money to or support the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, or many other charities, you’re supporting even more animal research. If you’re an American and a Taxpayer, You’re Being Forced to Pay $16 Billion for These Experiments."

The earth is the home for every living being one can think of.

Is it fair to do meaningless cruelty to the defenseless animals in the name of drug and cosmetic testing? Definitely not!

Also, cruelty testing does not ensure complete safety. More than 90% of cruelty test 'passed' substances fail on actual human testing. Not only that, recent researches have found far better alternatives of animal testing. These tests use human cell cultures in test setup.
Some computerized simulators are also available for testing life saving drugs. We now have multiple 3D skin simulations to test cosmetics. Volunteer based testing is also a very ethical substitute of the inhuman animal cruelty practices.

Many animal rights organizations encourage these alternative testing methods by providing monetary contributions as well. Still, many multi-national pharmacies and cosmetic giants like L'Oreal and Estee Lauder still rely highly upon animal testing of their products for simply economic gains.

We the consumers of these brands hold the power to change the world's views on cruelty on animals. We buy what they make. The day we start showing our support to cruelty free beauty, the big brands will be forced to transform.

From PETA's statement "Every day in countries around the world, animals are fighting for their lives. They are enslaved, beaten, and kept in chains to make them perform for humans’ “entertainment”; they are mutilated and confined to tiny cages so that we can kill them and eat them; they are burned, blinded, poisoned, and cut up alive in the name of “science”; they are electrocuted, strangled, and skinned alive so that people can parade around in their coats; and worse."

How can You Contribute in Making the Cosmetic World Cruelty Free?

Making our makeup and beauty world free of cruelty is a journey in itself. We all need to come together to fulfill this dream. Every year millions of animals are senselessly killed in the name of cosmetic testing. Those delicate lives have to suffer unfathomable torture and pain. Time has come to put a stop to the cosmetic testing cruelty once and for all.

We all have to join hands for that. The number makes sense guys! Every one of us counts. The more of us become aware of what goes on in the backend of those glorified cosmetic research laboratories, the faster we can put a pause to animal testing.

Not one, there are multiple alternatives to animal testing. According to ScienceStruck, "The world of science has on record more than 400 methods that can effectively replace animal experiments."

Incorporating cruelty free products in your day to day life is equally important. We know how attached you are with those old favorite non cruelty-free goodies. Been there, done that! You won't have to swap out your stash all at once. Once you get over with something, go for the cruelty free alternatives. Take your sweet time and be consistent.

Don't know what brands to go for?

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)... There are a number of organizations working on animal rights and cruelty. PETA mentions an extensive list of cruelty free brands. You have to go through their site and they'll provide you with all sorts of information on brands. You'll also get some product suggestion on the web.

How to identify cruelty free items from non cruelty-free ones

Finding a cruelty free item from an aisle full of products in a supermarket can be tricky at times. For beginners at least, it's a nightmare! Fear not, we have some suggestions for you. Majority of times, cruelty free brands certify themselves from animal welfare organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA gives them a bunny marked product tag. It's a white bunny with pink ears. Look for this symbol on the products alongside following some other guidelines and you'll be good to go!

Post contribution: CrueltyFreeGuide.com  

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