Why choosing cruelty free products is important.
When you take a look in your medicine cabinet, makeup bag or even your pantry, do you ever wonder exactly how the products you use are tested? Probably not. I didn’t for a very long time and honestly, I didn’t really care. Those details just didn’t seem to be important to me. I just assumed they were tested legally, and I was right for the most part as far as laws are concerned.
The products out there on store shelves are packed with all kinds of information on their label. Now a days, we can find exact ingredients, benefits of certain ingredients, where a product is made and just about anything else. What isn’t on every product is whether they are tested on animals or not.
The reason why? That’s not something that companies have to put on labels because animal testing isn’t illegal everywhere, especially in America.
If you are still asking, “So what? Why should this be important to me?”, I’m going to help you understand a bit and this is an important thing to consider, so bear with me.
Some Facts:
According to the Humane Society website, only 38 countries have animal testing bans in place and the only state in the US that has a ban is California and they ban the sale of newly animal tested cosmetics.
In some cases, animals are actually bred solely for the purpose of using them in labs to test products or medicines.
So, let me get down to why it’s important to consider the next time you buy laundry detergent, a skin care product or a tube of lipstick.
Why Cruelty-Free Is Important:
Hundreds of thousands of animals per year are poisoned, abused or die due to animal testing on products such as soaps, pesticides, and even makeup like foundation or lipsticks. The effects on the animals are tragic and animals aren’t saved after testing is performed. They are typically killed after they are used for testing purposes. Not to mention what types of testing is done such as dripping the product being tested into eyes or giving it a lethal dose of a product to see just how much would cause death.
The fact of the matter is that it’s not even necessary to test products on animals because it’s possible to make products that don’t need to be tested on animals at all. Fortunately, public awareness on this topic is growing through organizations such as leaping bunny project and the humane society, but the problem still exists and might for quite a while.
How You Can Help:
The easiest way is to stop giving your hard earned money over to companies that still allow testing on their products and leaping bunny project has made it easy to spot the companies that don’t allow testing on their products.
First, here’s a list of brands that don’t est.
Next, look for this label and if you see it, you are safely choosing a product that doesn’t test.
Last, email a company, check their FAQ’s, do a simple google search.
You can also make your own cleaning products and it’s actually pretty easy. The best part, you are saving money and making your own products means you know what’s in them.
Easy All-Purpose Cleaner:
Spray bottle
1 Cup of distilled water
1 tbsp. of castile soap (Dr. Bronners is my favorite)
Essential oils (10-15 drops)
You can also use a scented castile soap, Dr Bronner has many different naturally scented options. My favorites are peppermint and citrus.
Add all this to the bottle and shake a bit before using.
The way you can benefit from buying cruelty free isn’t just about saving animals. A lot of companies are producing natural, eco-friendly products that aren’t tested on animals, so you aren’t only helping our furry friends, but helping the planet too.
These products can be better for your health too. Natural products, without chemicals and commonly animal tested ingredients, you aren’t worried about suffering long term effects from everything from skin allergies to cancer.
Quite a few companies who don’t test, also support great non-profit organizations so you are giving back just by buying products you need.
Still not convinced. Take a quick look at your pet. Your happy dog, your napping cat, your best friend who runs around in the wheel or even your fish swimming happily around in his bowl. Those are only a few of the types of animals that are being tested on. Yep, dogs and cats. Can you even imagine a company causing harm to your best furry friend just to make sure a face? wash doesn’t irritate your skin? I absolutely can’t even think of how angry it makes me.
I would never put this guy through anything that would cause him any kind of pain and I hope you feel the same.
Also, keep in mind, natural and cruelty free doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive
Buying Products:
You can still look for deals and coupons online for these companies and also look into subscription options such as grove.co and health sites luckyvitamin.com who both carry cruelty free options without a huge price tag.
Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions are strictly my own and do not reflect the company or product I am reviewing.Disclaimer: Sweet Honeybee Health and it’s owners are not medical professionals. Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only. I research and write on numerous health topics and companies. Do not use the information you find on this site as medical advice. You are encouraged to seek the advice of a medical professional prior to trying any health remedy, no matter how safe or risk-free it may claim to be.