In the past three years, I've made a change.
At first glance it might not seem like a big change. It might not even be noticeable to most people. But regardless, it's a change that I am consistently proud of and happy about.
Three years ago I adopted a cruelty-free lifestyle.
What does that mean, exactly?
It means that I no longer buy products that have been tested on animals. In short, animal testing is using animals to conduct experiments with different products in order to make sure the products will be safe for humans to consume or use. This includes makeup, cleaning products, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.
To be completely honest, it wasn't an easy change. Most (if not all) of the products I had been using and buying were tested on animals, and trying to replace them with a much smaller selection of cruelty-free products was irritating and frustrating. When you transition to cruelty-free, your eyes are opened to the ridiculous amounts of companies and brands that test on animals. It's not something people recognize in their daily lives.
"But animal testing has been going on for years and years, I thought it was a good thing for us humans?"
Well, unfortunately you're right about one thing: it's been around for a while. Lush, a very anti-animal testing cosmetic company, shows the history of Europe's opposition to animal testing (and how companies managed to avoid the issue for years).
As for the supposed "dire" need for animal testing to keep us two-legged thangs alive whenever we put on makeup or brush our teeth....that is very, very untrue. There are numerous alternatives to animal testing, like using donated human tissues, computer models that replicate the human body/skin and volunteer studies. I don't know about you, but testing products on humans seems to be much more realistic than testing on animals.
With the technology we're so lucky to have today, it's unbelievable that animal testing is still thriving. It's become a huge industry: animals are bred precisely to devote their lives to experimentation and laboratories; if you can even call what they have "lives."
You might also be thinking, "Well, it's just rats and mice that are tested on, so it's no big deal."
Let me stop you there: I won't entertain the belief that any animal somehow deserves to be tested on simply because they might creep you out. But, no, those aren't the only animals that are tested on. Animal testing targets rabbits, primates, cats, and dogs.
"Beagles are the most popular breed for lab use because of their friendly, docile, trusting, forgiving, people-pleasing personalities. The research industry says they adapt well to living in a cage, and are inexpensive to feed."
This quote comes from ARME's Beagle Freedom Project, where dogs (and cats) are rescued from testing labs and are put up for adoption, allowing them to live the rest of their lives free of a cage and experimentations. Here's a heartbreaking (and heartwarming) video of some lab dogs who were rescued and given a sense of freedom for the first time:
Perhaps I'm blinded by anger and passion, but to me it seems incredibly selfish to continue using animal tested products after you've become aware of what animal testing really is. If there's one thing that I hope comes from this, it's that you will make conscious decisions against buying animal tested products. Make the switch. Stop supporting companies who still partake in these awful, cruel acts and start supporting those who are socially responsible: they are the ones who deserve your support.
