As you browse the makeup aisles at your local drugstore or peruse through Sephora's new selections, do you really think about how those products made it to the shelves? It’s become practically a known fact that there are many cosmetic companies that test their products on animals, but it’s not always clear which brands do and don’t, or even why the practice is still common.
According to the Humane Society, the FDA doesn’t require companies to test the chemicals in their products on animals. There is a long list of chemicals already proven to be safe for human use, and other methods to test new chemicals that don’t involve any harm to animals. This means that there’s really no reason for companies to use animal testing. And the results a lab may receive from testing on animals may not always be reliable—meaning there’s a lot of over/underestimation when it comes to how much of a certain chemical can affect someone negatively.
The Humane Society also reveals some tests run on animals include “skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits without any pain relief, repeated force-feeding studies lasting weeks or months to look for signs of general illness or specific health hazards such as cancer or birth defects; and widely condemned 'lethal dose' tests, in which animals are forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical to determine the dose that causes death.” After the results are recorded, the test subjects are killed (I won’t even tell you how that’s done).
So what brands are safe, and which ones are not? The line can become a little blurred sometimes because a company that doesn’t test on animals may be owned by a parent company that does; for example the company Burt’s Bees doesn’t test their products on animals, but their parent company Clorox does. Companies that don’t test on animals but distribute their products to China, are also not considered "cruelty free," because cosmetics in China are required to be tested on animals.
The blog, crueltyfreekitty.com, has a variety of updated posts on what brands are safe and what brands are not. The blogger has written a post about brands that test on animals, brands that don’t, and brands that are completely cruelty free (meaning not even their parent companies partake in animal testing). Big brands like L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, and MAC consistently test on animals, while other brands like BH Cosmetics, Milani, and Urban Decay don’t (Urban Decay is even Leaping Bunny Certified).
I’m not suggesting that you throw out all of your makeup from brand that partake in animal testing (but don’t let me stop you if that’s what you want to do); I’m suggesting you research the companies that do perform animal testing, and find out which brands are transitioning to better methods. Be more aware when you’re purchasing your makeup, and if at all possible, support the brands that don’t partake in this practice. You can also write to your legislator, urging them to support the Humane Cosmetics Act, or visit the Humane Society website to learn more.
