Growing up, chances are you had a beloved pet or two (or three). You bonded with your animal companion and you probably have powerful memories involving the time you spent together. It has been proven time and time again that animals play a major role in our development; it appears that we are naturally inclined to create bonds with pets. They are our adorable partners in crime and they hold special places in our hearts due to their unconditional loyalty and devotion. Honestly, there's a reason for the hours of footage on YouTube all focused on people's pets, and I know more than one college student who has procrastinated while browsing cat videos in the early hours of the morning. Also, I think we can all admit that we spend a lot of time missing our pets while away at school.
I encourage you to reminisce about your darling animal. Think about their precious little quirks; their undying love for you; consider all the times you took a selfie with them to prove your love in return.
Now think about the million of animals scattered across the country in pain and misery, living in deplorable conditions, so that American beauty suppliers can have millions upon millions of products to choose from.
According to www.DoSomething.org, over 100 million animals are burned, poisoned, and abused in the U.S. every year in the name of beauty. That's right, these animals are being tortured daily so that the chemical warfare we smear on our faces to look pretty can pass federal regulations in this country. Not only that, but many of these brands are still banned in other countries due to their toxic ingredients. That means that each day, after the prototype for your blush, eyeliner or favorite lipstick is tested on a number of innocent creatures and is shipped to whatever beauty supply store ordered it en masse, it is likely still contaminated with a list of chemicals that are incredibly dangerous to you (but have not been banned in America yet).
Several celebrities have taken active roles in trying to get the word out about this cruel, ridiculous business, yet it seems that too many of us are simply unaware of what actually takes place in labs across America in order to provide us such a plethora of products. To list just a few big names involved in animal rights activism: Ian Somerhalder, Ricky Gervais, and Charlize Theron all actively participate in trying to save animals' lives in the U.S. Even Simon Cowell, our favorite grump, speaks out against animal cruelty. Additionally, Europe has already made animal testing illegal. Shouldn't that tell us something? An entire continent has decided that animal testing should not be tolerated?
So, what can we do? How can we stop supporting such a terrible process?
We can make better purchasing decisions. Every product counts. I urge you to look into brands that offer their products sporting the label "cruelty free" or "no animal testing." Though many of these products are more expensive than their tested-on-animal counterparts, it is safe to say that paying extra to help push animal testers out of business is worth the bigger budget. Just as we make a huge difference when we vote, college students can have a major impact when we band together. If we all choose better, more ethical products we can start a movement that could potentially force non-ethical brands to change their ways just to please their consumers.
In an effort to help start this movement, I have compiled a list of college-friendly (read: fairly budget friendly) beauty products/brands that are not tested on animals.
Make-up.
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Bare Escentuals
bareFaced Minerals
Burt's Bees
E.L.F. Cosmetics
John Freida
Kat Von D
Urban Decay
Too Faced Cosmetics
Hair and skincare.
The Body Shop (skincare)
LUSH (skincare, hair, hair dyes)
Avalon Organics (hair)
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo
Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner
Alba Botanical Hawaiian Shampoo and Conditioner (pricier, but from experience I can say that this stuff is amazing)
Pacifica (skincare, hair)
JASON Tea Tree Scalp Normalizing Conditioner
Jack Black Body-Building Hair Gel (no strong smell, product marketing focused on men)
SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curling Gel
There you have it! If you see products whose parent companies are not entirely cruelty-free, rest assured that these specific items are made without harming animals. Furthermore, this list is by no means exhaustive.
Visit the following websites for more information on cosmetics that are not tested on animals:
http://www.leapingbunny.org/hair.php
http://veganrabbit.com/list-of-companies-that-do-n...
https://www.dosomething.org
