A Cruelty-Free Makeover

Make-up Makeover

It’s a cruel world out there for animals in every aspect you can imagine. Did you know that animal testing is still done on a large majority of products? Maybe I’m naïve, or was under a rock until recently, but I thought all of that no longer existed. I didn’t realize that I had to look at labels on my cosmetics these days – I truly thought that companies didn’t test anymore. That is far from the truth.

The extreme cosmetic makeover started with our lotions, shampoos, conditioners and deodorants. My husband and I watched a documentary called “Bag It” that mentioned how there are phthalates in many different household products. The next day we started to look at the labels and realized that this chemical is in everything! So, we went to the store and replenished our stock with phthalate-free products. But, it wasn’t over yet.

A chapter in a book I read recently kept chirping in my ear about the horrors of animal cruelty in the cosmetic industry. I knew I had to change my make-up, but all of these questions kept clouding my mind. How will my skin react to the new products? How much will this make-up overhaul cost me? How will I replenish my make-up without having to go to specialty stores? And the questions kept popping up in my head. My heart won over my brain though, and I realized it’s time to make a change for the animals.

PETA Cruelty-Free Bunny Ears

I walked into Ulta and was directed to the only salesperson that sold cruelty-free make-up. I was astonished. Out of the whole store (and if you’ve ever been in an Ulta store before, you know they’re massive), there was this one product line and this one sales associate. She not only helped me recreate my make-up bag with new harmless products, but she also gave me good information about animal testing. She mentioned that labels could be deceptive, and just because they say they don’t test on animals, doesn’t mean they don’t test at all. She explained that it’s extremely hard to get the PETA bunny ears (pictured left) on labels because their requirements include much more than just not testing on the finished product. I found their website extremely helpful and thought I’d share this quote about labeling:

Labels can be deceptive, so be careful. No specific laws exist regarding cruelty-free labeling of products, and companies may not have the same high standards as PETA when labeling their products. PETA’s requirements include ingredients, ingredient suppliers, formulations, and finished products. A company that claims not to test on animals but that doesn’t appear on PETA’s list may have eliminated tests on animals for finished products but not for ingredients. If you communicate with a company that claims to be cruelty-free but is not on our list, please ask for a statement in writing and send a copy of the statement to PETA. We will contact the company to see whether it meets our cruelty-free criteria. Meanwhile, PETA recommends purchasing only products made by companies on our “Don’t Test” list.

I know some people who have expressed interest in switching out their make-up, but were curious about the cost. I may have spent more than I would have on drugstore make-up, but it’s well worth it. The make-up is top quality and I don’t use as much as my old make-up. I believe that it was just the initial cost that was steep, but I most likely won’t see that kind of tab again. Not to mention, it wasn’t all that much if you think about the greater impact that you’re making.

My skin feels great and my conscience is clear, so this is a decision I’ll never regret. In case you’re interested in making this switch, there are other websites besides PETA’s that list cruelty-free products, like Leaping Bunny. Also, the make-up I use now is called Tarte, and I’m also trying out Yes To’s line of cleansers and moisturizer, but there are tons of products out there that are now cruelty-free. Make the switch to a cruelty-free world with me and save the animals one step at a time.