Let me be the first to say, I get it.

Shimmery eye shadow palettes; brushes so soft you wish you could wear them; lip lacquers that can withstand every sip, bite, and crunch; and moisturizers as luxurious as they make the wearer feel. These things not only enhance your natural beauty, but they help you love the skin you're in even more, and the choices have become seemingly endless. With today's beauty industry nearing a worth of $600 billion, there are thousands of products and brands to choose from for everything from makeup to hair products to total body care; however, with so many products available, it can definitely seem overwhelming and a bit daunting when it comes to choosing what products are right for you.

Labels like "fair trade", "sustainably sourced", "all natural", "paraben free", "organic", and dozens more can make the decision process confusing, overwhelming, or even stressful, making many people—especially those new to the world of beauty—want to get in and out of the beauty aisle as fast as possible. Whether your retailer of choice is your local drugstore, a shop specializing in all things beauty like ULTA or Sephora, online, or the various makeup counters in high-end department stores, finding not only what you like, but also what works best for you is essential. In making these decisions though, one label should reign paramount in helping you decide whether a product is worth your hard-earned money: cruelty-free.

The Hard Truth

Simply put, cruelty-free beauty products are those that are not tested on animals in any way. Most commonly, small animals like mice, rats, rabbits, small primates, and guinea pigs are utilized in tests in which chemicals are dripped down their throats, smeared into their eyes, and rubbed into their fur/skin in order to assess the physical effects of products like shampoo, mascara, perfume, and more. If this fact doesn't bother you, know that some labs and companies in the United States alone use over 19,000 cats and over 60,000 dogs for their testing every year, too. There's no bias when it comes to animal testing, only suffering.

Fortunately, American cosmetic companies are not forced to test on animals under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and over 37 countries around the world have either partial or full bans on animal testing for cosmetics; however, some countries still allow or require the practice. The European Union has made it illegal, since 2013, to sell animal-tested products anywhere in Europe, regardless of if the products were tested within the EU or outside of it, but it was not until March of 2019 that one of the world's largest cosmetic manufacturing countries, China, finally changed its laws regarding the requirement of all beauty products being sold in the country to have been tested on animals. This action has already had an immense impact on the beauty community in America, but there is still much to be done to stop animal testing for good, as countries and cultures have maintained different standards and values when it comes to animal rights.

Hope is, however, on the horizon, as global organizations are looking toward humane alternatives to animal testing that will still ensure the effectiveness and safety of products, without the cruelty. One argument for animal testing is that much of what we know about the modern effects of various chemicals or formulas on the skin is due to the results found through such tests, however, this simply is not true. "Experiments on animals are cruel and expensive, and they produce dangerously misleading results that are generally inapplicable to humans," a recent article by PETA UK wrote. Universities and medical institutions around the world are currently working to present global governments with safe, non-animal alternatives that can still ensure accurate results, but that doesn't cost a life.

What You Can Do

So if you aren't already taking steps toward using products that don't test on animals, you're probably wondering how to get started.

First, know that using cruelty-free beauty products does not have to be expensive or unattainable. There are both drugstore and high-end brands alike that proudly don't test on animals, helping to meet everyone's budget requirements. Drugstore makeup brands including e.l.f. Cosmetics, Wet 'n' Wild, NYX Cosmetics, Burt's Bees, Pacifica, Zoya, most recently recognized by Cruelty Free International, Covergirl, and more offer thousands of high-quality hair, skin, nail, and body products for all under about $30 across the country; while more high-end brands like Too Faced, NARS, Urban Decay, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Kat Von D Beauty, Tarte, and many more offer more luxurious options for cosmetic lovers with deeper pockets or a willingness to splurge a little. Similarly, brands like Raw Sugar Living, Shea Moisture, Giovanni Cosmetics, Alba Botanica, Carol's Daughter, Mixed Chicks, Toms of Maine, Sun Bum, and more, similarly work to meet all of your hair, sun-protection, dental, and skin needs wherever you are.

For a complete list of cruelty-free brands, do your research, check the packaging for indications of cruelty-free products, or use websites like Cruelty-Free Kitty or Ethical Elephant for free guides and information on all things ethical beauty for both men and women.

Second, think about it this way: If a company needs to run multiple pre-market tests on their products in order to diminish the harmful effects of a product's long list of ingredients, why would you want to put it on your face or body anyway? Your skin is the largest organ in (on?) your body, it is not only beautiful, but it should be treated as such too. What you put into your skin, hair, teeth, and nails now, you'll get out years down the line, so choose something that didn't take forty-five tests on a helpless bunny rabbit to ensure it wouldn't chemically burn or scar your skin.

As aforementioned, using ethical beauty products won't only save helpless animals from endless pain, but they can also help you feel better about what you're putting into your body (and what you're pulling out of your wallet if you're a Drugstore Diva like me). Remember, change does not and will not likely happen overnight, but the next time you run out of your favorite toothpaste, deodorant, or mascara, don't be afraid to look around for an almost exact formula elsewhere.

It's not one person using only cruelty-free products that makes a difference, but rather it's many people making small changes and increasing their awareness that can change laws or policies that have stood the test of time. Do it for the animals, do it for yourself, and do it for your future, because real beauty shouldn't have an ugly secret.

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Push for an even greater change by signing Cruelty-Free International and The Body Shop's petition to ban animal testing everywhere and for good!