Cruelty free cosmetics is generally a broad category of cosmetics that contain cosmetics products that are not tested on animals, but in other ways that are more ethical than regular animal testing. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not formally recognized as a formal definition that binds this label to an actual set of standards. In other words, even if a company says that their product is cruelty free, it may still have ingredients in it that are considered harmful to animals.
The term “cruelty free” was first used in the US in 1980, but animal advocates have been using the term since the 1970s to draw attention to the abuse of animals in food, entertainment and clothing. In most cases, animal rights organizations are also the ones who are responsible for labeling products that contain ingredients that may harm animals in some way.
The main reasons that animal rights organizations are concerned about cruelty-free products include the fact that animal testing is often done on humans before animals are even tested on in labs and often involves animal cruelty as a means of obtaining the most humane results possible. Animal rights groups argue that this kind of testing is unfair and that the animal must suffer and die because they are being experimented on. The testing can also often be very expensive. Animal testing also takes away the animals’ freedom to live their lives normally, without the possibility of escape.
Even when an animal’s life is saved through animal testing, they are likely to have had their dignity stripped from them for years. The animals may be treated like laboratory mice or rats, and may be made to undergo painful procedures like needle punctures and electrocauteries. The procedure is intended to ensure that the animal is perfectly safe, but the use of these kinds of painful procedures is not necessary in order to make the cosmetics.
When a company is producing cruelty free cosmetics products, they are actually using a process called non-animal testing. This method involves the testing of the ingredients on animals before the cosmetics are used on humans. The testing is conducted on an individual basis, in order to find out whether or not the product is harmful to the animals, but the ingredients used are not dangerous to humans.
Most animal rights advocates agree that if a company will use a non-animal testing process, they should be making their other ingredients available to the public for free or at a reduced price, so that they can offer it to those who are concerned about animal abuse. or who just want to reduce the amount of cruelty that is used in the cosmetics industry.
Many companies that sell cruelty free cosmetics do not actually advertise their fact that their products are made with products that were tested in an animal-free facility. Some companies will tell you that their products have undergone animal testing on an individual basis, but they will not mention the fact that the testing was performed under non-animal methods. If you call the company and ask, they will not offer to let you know that the testing was performed under any method. In fact, many companies will offer to send you an invoice stating that the testing method was non-animal, but they cannot guarantee whether or not the testing was performed using an appropriate method.
There is nothing wrong with being concerned about animal cruelty. However, you should be aware that not every cruelty-free makeup contains any animal-derived ingredients, and that the animal-derived products are not the only ones that you should worry about.
