The Debate on Animal Testing and Cruelty-Free Products

Since the age of thirteen I have been an omnivore surrounded by herbivores. Do not ask me why half of my friends happen to be vegetarians. I honestly have no clue. Maybe it's because I grew up and still live in California. Maybe my love for animals attracts other animal lovers. Either way, I would be lying if their life choice has not affected the way I shop at the supermarket.

Just because I enjoy a good burger does not mean that I don't care how the bull was treated. I do. Every organism deserves a good quality of life. In my opinion, the fact that humans eat beef is no different than the fact that lions enjoy a nice fat antelope for supper. Evolution made us to have both animals and plants in our diet. If someone feels better boycotting meat products that is their choice, and I do not doubt it to be a good one. However, what is not good and natural is keeping a chicken in a cage its whole life, feeding meat products to cows, or testing how much a baby shampoo will burn a bunny's eyes.

Not everyone has been graced with vegans and vegetarians in their life to show them what products are cruelty free. In this blog I am going to discuss the numerous things I learned by my own research and from talking with my animal rights activist buddies about animal testing.

Attention Ladies and Gentlemen!

If the product does not say something like "cruelty-free" or "this product is not tested on animals," it means they test on animals. People who torture mice and bunnies are not going to say so on their products! 3:)

If animal testing is something that concerns you, you have to learn to be a more conscientious buyer. It does not matter if you are buying laundry detergent, make-up, or deodorant. Check the back label.

Stores like Whole Foods destroy our belief in organic, free-range, and cruelty-free products that are also cost effective. There are plenty of good quality and low cost products which do not jeopardize the health of animals. Listed below are some of my personal favorites.

Low Cost and Animal Friendly Products

1. White Rain- this line makes shampoos and conditioners that will leave your hair soft and silky for little more than a buck for each product.

2.Bath and Body Works/Victoria Secret- For a while the "This finished product is not tested on animals," label on the back of their bottles made me question them. Obviously the finished product was not, but what about when it was first being developed? Turns out I was wrong about these stores. They have won numerous awards for their animal friendly fragrances including one from PETA, and thank God because I'm slightly obsessed with my Japanese Cherry Blossom perfume. If you wanna take it away from me, you'll have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. :P

3. Trader Joe's Shaving Cream- It smells like apricots and mangoes. Woot! It leaves your legs, face, or whatever else you shave (teehee) soft and silky. It doesn't foam up like most shaving creams, but it does a better job than that raspberry scented Skintimate ever could. I have also gotten less razor nicks since I started using it. Plus, it's cruelty-free!

4. Seventh Generation or Method Cleaning Products- These products work just as effectively as your ordinary household glass, tile, or floor cleaners. You can get them for cheap at Target or your local grocery store. They smell great and don't leave a lingering odor of chemicals in your house.

5. Planet Laundry Detergent- not only is this stuff environmentally and animal friendly, it packs a punch! I used to wash my son's cloth diapers with this product. If it can take baby poop off of white cloth it can do anything. Planet Laundry Detergent is also hypo-allergenic which makes it a favorite pick of mommies everywhere. It's also cheaper than Dreft and other baby laundry detergents. You save money by only having to purchase one detergent for your whole family. :D

6. Almay Make-Up- I don't understand why mainstream cosmetic companies such as Almay do not advertise the fact that they are cruelty free! Do not pay thirty dollars for one shade of organic eyeshadow! When you buy Almay you can be assured that you are buying a good product at a low price, without supporting a company that hurts animals. Plus you can find this line at any drugstore.

7. Mitchum Anti-Perspirant and Deodorant- Mitchum makes anti-perspirant for both men and women. They come either scented or unscented. They are one of PETA's picks for cruelty-free deodorants, because we all know that jojoba oil and Tom's deodorant don't do anything to cover up your nasty smellin self.

8. Kiss My Face- This line is great for skin, has a wide selection, and smells absolutely yummy. It is also one of the rare skin care products that you can buy at your local drug store that does not participate in animal testing.

9. Nature's Gate or Kiss My Face Toothpaste- toothpaste is perhaps the toughest cruelty-free product to find. Arm & Hammer, Colgate, Crest, Mentadent, Aquafresh...you name it...they all either test on animals or refuse to disclose their animal testing policy (and I think we all know what that means). Unfortunately, all the toothpastes I have tried which are organic and/or not tested on animals do a crappy job of cleaning my teeth or taste like tar. These seem to be the best tasting and do the best job. You can look up the reviews online. Tom's toothpaste may be popular but in my opinion it is not even worth trying. Each of these lines have toothpaste specialized for every dental issue such as whitening, gingivitis, or tooth sensitivity. In addition, both are inexpensive. HUZZAH! While they are available at some drugstores, especially Kiss My Face, you might just find it easier to order them online. You can buy a pack of several oral care products for 6.99 or less on some drugstore websites, which is a pretty great deal. In the meantime we have to hope that a more mainstream company realizes animal testing is not necessary to form a great product. However, there are rumors circulating around the web that Colgate is revising its policy on animal testing. Keep your fingers crossed!

10. NatraCare and Seventh Generation Tampons- I do not even want to know how you test tampons on an animal, but apparently it happens. As far as I'm concerned tampons is tampons. These two products keep things in check and that's all I care about. ;)

But what about those classy ladies and gents out there who only use department store or salon products? Only top of the line shi shi brands for moi! Well fair consumer there is a wide range of personal care products for you too. Here's a list of my personal favorites.

1. Unite and ABBA Hair Products- Vegan, Organic, Cruelty-Free..these two products are high quality and perfectly friendly to bunnies! YAY! They are also sulfate and parabin free for those of you with sensitive hair and skin. You can find them at your local salon or beauty supply store.

2. Dermalogica- This line of skin products has worked miracles on my skin since I started using it a few months ago and does not take part in animal testing. It can be found at beauty supply stores and spas.

3. O.P.I- Now you can have your mani pedi and choose your nail polish while doing something good for animals. O.P.I. has a wide selection of shades and is considered one of the most long lasting polishes.

3. Sephora- The Sephora brand does not test on animals and neither do many of the cosmetic lines their stores carry such as Bare Essentials and Smashbox.

4. Tommy Hilfiger Perfume/Cologne- Smell good while knowing you supported a responsible company with your purchase. :)

5. I Love My Muff!- Yes, you read that correctly. Cruelty-Free feminine hygiene products for the proud woman. 8) Available at department stores and at www.ilovemymuff.com

When it comes to our kids, we become more paranoid with the products we use. After the birth of my son everyone told me Johnson and Johnson had the best line of babycare products. Guess how they developed their "No Tears Formula"? (It involved something cute and furry being in a lot of pain.) Not only are they notorious for their testing on animals, I have to say the product sucks. My son has sensitive skin and the day after I used it on him he broke out in an awful rash. I've heard similar complaints from fellow mommies. Surprisingly, just because a brand is well known and has been around for a long time does not mean it is an essentially good product. My poor baby went through a few rashes before we found hygiene products that worked well on his skin. Turns out the ones that left the sweetest scent, cleaned him the most thoroughly, and were the most gentle on his skin were also the ones that didn't test on animals. :O

Unfortunately, many organic and cruelty-free products will charge you an arm and a leg for a few ounces of baby wash simply because they know you're a concerned consumer, a loving parent, and that you will pay. Hurrumph! For example I loved Paul Mitchell's Kid's Shampoo, Earth's Best babycare products, and California Baby. However, I am a young mother who goes to school and works a nine dollar an hour job. I can't afford to be spending more than ten bucks on baby wash.

Soo....

Back to the Interwebs!!!!!

The cheapest I found was Method's baby and kid's care products. At less then $5.oo a bottle, it's a steal and it didn't cause any rashes on my baby boy or tears on little furry critters. :D You can find it in Target or at www.target.com.

One of my close friends is an animal behaviorist and researcher. Her love for animals knows no bounds yet she is not an advocate for ending animal testing. She insists while some companies may treat their animal inhumanely, most keep their animals healthy and happy.

It is not that I do not believe her. In fact, this may be quite possible. However, there is no transparency with how companies test on animals. There is a big difference between seeing how well the skin of a rat improves when it is massaged with vitamin e oil and seeing if a foundation will burn off the skin of a bunny. Unfortunatly, until there is more information released, I refuse to by a product when I do not know what is going on in the laboratory. If they treat their animals so well, welcome a news crew into your lab. Then I might be willing to consider purchasing your product.


For more information visit the following websites:

www.peta.org/feat/proggy/2007/winners.asp

www.mybeautybunny.com

www.caringconsumer.com


Thank you to Kristin and Jenny for inspiring me to do some research. <3>