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Sunday, March 23, 2014

Cruelty-Free Beauty

The shampoo that does not burn your eyes, the fairness cream that makes you look gorgeous or that lipstick that gives you instant pout may have a darker side to them too. Most cosmetics makers use brutal animal testing to check the effects of their beauty products, like the levels of acidity or the side effects on skin, to name a few, before launching their products in the markets. It is a known fact that lipsticks contain fish scales which make them more glossy and shiny. However, here I am more focused on products that are tested on animals rather than those that contain their parts in any way. Such things take place at high levels and that too quite discreetly so we cannot be sure completely. To be on the safer side, it is always better to go for beauty brands that are cruelty free and if possible, vegan as well.


A few days back, I and my blog friend Katrin discussed about the right cosmetic brand and animal testing. Well, the term ‘right’ for us means a brand that is completely cruelty free. Since then I have been reading quite a lot about this topic and fortunately have found a few brands that are not only cruelty free but vegan and chemical free too!

Animal testing is one of the cruelest things one can do to the hapless creatures. To check the levels of burning sensations of shampoos and conditioners, they are commonly poured into the eyes of rabbits, puppies, kittens and chickens leading to extreme pain and mostly permanent blindness. Bleaches and creams are tested on their skin that leads to severe skin irritations. These creatures experience a living hell and brutal torture that ends only with their lives. If this is the cost of beauty, it is better to ditch such cosmetics and opt for natural products that are gaining fast foothold in India. We do not need to compromise on quality because that is the biggest concern that stops people from switching to more environment friendly cosmetics. Various herbs and natural products are far better than any chemical could be. We just need to be a bit careful and check out for a few symbols.

  • This leaping bunny is a sign that the product is free of any sort of animal testing.
  • This Green dot means the product is 100% vegetarian.
Before you pick that beautiful bottle that can make you look like a goddess, just close your eyes and try to remember that poor animal that suffered unending torture and died a brutal death to make you look a bit nice, that too only for some time. I believe that real beauty is just another form of kindness.

In our little ways, we can contribute much to abolish such obnoxious testing and most importantly, 

When buying will stop, killing will stop too


Images have been sourced from the Internet

28 comments:

  1. Ankita, thank you so much for this post! I can't even tell you what this means to me. It is fantastic that you did so much research on the topic and that you spread the word. It is great that you found cruelty free alternatives. I appreciate our discussion a lot. Thanks for being a great friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Katrin

      vielen danke meine lieben!!

      It is very important to promote the word at whatever level we can because when buying will stop, then only such endless tortures will stop.

      Thanks to you too for being a great friend :)

      Delete
  2. Very good and encouraging post....My daughter also keeps telling me that Body shop doesnt test it on animals, so try to buy that...and I think Forrest Essentials and Lotus are also like that..

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    Replies
    1. Hi Renu

      Thanks a lot!! Ya, the body shop is totally cruelty free. Please check out this site for more alternatives
      http://gocrueltyfree.org/shopper

      Delete
  3. I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is such a sad state. People do all this careless of the pain the little ones goes through. They scream in pain and die or are killed!
    Ithink Bodyshop is one of the known brands that do no animal testing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Red

      Yes, people just do not bother about such dark realities. It is one such brand and you can find many more here http://gocrueltyfree.org/shopper

      Delete
  4. Thanks for the info Ankita. I never knew they are brutal tests on animals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi SG

      Thanks a lot. yes, they do really cruel test on animals

      Delete
  5. A thoughtful post. Beauty products at what cost!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Terrible! I am an animal lover and torture of any kind on animals is just not excusable. Incidentally I do not use make-up. But even perfumes I have heard are made by torturing animals to the extreme. So much so for beautification! Very sensitive and educative blog.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Geetashree

      Nice to see to here!!!

      That is really nice that you are so kind to animals and care for them. I did not know that perfumes are tested on animals too...this is shocking.

      Thanks a lot! Do visit again :)

      Delete
    2. You will be horrified to know that exotic perfumes are made by slogging an animal of the rabbit species. When slogged the animal perspires profusely. The perspiration is fragrant which is used for perfume. Can you imagine to what extent the humans go to adorn themselves?

      Not only this. The dogs, especially Labradors, trained to spot bombs have shorter life span because smelling the bombs affect their lungs which increases their mortality rate.

      Very disturbing pieces of facts but they are all true

      Delete
    3. My God..I cannot just believe all that is true...shame on people who prepare perfumes in this manner..they will rot in hell for ages, I curse them with all my heart. Thank you for informing us about all this, now I would not buy any exotic perfume for safety sake. sad to read about poor canines too. There is no limit of human cruelty in fact out of all the species, we are the worst..

      Delete
  7. Seriously. The world needs a reality check. Why the fuck animals should suffer the torture so those losers can apply the cosmetics.

    I plan to protect the animals in the future professionally.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi The PA

      Ya seriously, we need to be sensitive towards other species too.
      That's great! what can be better than this?
      All the very best :)

      Delete
  8. Very good post. I look for the green dot mostly. My son asked me to do it!

    Thanks for the information, Ankita!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Leave alone animals...some of these products are harmful even for consumers. Revenues and profits have taken centrestage.

    Looking forward to ur visiting my blog. I blog at www.scriptedinsanity.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi CRD

      yes, people only care for profits

      Delete
  10. Hi CRD

    Yes, companies focus solely on profits and nothing else.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Now this is a BLOG WITH SUBSTANCE :)

    we would all say we are against it but nobody is going to stop using these cosmetics..Read somewhere using cosmetics that had been tested on animals is making world uglier

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Enchantress

      Thanks a ton!! Thats a wonderful compliment :)

      we must come out of our selfish comfort zones and say a NO to such cruel cosmetics.

      Delete
  12. Sad situation of conducting tests on innocent animals, I guess it's not just beauty but there are a variety of other reasons as well which the so-called scientists experiment on animals first - they play around doing genetic modifications, hormone level changes, etc and site cancer-cure as the reason for it.

    I never knew that cosmetic product testing took such brutal ways, thanks for this very informative post you've written, I'll spread the word in my circle and yeah I was aware about the green dot but now I came to know about the bunny logo.

    Every living being has the right to live a life of freedom and not get tortured for the benefit or selfish needs of the human race. Anyway, good job in bringing up these important topics, all the best, keep it up!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sai

      animal testing for cosmetics is unimaginably ugly and brutal. Please spread the word and in future, please buy only those cosmetics that are cruelty free :)

      Delete
  13. Sorry typo. Its flogging

    ReplyDelete
  14. A wonderful post dear Ankita, I always make sure any cosmetic products I purchase are not tested on animals, it is cruel and brutal, the pain to these innocent animals is unimaginable. 'First, do no harm" should be the standard for all cosmetic companies.
    I am a life member of The World Society for the Protection of Animals, they have helped many animals to be rescued from cruelty.
    hugs
    xoxoxo ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Dianne

      Thanks a ton for such a thoughtful comment. It is really commendable that you are apart of such a wonderful cause. The day we humans start understanding the agony and pain of hapless animals, world would become a far better place to live for sure. I would join such a cause too however, i strongly support PETA and do not use leather, fur, musk and such animal items.

      many hugs <3

      Delete