Animal Friendly: 5 Big Reasons to Use Cruelty-Free Products
In 1975, Peter Singer published his famous book Animal Liberation. It featured the horrendous way animals are treated in factory farming and product testing and posed an argument as to why they need to end.
Unfortunately, many of the cruelties he described still exist today. The change? Conscious consumers are choosing instead to opt for animal-friendly products.
So what exactly are cruelty-free products, and how can the choices we make create a better world? Here are our top 5 reasons why you should only use cruelty-free products in your beauty routine.
1. Test Animals Undergo Horrendous Conditions and Treatment
In his book Animal Liberation, Peter Singer revealed some of the horrendous treatments test animals are put through. Often, they're forced to inhale toxic chemicals, or these chemicals are applied directly to their skin or eyes.
Other tests include immobilization or isolation for long periods. Animals are deprived of all of their natural experiences. Most often, they live out their entire lives as test subjects, completely deprived of their natural environments. They go their entire lives deprived of contact with their own species.
While for centuries there was a debate as to whether or not animals can feel pain at all, but this is now a minority opinion. Most people, vets, and scientists recognize that animals do experience pain and suffering.
Even still, in some studies, it's believed that pain killers will interfere and skew the test results. Thus, animals undergo this cruel and inhumane treatment consciously.
2. Animal Testing is Unnecessary
Animal testing kills over 100 million animals every year. The worst part is, most of this animal testing is completely unnecessary, or even worse, wasteful. Some tests are repetitive, like training students on living animals. This is usually for information that is common knowledge in the industry, or otherwise could be simulated.
Other tests are mandatory for students to complete a degree. Until recently, even students who were against animal testing had to perform an experiment or lose their degree.
Further testing happens for new cosmetics or cleaning supplies. Companies need to now how regents react against skin or in the eyes. But this means millions of animals are tortured every year just so we can have a new cleaner or a new beauty product.
3. Cruelty-Free is Better for The Environment
Animal testing labs have to dispose of animal bodies once the testers are through with them. But that's not the only thing they dispose of. They also have to dump potentially dangerous chemicals, food waste, and supplies used in testing.
On top of that, animal testing facilities lead to worse air and water quality in nearby areas. This happens at any time high concentrations of animals are put in an unnatural environment. According to the NIH, waste from animal testing facilities totaled 1.5 million pounds from 2011 to 2013.
4. Cruelty-Free is Healthier Too
Have you ever really considered the ingredients in your beauty products? The most common animal testing in beauty products is keeping an eye out for skin reactions. In a weird twist of fate, it's more likely that you'll get a negative reaction to a new product with unproven ingredients. These unproven ingredients are likely a product that had to be tested on animals.
These products don't always do anything for you in the first place. And alternately, since they're new to the market, they don't have years of proven track record. They could cause negative health effects that aren't recognized for years to come.
Alternately, cruelty-free products, to cut animal testing, use products that have been on the market for years, and are proven to be safe on human skin. They usually have more natural ingredients, and a proven safety record.
5. Your Purchases Make a Statement
With every purchase you make, you're making a decision and a statement of your values. The things you support and value in your life come out through the decisions you make.
So when you buy products that aren't cruelty-free, you're agreeing that you're okay with animal testing. You're financially supporting companies who test on animals.
When you shop cruelty-free, you're making a statement that you believe in a better future. You believe in a future that doesn't involve animal testing for millions of innocent creatures.
Don't Stop at Cruelty-Free
If you're interested in protecting animals, you're doing the right thing by opting for cruelty-free products. But don't stop there.
The two biggest causes of animal cruelty and inhumane treatments are animal testing and factory farming. If we eliminate these two cruel treatments, it will save billions of animals from horrendous circumstances every year.
Over 400,000 animals died just in FIRES on factory farms alone last year. It doesn't include any of the other ways animals die in factory farms, or count animals slaughtered for food.
To be part of the movement, consider a vegetarian diet. You can cut back on meat, or opt to eat only meat from healthy, sustainable, and ethically treated animals.
You can also support organizations that advocate for animal welfare or animal rights. These work to protect millions and rehome as many as possible.
Animal-Friendly Products Help Create a More Humane World
Opting for animal-friendly products in your beauty products saves millions of animals every year. By shopping cruelty-free, you're making a statement that animals deserve better. You're opting to create a better future.
Your purchases help make a change and a shift to a better world. Make sure the financial statements you make line up with the ethics you believe in.
Ready to be part of a movement that looks out for animals? Shop our line of cruelty-free products here.
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