Many of us take comfort in our favorite red lipstick or go-to mascara, but looking good should not feel bad. Unfortunately, the products that are often great at making us feel more confident are ultimately awful for animals. From Covergirl to Revlon, many of the most popular makeup brands engage in unimaginably cruel animal testing which, more often than not, is not required by law. Ignorance is bliss, and while we may not want to stop purchasing our favorite products, knowing the truth behind how they got to our shelves should make the choice simple. Here are some reasons to consider switching to cruelty-free makeup products:

1. That perfect selfie shouldn’t come at the expense of an animal’s well-being: The disgusting procedures that hundreds of thousands of guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, primates and even cats and dogs are subjected to every day simply are not worth your contoured look. Skin and eye irritation checks involving chemicals being dripped into the eyes and rubbed onto the bare skin of rabbits, and lethal dose tests involving animals swallowing large amounts of chemicals to determine the dose that causes death do not even begin to cover the horrors of testing facilities. After being tested on, animals’ necks are often broken, or they are suffocated without pain relief. Many of these animals receive no protection under the Animal Welfare Act meaning companies can do what they want without explanation or consequence.
2. Supporting companies that choose inhumanity doesn’t make sense: Alternatives to animal testing exist, so companies that choose to continue testing are causing unnecessary suffering in the world. Testing can be completed on in-vitro cells and artificial tissue, or products can be created using substances that have been proven safe already. Animal testing is often not required so why choose to support brands that promote this unethical practice when affordable, high-quality alternatives exist within brands such as Urban Decay, E.l.f. and Too Faced.
3. Cruelty-free makeup is better for your skin and health: Makeup that does not test on animals is often comprised of simpler and more natural products which are better for your skin. On average, women put over 500 chemicals on their body a day. These toxic substances can cause cancer, brain or lung cell damage and birth defects. Cruelty-free brands are often vegan and will not cause the harmful effects many typical cosmetic brands are capable of such as damage to internal organs, allergic reactions, acne breakouts and scarring.

If this inspired you to make the switch, you can find a comprehensive list of cruelty-free brands and look up the products you currently use at https://logicalharmony.net/cruelty-free-vegan-brand-list/. Choosing to be cruelty-free does not mean tossing your entire makeup bag in the trash; simply research what products you can repurchase and what ones you need to find a replacement for once they run out. Also, you can look for products with a Bunny symbol – PETA’s cruelty-free mark of approval – on them. Hopefully next time you put on your killer red lipstick, you will smile knowing no animals suffered to make you look that good.

(Photo/crueltyfreekitty.com)