It was recently announced that the largest cosmetic brand, CoverGirl, will no longer be doing their testing of ingredients and products on animals - which they have notoriously been known to do for years. CoverGirl is one of the biggest companies in the world in the beauty industry and have decided to go cruelty-free. This is revolutionary! To find out what this means, let's first take a look at what animal testing really is.
WHAT is animal testing?
According to this article by The Humane Socitey International in 2013, it is estimated that between 100,000 - 200,000 animals each year are experimented on and suffer horribly due to animal testing for the cosmetic industry alone. Those animals include rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, and mice. What do those tests look like? These tests include skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are repeatedly over long periods of time are dripped into the rabbit's eyes and shaved skin to measure irritability. Force feeding chemicals to the animals that go on for extended periods so that a "lethal dose" can be determined. These force feeding studies also look for general illnesses or health hazards such as cancer or birth defects. The excruciating tests often cause blindness, swollen eyes, bleeding skin, internal bleeding, organ damage, birth defects, convulsions, and death. At the end of these experiments, the animals are then killed, usually by asphyxiation, neck breaking, or decapitation. For further information by the HSUS regarding animal testing in the beauty industry, you can find it here.
What about the parent company, Coty?
Admittedly, I was taken by surprise by the announcement of Cover Girl going cruelty-free across the board. They have been around since the early 1960s and became widely popular in the 1980s as mainstream models became their spokesperson. They were one of the main brands that I absolutely avoided, even in my youth. I wasn't too aware about animal testing back in the day, but with the little that I did know, I knew to avoid them and go with a brand that was cruelty-free. Given the choice, I chose cruelty-free. If you would like to read about their announcement in going cruelty-free, which is really monumental, simply click on the photo below for the link to the article. While being one of the largest beauty brands, it is important to disclose that CoverGirl is properly owned by Coty. While Coty no longer conducts any animal testing, it does sell it's products in mainland China, where it is mandatory to have these horrendous experiments done. For Coty though, their statement in part, regarding animal testing -
"The only exceptions are the very few countries where, by law, the regulatory authorities require us to submit our products or ingredients to them for testing on animals as a mandatory part of their regulatory protocols in compliance with their local regulations."
You can read Coty's brand statement in full here which was obtained by Crueltyfreekitty.com
What does Cover Girl obtaining cruelty-free status really mean?
This is actually really big and exciting news! While we still have a long way to go, this is certainly a step in the right direction. It means that we are making progress in this world in expressing our concerns and voting with our dollars. It's putting pressure on better standards in our brands that we love, or brands that we want to love. It's having a voice for the animals, for standing up for what we believe in, and not accepting NO for an answer. It's holding companies and brands accountable in their practices. It's making a stand with ethical choices. With the technology that we have today, there are alternative methods to use to ensure that our products are safe to use. We spoke up, and they listened.
CoverGirl took the leap
https://www.covergirl.com/en_us/crueltyfree
If you have the choice to go cruelty-free, then why choose otherwise?
There is an abundance of cruelty-free products to choose from at our fingertips. Whether it's high end from a department store, or more affordable drug store brands, the choice is ours for the taking. But with so many out there to choose from, it might seem confusing, especially if you are new to the scene in picking out your beauty products. It's good to know that you can turn over any beauty item, and look for the bunny symbol.
Are you looking to change to cruelty-free cosmetics?
Here's what you need to know if you are wanting to make the switch if you are new to cruelty-free products. Maybe you never realized or even thought about animal testing, and are becoming more aware of the cruel beauty industry. Do not worry and do not become overwhelmed. It is not necessary to rummage thru your make up bag and go thru each item and toss every one of them out. But instead, try taking a simpler approach. Use up what you already have, or toss it in the basket is your choice, but don't panic over it. Take a look and see what you have on hand and choose to move forward with buying cruelty-free products in the future. There will always be something for you to enjoy and that you can feel good about wearing without the compromise or sacrificing of animals. Look for that trusted bunny logo on the back of the package and look at the ingredients to make sure what you are buying is indeed vegan (that'll come up in another blog, I'm sure.) Most products are vegan, but not all. And if you have any doubts, you can always email or call up the brands with your questions. For an absolutely fantastic resource, visit crueltyfreekitty.com for all that you need to know about cruelty-free beauty products. This gal is top notch in her research and explains everything in detail and covers a range of topics. She has a wonderful guide to who does and who does not test on animals in the beauty world. Remember, you have a choice, choose cruelty-free.
I hope this shed some light
on what it means for brands to test on animals, and what a milestone this is for CoverGirl to now be certified cruelty-free. And what a big deal it is! Animal testing isn't necessary, and with our modern advances, there are other methods that are currently being used for beauty brands.
#veganfunandeasy #covergirl #crueltyfree