Why We Should All Switch To Cruelty Free Skincare Products That carry The Leaping Bunny Symbol...
Here's an interesting and not-so-fun fact- in the United States alone, every year more than 100 million animals are tortured and killed due to animal experimentation. This animal testing can include burning skin, administering drugs, poisoning, inhalation of toxic substances and many other procedures that will leave the animals traumatised, infected with diseases and worst case scenario, dead. For no other reason but to test the safety of drugs and products for humans.
Interestingly, a number of researches have shown that animal testing is in fact bad science and it does not always work. With that said, in 2019, companies that still test their products on animals are making a deliberate choice to be cruel and that is not something anybody should support. Switching to cruelty free skin care products is one of the best ways to show your support against animal testing. This article will bring you the ten reasons why you should throw out your cruel skincare products for the better animal-friendly alternatives.
1. Cruelty Free Skincare Products Are Healthier
Cruelty free products are generally healthier and less toxic for your skin. This is because most conventional skincare products are filled with toxins and harsh chemicals, most of which you may not even know the origin of. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and if a product affects your skin negatively, you can bet it will definitely affect your overall health. By switching to vegan and cruelty free products, you’re opting for skincare products with all natural ingredients that are less likely to have negative side effects and cause you harm.
2. Animal Testing Is Cruel
Testing skincare products on animals is cruel and if not for any other reason, not hurting animals should be enough motivation to ditch cruel skincare brands. Apart from the fact that these animals are subjected to cruel practices which involve being tortured and killed at the end, they are confined to small cages and kept in inhumane conditions. There is no such thing like pain-free animal testing, so do not fall for it. These animals are put under great distress and trauma all through their lifetime and no animal deserves to live in that kind of fear and suffering.
3. Animal Testing Is Not Necessary
As stated earlier, animal testing can be completely avoided. Studies have shown that the results from animal testing are inconclusive meaning that even if certain ingredients and products pass the animal testing, they may still not be safe enough for human use. Moreover, there are better alternatives to animal testing like
in-vitro testing, which is safer and produces more conclusive results. But a lot of skincare brands still practice animal testing because it is “low-cost” albeit being quite unsafe. So basically, companies that still carry out animal testing are not doing so because they need to, they do it because they want to. This practice is unethical, and it should not be supported.
4. There Are Already Lots Of Safe Cosmetic Ingredients
Animal testing is based on the concept that there are certain chemicals contained in skincare products that need to be tested for their safety to humans before they can be released into the market. Now, this would seem logical if all ingredients were not safe and as such needed to be tested. However, there are thousands of natural and
organic ingredients that have been proven to be safe and toxin free that companies can use to formulate their products. But most companies prefer to use potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients often for the sake of increasing their profits. Thus, whenever you use skincare products that are not cruelty free, you are potentially lining the pockets of these brands at the detriment of your own health.
5. You Can Make A Difference
Every time you purchase non cruelty free skincare products, you are sending a message to the market: a message that says you do not care about animal rights and you are not worried about the ingredients in the product you use. From your own little corner, you can support cruelty free products by only purchasing from companies that are Leaping Bunny certified. Vote with your money and boycott companies still testing on animals. It may not seem like a lot to you but you could be making all the difference in the life of thousands of innocent laboratory animals.
6. You Could Be Supporting Better Businesses
If you are worried about not using your “favourite” products because they are not cruelty free, the good news is that there are thousands of other companies out there with better and cruelty free skincare products that your skin will love. From small independent skincare companies to big-name multinational cosmetic brands - do not think you are limiting yourself by switching to vegan and cruelty free products. You are only opening yourself to the better alternatives from
Leaping Bunny certified brands.
7. Animal Testing Is Illegal In Some Countries
Yes, you read that right. The government of countries like Norway, South Korea, Switzerland, New Zealand and the European Union all recognize the dangers of animal testing and have banned the practice in their various countries. The fact that animal testing is banned in most countries across the world should tell you how unethical and dangerous it is. You can follow suit and ban non cruelty free skincare products from your home as well.
8. You Could Be Promoting A Greener Planet
Many cruelty free brands offer products that use organic products, free from potentially toxic chemicals. Plant-based ingredients in skincare products have a proven safety record and it is easier for your skin to absorb as they are natural. Animal testing laboratories produce considerable quantities of waste that can be damaging and hazardous to the environment. Vegan and cruelty free brands do not practice animal testing and will often make use of more natural ingredients. So by making the switch to cruelty free products, you would be saving your skin and the environment.
9. Cruelty Free Skincare Products Are More Affordable
On average, organic and cruelty free skincare products are generally not as expensive as the non cruelty free products that make use of chemical ingredients. For example, make up brands such as MAC, Esté Lauder, or Clinique are all still currently testing on animals, and these brands come at quite a price. Check the packaging for the little pink leaping bunny on their labels, because these are the ones who are proud of their kind production processes and are doing things the right way. And if you're on a budget, then switching to cruelty free skincare products might just help save you some money as well.
10. You Will Feel Better
How would you feel about using skincare products that you know brought harm and suffering to millions of innocent animals? You can enjoy beautiful skin with a clear conscience by making only cruelty free purchases. Regardless of if you are spending a dollar or thousands, you will definitely feel a lot better about yourself at the end of the day when you know your purchases all support the greater good.
Conclusion
Here's the deal, if a skincare brand is not interested in the health and welfare of innocent animals, chances are, they are not that interested in your skin either. What they want is your money and every time you purchase their products, you are supporting their values, whether those values reflect yours or not. If you are looking for compassionate, responsible and cruelty free skincare brands in the market, you can check out
PETA’s database for skincare brands that are both vegan and cruelty-free. Below are just a few 'named and shamed' cruelty brands to avoid to get you started, but with a little bit of homework, we can ensure we rid all cruelty brands from our household once and for all.
Ready to switch to some cruelty skincare products? Well, you'll be pleased to know that's all we support in our shop! Check out our range of organic and cruelty free skincare here.
