Cruelty-Free Skincare: What You Need to Know

Women throughout history have pretty much done anything for beauty, including trying all sorts of concoctions that promise them more radiant and more youthful skin.  Finding the exact right products for one’s skin tone and type can be daunting and challenging, even without considering how these products came to be.  But while most women will admit that beauty is a top priority in their life, they will usually also admit that it is not worth the cost of harming innocent animals.  

Unfortunately, animal testing of beauty and skincare products still occurs quite frequently.  And not only is animal testing not required by law and otherwise entirely unnecessary, what these innocent test animals endure is nothing short of horrifying.  With plenty of high-quality, effective, cruelty-free skincare products available on the market today, it is well worth taking the time to understand their many benefits and switch to their use.

About Cruelty-Free Skincare Products

Cruelty-free products are developed without any animal testing occurring during the entire development and manufacturing processes.  However, some companies find a legal loophole that allows them to label themselves or their products as cruelty-free as long as the finished products were never tested on animals.  Others may put cute bunny designs on their labels in order to imply that they are cruelty-free when in fact they are not. This means that consumers must research further to discover whether the individual ingredients in each product may have been animal tested.  A simple, fast solution is to look for reputable certification from companies like PETA or Leaping Bunny.

PETA states that all companies on their cruelty-free list have actually signed a statement verifying that neither they nor any of their ingredient suppliers conduct, commission or pay for animal testing on ingredients, formulations or finished products.  There are more than seventeen hundred cruelty-free companies listed in PETA’s online database.  Leaping Bunny states that in order to receive cruelty-free certification, the company itself, its laboratories and its ingredient suppliers must not use animal testing in any phase of product development.

Many skincare companies take the cruelty-free challenge very personally, and work hard to provide healthy, natural products that are free from harsh chemicals, are better for your skin, and are entirely cruelty-free.  Making the switch from products you know and love but are not certified cruelty-free to products that are certified cruelty-free may seem like a bit of a hassle, but it's one way to help prevent the harsh treatment of our world's beloved animals.

Love,

Gen