Today is the first day of classes! Luckily for me, Mondays and Fridays only consist of an 8am Organic Chemistry class and a 9am Biology class, so I've had a pretty leisurely afternoon! I'm still working on getting my room just so, so I'll post about that later, but for now I wanted to do a topic that I've been trying to get done for a while.
Now, you all know that I am an animal lover to the core and a tree-hugging hippie. Though I'm not a full vegan (I'd love to one day, but... cheese... ), just a vegetarian, I still try to be a responsible consumer and keep my purchases as cruelty-free as possible. For example, I try my absolute hardest (and mostly succeed) to avoid leather, suede, and down in my clothing and accessories. Wool is not do or die for me, since it CAN be obtained ethically (though tragically that is not always the case), but I will still avoid it just for good measure.
Another thing that is a biggie for me is animal testing. I am, now and forever, passionately opposed to animal testing in any form and for any reason. Yes, I include medicine in this, because there are people willing to volunteer for medical trials (and, really, why are they putting things in medicine they're afraid might hurt me anyway?!). I am aware that many animal activists tend to look the other way in the case of medical testing, using the tried and true "If one person can benefit medically from the suffering of 1,000 animals, then it's worth it." Well, no, no it's not. Because one living, breathing being is benefiting from the suffering of 1,000 other living, breathing beings. Seem fair?
Tragically, when it comes to medicine, you really have no choice but to take what a doctor gives you when you're very ill. I try to avoid medication as much as possible and let my immune system fight it out (natural medicine is something I want to get into someday), but when you're that sick, there's not much else to do. :/
Anyway, tangent aside, this post is more about cruelty-free cosmetics and beauty items. I made the decision to try to eliminate cruelty from my beauty regimen about a year ago, not long before I first came to CNU for my freshman year. I'd like to take you through some of the brands/items I use, and talk about how to not be mislead by labels.
First of all, I just want to give you what has been the most valuable tool out there in terms of having a concise list of cruelty free brands that all live up to a specified standard, the Leaping Bunny Program. They're independent of PETA and are instead sponsored by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC), which I think is important because a lot of people are mistrusting of PETA due to their extremism. Don't get me wrong though, if PETA says something is cruelty-free, it is. Anyway, a company can take a Leaping Bunny pledge, a promise to eliminate animal testing in ALL phases of production. By taking the pledge, said company can print the bunny logo on their products and you, the consumer, can know for sure that you're buying quality stuff.
I'll lay it out right here that not EVERYTHING I use is Leaping Bunny, though I've been trying to move in that direction. Some of this is for financial reasons (a lot of hippie stuff is more expensive), and some is for idealistic reasons I'll get to later. So, without further adieu, some of my go-to cruelty-free brands:
Burt's Bees: Completely cruelty free and bearing the Leaping Bunny logo. I turn to these guys for EVERYTHING. I use their lip balm, moisturizer (pictured), shampoo/conditioner, face wash, you name it. Also pictured is one of my new (and now favorite) purchases, their herbal blemish stick. It's got willowbark, tea tree oil, eucalyptus and other ingredients. I put it on problem areas after removing my makeup before bed and they're usually gone by morning!
Alba Botanica: Again, excellent all-natural brand that is Leaping Bunny approved. I've been known to get lotion, shampoo/cond., body and face wash and more from these guys. Pictured is a papaya enzyme facial mask that I try to use once a week or so (when I remember!).
Yes to Carrots: This is a line that I'm just now trying out for the first time. They use all-natural ingredients and highlight the natural beauty advantages of various healthy foods (not just carrots, as you can see in the picture). Carrots are invigorating and brightening, tomatoes are acidic and good for clearing breakouts, blueberries fight aging, and cucumbers are refreshing and good for sensitive skin. Yes, they make products with all four! The only product I've had the pleasure of using is their make-up remover wipes in cucumber. Honestly, had I had the money I would have sprang for tomatoes, but alas I am just a poor college student. :( They are not Leaping Bunny, but are certified cruelty-free by PETA (who are still VERY strict).
Tom's of Maine: I actually very recently started buying their toothpaste, and I love it! I can't even use normal brands now because to me they taste like chemicals. Tom's was actually bought by Colgate in 2006, which stirred up some concern that they might change their stance on animal testing, but to this day they maintain their PETA bunny logo.
Non-vegan Brands: When I'm in a pinch and LB products are out of my reach, I turn to more "normal" brands, ones that are usually more affordable. Such brands are St. Ives and Tresemme, shown above, and Almay, shown below. Here, though, is where this gets tricky. MOST of St. Ives' products are not tested on animals, and all (that I've seen) of Tresemme, though they shy away from calling themselves cruelty-free and cannot qualify for Leaping Bunny because their parent company, Unilever, is pro-testing. The same goes with Almay; it's hypoallergenic and non-animal tested, but is owned by Revlon, who is actually very notorious.
They still put "not tested on animals" on product labels and on their websites, but they are not "cruelty free." To be truly cruelty-free, there is NO testing on ANY animal at ANY stage of production. Who's to say that just because the finished product isn't animal tested, all of the ingredients weren't? The parent company gets to make such decisions.
Is this cheating? Is this still okay? The answer depends on the person. It does not make me happy to have to buy something when I know someone somewhere is profiting from suffering. Also, until recently I was completely in the dark about Leaping Bunny and had no idea that I could even find half the products I use that were produced ethically. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Also, and I've been called wrong and idealistic by many fellow animal lovers on this one, I hold onto the notion that if a parent company like Unilever sees that cruelty-free products sell better, then maybe they'll try and head more in that direction. It's far-fetched, I know, but I'm an optimist. :)
I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for new cruelty-free brands and products. Do you use any? Do you have any recommendations? Will the Leaping Bunny logo be helpful? Comments always welcome :)
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