Check in your cabinets, and check in your drawers. Do the products you buy come from companies that test on animals? Are they vegan products, or were they tested via lethal animal testing? Many of the everyday companies you buy from do practice animal testing in some form. Here are a few:
Windex: "Get a streak-free shine..." at the disposal of hundreds of animals' eyes, skin, and stomachs. That's right, your beautiful, clear window came at the cost of spraying Windex in the eyes and on the skin of animals as well as force-feeding these little guys a shebang of chemicals. But, at least they're honest. Try Method, a cruelty-free company that sells not only window cleaner, but dish soap, all-purpose home cleaners, hand soap, and laundry detergent. Bonus: the Pink Grapefruit scent is heavenly.
Axe: "Find your magic." More like, "Find your local animal lab." Axe states that Unilever, Axe's parent corporation, is required by law to test individual ingredients on animals. Although they claim that their animal testing is minimized, they believe that animal testing is necessary for providing consumer benefits and to keep their products market competitive. Check out the "Find your local animal lab" link to read it for yourself. Guys, take my advice: a nice-smelling fellow is nice, but animal testing is not hot. Instead, check out the all-natural company Down to Earth Handmade Products which happens to sell pretty darn cost effective products, too.
Chapstick: "Total hydration! Beautiful lips in 3... 2... 1... Wow!" But, be careful what you wish for. How about: "Behind the beautiful lips: 3... 2... 1... Animal Testing!" In fact, Chapstick actually denies that they test on animals. Click on the link and scroll, scroll, scroll; it's well hidden towards the bottom. However, Chapstick's parent company, Pfizer, has been well known for its extensive use of animal testing. Interestingly enough, Pfizer actually has an entire webpage dedicated to defending their own case. Regardless, Chapstick is listed by PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as a Do-Test brand. And to really lay it down, PETA slammed Pfizer for being the tenth worst company for animal testing, rightfully so. Next time, skip the Chapstick and grab some Burt's Bees. This is a company that is dedicated to creating natural products and, yes, even using natural packaging materials! How could you go wrong?
Procter & Gamble: "You're always there for them. P&G is always here for you." Unless you're a guinea pig, rabbit, hamster, ferret, rat, mouse, cat, or dog. You may already know who Procter & Gamble is, but if you don't, they are the parent company of Always, Aussie, Bounce, Bounty, Crest, Dawn, Downy, Febreze, Herbal Essences, Ivory, Joy, Olay, Old Spice, Pampers, Pantene, Puffs, Secret, Swiffer, Tide, and Vicks. But, they are also the parent company of many brands that do not test on animals! In fact, they have been doing a seemingly decent job at creating alternatives to animal testing. You can even hear it from P&G themselves.
However, as a high-profit multinational company, they are required by law to undergo animal testing. Regardless, Uncaged supports a boycott of all P&G enterprises due to their continuation of animal testing. Instead, try supporting companies like http://www.wetnwildbeauty.com, which sells beauty products, TOM Organic, which sells feminine hygiene products, and Greenshield Organic, which sells a vast range of cleaning products, and they are all on PETA's no-test list!
The bottom line is: don't support animal testing. With fairly minimal research, you will find that many of your everyday, multinational companies do indeed practice animal testing. But the good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do that will help put an end to unnecessary animal testing. Head over and check out PETA's do-test list, which will give you a complete list of companies that practice animal testing today.
Print it; hang it on your fridge; take it to the grocery store with you. But much more importantly, take a peek at PETA's no-test list, a complete list of companies that are cruelty-free. Print it, share it on your Facebook wall, and live by it. Perhaps the good doesn't outweigh the bad, but you'll find that there are many more companies that are don't test than do. Support brands that have animals' rights straight!
