As of September 4th, 2018, California became the first state to ban animal testing for beauty products. The ban will be in full effect after 2020, but this is a huge hop in the right direction for animal rights activists and animal-friendly beauty lovers alike.

Although plenty of brands have gone cruelty-free, the vast majority of companies still test their products on animals before releasing them to consumers. This is obviously problematic and an example of how we as humans tend to treat the lives of animals as if they aren't worth as much as a human life. What many people fail to realize is that cruelty-free makeup is a huge deal to animal rights activists because of the terrible things that occur to the animals that are being used.

First off, these animals are often in captivity for their entire lives, and contrary to popular belief are not just rodents and bunnies; plenty of puppies end up being tested on as well, particularly beagles because of their size and relatively passive nature.

Plenty of animals have been killed after having products tested on them, but the methods are rarely humane, especially after the torture the animals must deal with in order to be test subjects.

Beauty product testing is often done on the skin to see if it reacts well or causes a reaction. In many cases, a reaction does occur, leaving these animals to deal with their condition or be killed in favor of a "clean" test subject.

Hopefully, other states will follow suit and ban animal tested products and put an end to the suffering of these animals. The official bill states that after January 1st, 2020, no products will be sold that were knowingly tested on animals, allowing more transparency between brand and consumer, as opposed to the sometimes tiny and cryptic symbols that have become the norm in telling whether or not a product is cruelty-free.

Remember: until this is in effect, and until all states put it in effect, look for the little bunny symbol on all of your beauty products (or better yet, switch to a vegan brand, such as the Fanciful Fox, Jeffree Star, or Kat Von D) to ensure that your routine is not at the expense of an innocent life.